The map to the right locates Bella Coola on the Pacific coast of British Columbia.

Qumquc. This picture shows the village of Qumquc at the location of the present reserve. The picture is dated 1895. The village as pictured here was washed away in a flood, probably before 1935. It was on the south side of the Bella Coola River approximately one mile upstream from the mouth of the river. The distinctive peaked house belonged to the Clallaman family. The camera has foreshortened distances and the village is a half mile from the mountains behind it.

Long house at Qumquc. This is a close up of a house in the previous picture. It is to the left of the Clallaman house. It has a typical Bella Coola totem pole in front of it. The figure on top of the house is a Thunderbird. This photograph and the four pictures following are also dated from the mid-1890's.

Downtown Qumquc. This picture looks west, with the house in the previous picture on the left. The Clallaman house is the next one down to the left. Two additional longhouses are visible beyond the Clallaman house, and another totem pole.

Clallaman house. This is a picture ot the Clallaman house with a group of Bella Coola Indians in front

Beyond the Clallaman house. This house is the one which was visible three houses beyond the Clallaman house as we looked down the boardwalk to the west. In the panoramic picture of Qumquc (4 pictures above), this house is visible on the far right. Note that the bottom character on the totem pole appears to have a large open mouth. This is a common way of designing the entrance to a longhouse. A person entering is swallowed by a totem figure. If you return to the homepage and examine the photo there, paying attention to the church (Prebysterian) on the reservation just to the right of the road, you will see that there is a replica of a longhouse just to the right of the church. This structure was erected in the late 1960's, and it has a totem pole in its center, which also has the door shaped as the mouth of the bottom figure of the pole.

Outskirts of Qumquc. This house must have been downstream at Qumquc, to the west of the Clallaman house. Since access to the boardwalk is not so steep, it appears to be further from the river.

Further downstream. These houses must be still further west down stream at Qumquc. Notice that the ground in front is almost level now. The other houses required steps carved from cedar trees to enable access.

More recent times. This picture is taken on the south side of the Bella Coola River looking upstream towards the location of the houses in the previous pictures. Notice the more modern dress and the European construction of houses. Notice also the totem pole visible down the lane on the right.

Panorana. This picture is taken in 1873 from the top of the mountain just south of Qumquc. The view is to the NW. The mouth of the Bella Coola River is visible as it empties into saltwater at North Bentinck Arm.

Looking SW. This picture is take from the north side of the Bella Coola River looking to the SW. The bridge was washed away before Ross & I arrived in 1966. The picture on the homepage, taken in 1972, shows the road going to the river and stopping. That is the point at which the bridge here would have taken a person across (from left to right) to the north side.

Necleetsconnay. The official description of this picture from 1873 says it is oriented to the south.