Archives West Finding Aid
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H.W. McCurdy Collection on the Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging Co., 1900-1945
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- McCurdy, H. W. (Horace Winslow), 1899-
- Title
- H.W. McCurdy Collection on the Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging Co.
- Dates
- 1900-1945 (inclusive)19001945
- Quantity
- 7 boxes, (6 linear feet)
- Collection Number
- 1955.970.500
- Summary
- Photographs of various projects undertaken by the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company, including shipbuilding, bridges, dams, and buildings, plus scrapbooks of clippings, and blueprints
- Repository
-
Museum of History & Industry, Sophie Frye Bass Library
P.O. Box 80816
Seattle, WA
98108
Telephone: 2063241126 x102
library@mohai.org - Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open to the public by appointment.
- Languages
- English.
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Founded in 1889, the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company was destined to become one of Seattle's most important companies. Whether under the title Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company or Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company, their hand can be seen in most major construction sites in the Pacific Northwest including Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Idaho, Oregon and California. In addition, they are responsible for many ships, including some of the Washington State ferries and many naval vessels during and after World War II.
Some of the highlights in the history of this company include:
- 1909-1910
- Hydraulic Dredges construct Harbor Island, the largest man-made island for thirty-five years--second now only to Treasure Island in San Francisco. Harbor Island was the site of the company since the thirties.
- 1924
- The Dexter Horton Building was constructed in Seattle. At fourteen stories, it was the largest reinforced concrete building in the United States west of Chicago.
- 1927
- A steel cantilever bridge was constructed over the Snake River at Twin Falls, Idaho.
- 1939
- Construction began on the Lake Washington Floating Bridge.
- WWII
- WWII provided a boom in contracts for the company with the Navy. In conjunction with their Canadian
affiliate, the British Columbia Bridge and Dredging Company, they constructed Naval bases in Alaska at Sitka, Dutch
Harbor and Kodiak. In addition the BCB & D built a Point of Embarkation at Prince Rupert for the
Army.
Eighty-two ships were constructed for the Navy as well, with a record fifteen (five of three different types) ships being delivered in one day. - 1959
- Company purchased by Lockheed.
More recent projects include the Grand Coulee Dam, much of the Interstate 5 bridges and roadways through Seattle, and the San Fernando Tunnel in California. They have continued to build ships ranging from dredges, tugs and ferries to mine sweepers, ice breakers and guided missile frigates, mostly for the Navy, Coast Guard and the states of Washington and Alaska.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection consists almost entirely of photographs taken to document various construction and shipbuilding projects undertaken by the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company in the Pacific Northwest, including bridges, dams, dredging, and building construction. Some notable projects represented in the collection include the Lake Washington floating bridge, the University of Washington stadium, and the Dexter Horton Building, all in Seattle. Two albums of photos document warships built during World War II. The collection also includes scrapbooks of relevant newspaper clippings and blueprints.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
View selections from the collection in digital format by clicking on the camera icons in the inventory below.
Restrictions on Use
The Museum of History & Industry is the owner of the materials in the Sophie Frye Bass Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from MOHAI before any reproduction use. The museum does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
Preferred Citation
H.W. McCurdy Collection on the Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging Co., Museum of History & Industry, Seattle
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Photographs are arranged by project, and many contract numbers are noted. Project files are roughly chronological.
Location of Collection
13a.4.4-6Custodial History
The collection was assembled and maintained by H.W. McCurdy before it was donated to MOHAI.
Acquisition Information
The collection was donated by H.W. McCurdy in 1955.
Separated Materials
These materials are part of a large donation by H.W. McCurdy that also includes a large number of maritime artifacts, family photographs (1986.27), and Native American photographs, mainly of Makah Indians (1955.970.470). The artifacts are cataloged and stored separately by MOHAI's Collections Department.
