The Luxton Archives: A Rare Treasure A major component of the Luxton legacy is the extensive collection of archival material collected over a lifetime by Eleanor Luxton and left for posterity when she passed away in 1995. Altogether, the collection fills over 25 metres of shelving. Many of the records that were collected from the Luxton home were inherited from the Luxton and McDougall family files. Much of it is material that has not been available previously to researchers. Some of the papers, dating back to the 1850s, trace the missionary past of the McDougall family from Owen Sound, Ontario to Morleyville, the first settled community in southern Alberta. The Methodist missionaries, George and John McDougall, were the grandfather and uncle of Eleanor. From her Luxton ancestry is material dating from the early days of the Winnipeg Free Press, of which Eleanor’s paternal grandfather, William Fisher Luxton, was co-founder. The bulk of the records arise from Eleanor’s father, Norman Luxton’s, Banff businesses and activities. Of special interest are the records of Norman’s voyage across the Pacific in the Tilikum, a dug-out canoe fitted with sails, in 1901, and of the return to Canada of a herd of Plains Bison from Montana. Another major portion of the collection deals with Eleanor Luxton’s career as school teacher, CPR locomotive designer, traveler, lecturer, field worker for the Glenbow foundation, historian, writer and businesswoman. Nearing the end of her life, she arranged for the creation of the Eleanor Luxton Historical Foundation, with the aim of preserving the history of Banff and the Bow Valley. She envisioned the archives being housed in one of the residences that were part of her estate. When this proved impractical, for reasons of conservation and security, a contract was entered into with the Whyte Museum to store and process her papers. Through the efforts of Don Bourdon, head archivist at the Whyte, and archivist Margery Hadley, researchers now have access to this important collection. For current Archives hours, see the Whyte Museum website. For direct access to the Luxton fonds description click here.     Selection of Photographs from the Luxton Family Fonds