Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Seattle City Light Department History File, 1894-1972
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Seattle City Light
- Title
- Seattle City Light Department History File
- Dates
- 1894-1972 (inclusive)18941972
- Quantity
- 1.2 cubic ft., (3 boxes)
- Collection Number
- 1200-11
- Summary
- The Seattle City Light Department History File, 1894-1972, consists of correspondence, typed histories, reports, newspaper clippings, and pamphlets related to the history of Seattle City Light.
- Repository
-
Seattle Municipal Archives
Seattle Municipal Archives
Office of the City Clerk
City of Seattle
PO Box 94728
98124-4728
Seattle, WA
Telephone: 2062337807
Fax: 2063869025
archives@seattle.gov - Access Restrictions
-
Records are open to the public.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Seattle City Light provides electricity and electrical and conservation services to its public and private customers. It is the largest public utility in the Pacific Northwest. Public responsibility for electrical energy dates to 1890 with creation of the Department of Lighting and Water Works. In 1902, Seattle voters passed a bond issue to develop hydroelectric power on the Cedar River under the administration of the Water Department. Electricity from this development began to serve Seattle in 1905. A City Charter amendment in 1910 created the Lighting Department. Under the leadership of Superintendent James D. Ross, the department developed the Skagit River hydroelectric project, which began supplying power in 1924. Both public and private power were supplied to Seattle until 1951 when the City purchased the private electrical power supply operations, making the Lighting Department the sole supplier. The Boundary Project in northeastern Washington began operations in 1967 and supplied over half of City Light's power generation. By the early 21st century, approximately ten percent of City Light's income came from the sale of surplus energy to customers in the Northwest and Southwest with the remainder of City Light's financial support coming from customer revenue. The current name of the agency was adopted in 1978 when the Department was reorganized.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Correspondence, news clippings, brochures and pamphlets, reports, typescript histories, and photographs relating to departmental history. The major topics include Superintendent John D. Ross, the Cedar Falls power plant, public power, energy in the Pacific Northwest, and the Skagit River power project.
Histories include timelines detailing the department's history, biographies of superintendents, and discussions of hydroelectric power. Speech transcripts are also included, and some material appears to have been prepared for a 1946 "publicity book," which was to include information on specific dams and power plants, statistics and financial data, maps, employee information, and feature stories. Histories and publicity materials stress the low power rates enjoyed by Seattle's citizens. References to the agency as "Your City Light" also appear frequently; one history states, "...it all belongs to the people of Seattle! You, as a Seattle citizen, are one of the owners of City Light. You may well be proud of this progressive, flourishing enterprise built from its own earnings, to bring the many benefits of low cost hydroelectric power to a great city."
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
[Item and date], Seattle City Light Department History File, Record Series 1200-11. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Seattle City Light Department History File, 1894-1972Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | Annual Report and Report on
the Department of Lighting |
1938-1942 |
1/2 | Typed History
Essays |
1945-1960 |
1/3 | City Light
Newsletter |
1952-1969 |
1/4 | News Releases |
1954 |
1/5 | Pacific Northwest Power
History, Pamphlets |
1894-1959 |
1/6 | Pacific Northwest Power
History, Typed Essays |
1948-1971 |
1/7 | Pacific Northwest Power
History, News Clippings |
1952-1964 |
1/8 | J.D. Ross, News
Clippings |
1930-1939 |
1/9 | J.D. Ross, Typed
Biographies |
1940 |
1/10 | J.D. Ross, Public Ownership,
Newsletter |
1934-1040 |
1/11 | Pamphlets |
1915-1937 |
1/12 | Political Pamphlets and News
Clippings |
1930-1941 |
1/13 | Consumer Pamphlets
Series |
1950 |
1/14 | Pamphlets |
1950-1970 |
1/15 | Skagit River Project
Reports |
1920 |
1/16 | Skagit River Project Typed
Reports |
1959-1963 |
1/17 | Skagit River Project News
Clippings |
1959-1972 |
1/18 | Cedar Falls
History |
1941-1965 |
1/19 | Public Power News
Clippings |
1952-1966 |
2/1 | Power Bill Political
Pamphlets |
1929-1935 |
2/2 | Power Bill Typed
Essays |
1930-1943 |
2/3 | News Clippings |
1900-1921 |
2/4 | News Clippings |
1930-1937 |
2/5 | News Clippings |
1945 |
2/6 | News Clippings |
1952-1959 |
2/7 | News Clippings, New York
Times, Presenting Washington State |
1959 |
2/8 | News Clippings |
1963-1969 |
2/9 | News Clippings, Seattle
Magazine |
1969 |
2/10 | News Clippings |
1970-1971 |
2/11 | Reports |
1909-1933 |
2/12 | Monthly
Statements |
1935-1939 |
2/13 | Monthly
Statements |
1940-1949 |
2/14 | Monthly
Statements |
1950-1955 |
2/15 | Reading Log |
1911-1913 |
2/16 | Correspondence, Memo's,
Estimates on Rates |
1905-1920 |
2/17 | Seafair Pamphlets |
1960-1973 |
2/18 | Greater Seattle
Info |
1961 |
2/19 | Seafair News
Clippings |
1961-1965 |
2/20 | Essay, Seattle City Light and
Its Publics |
undated |
3/1 | The Nature of Gravitation
(by J.D. Ross) |
1933 |
3/2 | Correspondence, J.D.
Ross |
1909-1934 |
3/3 | Newspaper Clippings, City
Light |
1923-1953 |
3/4 | Monthly Condition of City
Light Funds |
1937-1944 |
3/5 | J.D. Ross Biographical and
Historical Information |
undated |
3/6 | Davis Ranch
History |
undated |
3/7 | Skagit: Visiting Groups and
Tours |
undated |
3/8 | Skagit History: Pre City
Light |
undated |
3/9 | Skagit History |
undated |
3/10 | Skagit History |
undated |
3/11 | Skagit Railroad Historical
Information |
undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Electric utilities--Washington (State)--Seattle
- Electric power plants--Washington (State)--Cedar Falls
- Electric power--Washington (State)--Seattle
- Hydroelectric power plans--Washington (State)
- Water-power--Washington (State)
Personal Names
- Ross, J. D. (James Delmage), 1872-1939
Corporate Names
- Seattle City Light
- Cedar Falls Power Plant (Wash.)
- Seattle (Wash.). Dept. of Lighting
- Seattle (Wash.). Dept. of Lighting and Water Works
- Seattle (Wash.). Lighting Dept.
Geographical Names
- Seattle (Wash.)--Politics and government
- Skagit River (B.C. and Wash.)
Form or Genre Terms
- Histories
- Leaflets
- Pamphlets
- Photographic prints