Benjamin Richard Atkins was born in Ireland in 1866 and came to Revelstoke in 1896 as owner and editor of the Kootenay Mail newspaper. In 1899 he served as private secretary to Premier Semlin and later returned to Revelstoke as collector of customs, a position he held until 1921. At that time, he became a feature newspaper writer and completed a manuscript entitled Columbia River Chronicles. He died in Kamloops, B.C. in 1941.
The fonds consists of correspondence and historical articles and manuscripts mostly pertaining to Mr. Atkins research and writings about events in Revelstoke prior to 1900. Included in the correspondence is a manuscript written by James M. Kellie, M.P.P.