Related Materials
The Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company Photographs and Publications (1988.13) and the James G. McCurdy II Photographs and Other Material (1995.37) contain additional materials about this company.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
PhotographsReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | Headquarters, offices and yards / McCurdy portrait |
|
| 1 | 2 | People |
|
| 1 | 3 | "How We Did It," album |
1900-1909 |
| 1 | 4 | Carson City office |
before 1942 |
| 1 | 5 | Empress Hotel, Victoria, BC |
1908 |
| 1 | 6 | Puyallup River Bridge |
1911 |
| 1 | 7 | 1915 | |
| 1 | 8 |
Naval Training Station barracks on University of Washington campus, Seattle, October 1, 1918 Naval Training Station buildings under construction on University of Washington campus, Seattle, October 8, 1918 Naval Training Station construction on University of Washington campus, Seattle, October 1, 1918
Frank Nowell (photographer)
|
1918 |
| 1 | 9 | 1920 | |
| 1 | 10 | 1920 | |
| 1 | 11 |
Construction of Husky Stadium on University of Washington campus, Seattle, 1920 Construction of Husky Stadium on University of Washington campus, Seattle, 1920 Construction of Husky Stadium on University of Washington campus, Seattle, 1920 Construction of Husky Stadium on University of Washington campus, Seattle, 1920 Construction of Husky Stadium on University of Washington campus, Seattle, 1920
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
|
1920 |
| 1 | 12 | University of Washington stadium
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
|
1920 |
| 1 | 13 |
University of Washington stadium Washington vs. Dartmouth
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
|
1920 Nov 27 |
| 1 | 14 | Dredge PUGET SOUND |
circa 1924 |
| 1 | 15 | Garza Dam, Texas |
1924-1925 |
| 1 | 16 | Garza Dam, Texas |
1924-1925 |
| 1 | 17 | North Coast Railroad -- Columbia River Bridge |
|
| 1 | 18 | Estacada Dam (album) |
1910-1911 |
| 1 | 19 | Lilly's Cont. (album) |
1910 |
| 2 | 20 | Washington Iron Works (album) |
1910 |
| 2 | 21 | Jordan River Dam (album) |
1912-1913 |
| 2 | 22 | Jordan River Dam |
|
| 2 | 23 | Temple of Justice |
|
| 2 | 24 | Temple of Justice (album) |
|
| 2 | 25 | Seattle School District No. 1 warehouse & shop building (album)
|
|
| 2 | 26 | Pasco-Kennewick Bridge Gravenslund |
|
| 2 | 27 | Texas dam |
|
| 2 | 28 | Diversion dam, Texas |
1922-1923 |
| 2 | 29 | Panoramas |
|
| 2 | 30 | Falls Creek Dam, (album) |
1922-1923 |
| 2 | 31 | Clinton Court Apartments, Walla Walla
Arnold McFaden (photographer)
|
1922-1927 |
| 2 | 32 | Washington Iron Works |
1923 |
| 2 | 33 | 1922 | |
| 2 | 34 | Dexter Horton Building (album) |
1922 |
| 3 | 35 | ||
| 3 | 36 | 1923 | |
| 3 | 37 | High Bridge, PNW Traction, Bellingham |
|
| 3 | 38 | Pacific S.S. Terminal |
1924 |
| 3 | 39 | Wishkah River Bridge, Aberdeen
Anderson (photographer)
|
1924-1925 |
| 3 | 40 | Garza Dam, Dallas, Texas |
1924 |
| 3 | 41 | Meridian Avenue Bridge, Puyallup |
1925 |
| 3 | 42 | Transmission towers, Henderson Bay, Tacoma |
1925 |
| 3 | 43 | Chehalis River Bridge, Aberdeen
Anderson (photographer)
|
1926 |
| 3 | 44 | Bridge of the Gods, Wauna toll bridge near Hood River, OR |
|
| 3 | 45 | Little Hoquiam Bascule |
1926 |
| 3 | 46 | Dredge GENERAL WOLFE, Quebec
Edwards (photographer)
|
circa 1927 |
| 3 | 47 | San Juan Pulp Mill, Bellingham |
1926 |
| 3 | 48 | Georgia Hotel, Vancouver, BC
Bullen (photographer)
|
1926 |
| 3 | 49 | Pacific Coast Paper Mills, Bellingham
Sandison (photographer)
Jukes (photographer)
|
|
| 3 | 50 | Twin Lakes Bridge, Idaho |
circa 1927 |
| 3 | 51 | Gateway Bridge, Brownsville, Texas, |
1928 |
| 3 | 52 | Simpson Avenue Bridge, Hoquiam |
1927-1928 |
| 3 | 53 | Brewster Toll Bridge, Okanogan Co.
