Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
L. Guy Mecklem Collection, 1892-1974
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Eklund, Don
- Title
- L. Guy Mecklem Collection
- Dates
- 1892-1974 (inclusive)18921974
- Quantity
- .25 Linear Ft., ( )
- Collection Number
- XOE_CPNWS0037mecklem (collection)
- Summary
- The L. Guy Mecklem Collection is made up of the materials accumulated by Dr. Don Eklund, of Western Washington State College, during his research for a history of Mecklem's early aeronautical career from 1897-1910. Materials include interviews conducted with L. Guy Mecklem between November 1971 and February 1972. Also included is an unpublished autobiography by Mecklem and photographs of his early flying days.
- Repository
-
Western Washington University, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Goltz-Murray Archives Building
808 25th St.
Bellingham, WA
98225
Telephone: (360) 650-7534
cpnws@wwu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English.
- Sponsor
- Funding for preparing this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Funding for encoding the finding aid was awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
L. Guy Mecklem was an aviation pioneer and daredevil at the turn of the 20th Century. Beginning with his first balloon flight in 1897 at the age of 15, Mecklem discovered a love for flying that led him to a career as a popular local aeronaut. In the course of this career Mecklem performed a number of hazardous tricks while suspended from a trapeze affixed to his balloon. Even after suffering numerous unpredictable landings Mecklem never failed to make further ascents. While traveling the country performing at a number of air shows Mecklem became enamored with engine-powered airplanes and pursued a short career of flying these aircraft at exhibitions. When this career change proved unprofitable Mecklem sold his plane and moved on to become a carnival acrobat and deep sea diver. After retiring from these occupations L. Guy Mecklem settled onto a berry farm for 28 years with his wife outside Everson, Washington. Near the end of his life he moved to Bellingham where he died at the age of 90 on January 20, 1973.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The L. Guy Mecklem Collection is made up of the materials accumulated by Dr. Don Eklund, of Western Washington State College, during his research for a history of Mecklem's early aeronautical career from 1897-1910. Materials include notes from interviews Eklund and JoAnn Roe conducted with L. Guy Mecklem between November 1971 and February 1972. Also included are an unpublished autobiography by Mecklem, photographs of his early flying days, as well as negatives and slides. Negatives and slides correspond with the prints. Dr. Eklund's working copies, final draft, and the printed monograph of "Washington's 'Wild Scotsman': The Early Aeronautical Adventures of L. Guy Mecklem, 1897-1910" are also in the collection.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
L. Guy Mecklem Collection, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University, Bellingham WA 98225-9123.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The L. Guy Mecklem Collection is organized in accordance with the following series arrangement:
- Series I: Research Notes/Materials, 1971; Undated
- Series II: Manuscripts, 1974
- Series III: Photographs, 1892-1908; Undated
Bibliography
Eklund, Don, Washington's "Wild Scotsman" : the early aeronautical adventures of L. Guy Mecklem, 1897-1910 ( Bellingham : Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Washington State College, 1974).
Processing Note
About Harmful Language and ContentTo learn more about problematic content in our collections, collection description and teaching tools (including how to provide feedback or request dialogue on this topic), see the following Statement About Potentially Harmful Language and Content
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Series I: Research Notes/Materials, 1908-1972 , UndatedReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/1 | Dr. Don Eklund’s Interview
Notes |
November 1971-January 1972 |
| 1/2 | L. Guy Mecklem's Autobiography |
Undated |
| 1/3 | Jo Ann Roe Notes and Interview with Mecklem |
1971 |
| 1/4 | Articles & Other Research Notes |
1908,1957 |
Series II: Manuscripts, 1974Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/5 | Dr. Don Ecklund's Monograph Working Copies |
Undated |
| 1/6 | Final Draft and Printed Monograph, "Washington's 'Wild
Scotsman': The Early Aeronautical Adventures of L. Guy Mecklem,
1897-1910" |
1974 |
Series III: Photographs, 1892-1908; , UndatedReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Prints
|
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/7 | #1-Leschi Park, Seattle |
ca. 1902 |
| 1/7 | #2-San Jose, CA. |
ca. 1982-1893 |
| 1/7 | #3-Airship built by Capt. Thomas Scott Baldwin, Chutes
Park, Los Angeles |
19058 |
| 1/7 | #4-Dominquez Field Air Meet, Los Angeles |
1908 |
| 1/7 | #5-Dominquez Field Air Meet, Los Angeles |
1908 |
| 1/7 | #6-Paulhan’s Farman, Dominquez Field, Los
Angeles |
ca. 1908 |
| 1/7 | #7-Dominquez Field Air Meet, Los Angeles |
ca. 1908 |
| 1/7 | #8-Meadows (now Boeing Field), Seattle
(Includes Mecklem signature from Jan. 24, 1972 at age 89.)
|
July 4, 1908 |
| 1/7 | #9-Mecklem’s first airship, Seattle |
1908 |
| 1/7 | #10-Luna Park, Seattle |
1908 |
| 1/7 | #11-Mecklem’s first airship (frame),
Seattle |
1908 |
| 1/7 | #12-Mecklem’s Hangar, Luna Park Seattle |
1908 |
| 1/7 | #13-June flight Seattle: Luna Park |
June 27, 1908 |
| 1/7 | #14 -Clutch arrangement, Mecklem’s first airship,
Seattle |
1908 |
| 1/7 | #15-Mecklem’s first airship (frame) ,
Seattle |
1908 |
| 1/7 | #16-Prop Arrangement, Mecklem’s first airship,
Seattle |
1908 |
| 1/7 | #17-Mecklem’s first airship, Luna Park,
Seattle |
1908 |
| 1/7 | #18-Mecklem’s first airship, Luna Park,
Seattle |
1908 |
| 1/7 | #19-Meadows Landing from Luna Park flight,
Seattle |
July 4, 1908 |
| 1/7 | #20-Mecklem's first airship, