Correspondence, legal documents, printed material and maps relating to two Petroleum and Natural Gas Leases (No. 20415 and 20416) in Norman Wells that were issued to Albert Simon French Rankin by the Canadian government on May 18, 1921. Rankin's leases were located north of the large Imperial Oil claim on the Mackenzie River. Three letters from 1935 document an attempt by J. A. Frasier to ascertain whether the leases, cancelled in 1924 when Rankin failed to pay rent, could be reinstated. A note dated 1964 Nov 1 on an original folder which housed the papers traces the connection between Rankin and C. C. Frasier, brother of J. A. Frasier. Includes Rankin's 1921 leases; a 1929 pamphlet published by Canada Department of the Interior concerning oil and gas permit regulations in the Northwest Territories; a 1938 pamphlet published by Canada Indian Affairs Branch concerning regulations for quartz mining claims on Indian reserves; a 1945 pamphlet published by Canada Mines and Geology Branch concerning geological investigations in the Mackenzie River area; and a photocopy of a Calgary Herald clipping describing Rankin's 1920-1921 trip to Fort Norman to stake and register his claim. Nine maps of the Northwest Territory, published from 1920-1921, mostly lithographed, some colored and some blueprint lithographed. Several show Rankin leases and other claims along the Mackenzie River. One map depicts oil claims at Windy Point, Great Slave Lake. Four of the maps are annotated.