Simmer (photographer)
|
1928 |
| 3 | 54 | Fisher Body Co. Seawall, Duwamish Waterway |
1929 |
| 3 | 55 | 1929-1931 | |
| 3 | 56 | Centralia Power Plant, Yelm (album) |
circa 1930 |
| 3 | 57 | Centralia Power Plant, Yelm |
circa 1930 |
| 3 | 58 | Pennock Island
Alask Fisher Studio (photographer)
|
1931 |
| 3 | 59 | Seward, Alaska dredging |
1931 |
| 3 | 60 | Wenatchee River Bridge |
1932 |
| 3 | 61 | Christmas dinner on VICTORIA at Sitka |
1939 |
| 3 | 62 | Santa Monica breakwater |
1933 |
| 3 | 63 | San Joaquin River dredging |
1932 |
| 3 | 64 | SS NORTHWESTERN |
1940 |
| 3 | 65 | Columbia River rock renewal |
|
| 4 | 66 | Lake Washington pontoon bridge
Simmer (photographer)
|
1939 |
| 4 | 67 | Lake Washington pontoon bridge (album) |
1939 |
| 4 | 68 | Alaskan air bases |
1940-1942 |
| 4 | 69 | Longview, Wash. |
1943 |
| 4 | 70 | Misc. bridges -- statewide |
|
| 4 | 71 | Misc. bridges |
|
| 4 | 72 | Burned dredge SEATTLE, OLYMPIAN |
|
| 4 | 73 | Dredges -- misc. |
|
| 4 | 74 | Dredge TACOMA |
1912-1921 |
| 4 | 75 | Dredge PORTLAND |
|
| 4 | 76 | Chuckanut Bay fill
Sandison (photographer)
|
|
| 4 | 77 | Mausoleums and cemeteries |
|
| 4 | 78 | Columbia River Bridge (negatives) |
|
| 4 | 79 | Misc. negatives |
|
| 5 | Warship launches/christenings (album) |
1944-1945 | |
| 5 | Warship launches/christenings (album) |
1942-1944 | |
| 7 | Oversize photographs 3 photographs
Christening of the Tom McCurdy II, S.S. Alaska, unidentified Tacoma ship
|
: Scrapbooks, Return to Top
Container(s): Box
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 5 | Scrapbook of newspaper clippings -- bridges & canals |
|
| 5 | Scrapbook of newspaper clippings -- waterways |
|
| 6 | Scrapbook of newspaper clippings -- canals, waterways,
dredging |
|
| 6 | Scrapbook of newspaper clippings -- Lake Washington Bridge, Unit #
4 |
|
| 7 | Scrapbook of newspaper clippings -- Alaska Air Bases from August 31,
1939 |
: Blueprints, Return to Top
Container(s): Box
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 5 | Blueprints of East waterway and Canal waterway |
1897-1900 |
| 5 | Blueprints of other waterways |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Bridges -- Design and Construction -- Photographs
- Dams -- Design and Construction -- Photographs
- Shipbuilding -- Washington (State) -- Photographs
Corporate Names
- Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Co.
Form or Genre Terms
- Photographic prints
Finding aid prepared by Julie Kerssen
2006
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
