Archives West Finding Aid
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Sluicing Work of Lewis Construction Co., Seattle, Wash., photograph album, 1905-1906
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Lewis Construction Co
- Title
- Sluicing Work of Lewis Construction Co., Seattle, Wash., photograph album
- Dates
- 1905-1906 (inclusive)19051906
- Quantity
- 20 photographic prints (1 box) ; sizes vary
- Collection Number
- PH0021
- Summary
- Album of photographs from Lewis Construction Co. demonstrating sluicing techniques in regrading excavations in Seattle, Washington.
- Repository
-
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu - Access Restrictions
Entire collection can be viewed on the Libraries’ Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials Curator required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was partially provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities
Historical BackgroundReturn to Top
Reginald Heber Thomson, city engineer of Seattle from 1892 to 1911, was responsible for reshaping the city's physical landscape. During his tenure the city entered into major regrading efforts involving the extensive removal of land to flatten hills. These projects included the Denny Hill, Jackson Street, and Dearborn Street regrades. Under Thomson's direction, 25 miles of city streets were regraded and 16 million cubic yards of dirt were sluiced out and redirected to fill the tideflats south of downtown.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection contains prints that were in an album entitled Sluicing Work of Lewis Construction Co., Seattle, Wash. Images show sluicing methods used in earthwork excavation from 1905-1906, as well as the wooden pipes, water channels (sluice boxes), and trestles used in the process. The majority of the photographs show the sluicers spraying streams of water at the earth walls of sand and blue clay. One photograph shows ink lines indicating the original crest of the hill as well as the future line of the cut where Dearborn Street would lie. The inside cover of the album indicates that it was presented to R.H. Thomson by Charles S. Wiley and William H. Lewis.
It is unclear which regrading effort is depicted in the Lewis Construction Co. album, although it is most likely the Dearborn Street project; the excavated blue clay described in the album's photo captions was probably the same blue clay that was used in the area's brickyards during the period of excavation.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
View the digital version of the collection
Restrictions on Use
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Acquisition Information
Donor: Mrs. Frank J. Morrill; received Nov. 8, 1955.
Processing Note
Processed by Sarah Nelson and Nicolette Bromberg, 2004.
The collection was originally contained in one album that has been dismantled due to deterioration. Each page of photographs has been put in a folder, and the page order has been maintained.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | item | ||
| 1/1 | 1 | Spraying (sluicing) water at bank of sand at excavation site | June 6, 1906 |
| 1/2 | 2 | Spraying (sluicing) water to break down bank of hard clay ( using 3 ½" giant 180' head) | June 16, 1906 |
| 1/3 | 3 | Spraying (sluicing) water against bank of sand and loam (using 3 ½" giant sluice) | June 16, 1906 |
| 1/4 | 4a | Water channel (sluice box) traveling across excavation site | Oct. 1905 |
| 1/4 | 4b | Stream of sand and water spraying from sluice against earth wall in excavation pit | |
| 1/5 | 5 | Two sluicers (3 ½" giants) spraying against blue clay wall of earth in excavation pit | Feb.12, 1906 |
| 1/6 | 6 |
Excavation pit
with three sluicers spraying water against earth walls and water channels
(sluice boxes) crossing pit floor Photo is in two parts.
|
Feb. 1, 1906 |
| 1/7 | 7 |
Excavation pit
with sluicers and channels (sluice boxes) traversing pit floor Photo is in two parts.
|
Mar. 9, 1906 |
| 1/8 | 8 |
Mouth of unused
Hopkirk pipe with wooden components resting on ground beside pipe In comparison to photo 9.
|
Feb. 9, 1906 |
| 1/9 | 9 | Hopkirk pipe after
6 months of use In comparison to photo 8.
|
Feb. 9, 1906 |
| 1/10 | 10 |
Looking west
across small valley with houses and streets, at hill with ink lines drawn to
show original line of hill and proposed Dearborn Street cut Negative no. UW 18555.
|
June 1, 1906 |
| 1/11 | 11 | Land fill showing lumps of clay and sluice pipes | Oct. 1905 |
| 1/12 | 12 | Wooden pipe ("plain stave") positioned to display wear from use | Feb. 9, 1906 |
| 1/13 | 13a | Bottom planks of wooden sluice boxes showing wear from use | Oct. 1905 |
| 1/13 | 13b | Pile of used wooden pipes showing triangular shape of interior walls resulting from being turned three times during use | Oct. 1905 |
| 1/13 | 13c | Sluice pipe lines on trestle traveling past houses | Oct. 1905 |
| 1/13 | 13d | Stack of Hopkirk pipes with wooden components | Oct. 1905 |
| 1/14 | 14 | Two sluicers spraying water at earth walls of excavation pit with large home overlooking pit | Feb. 1906 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Earthwork--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
- Excavation--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
- Grading (Earthwork)--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
- Sluices--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
Geographical Names
- Seattle (Wash)--Photographs
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)
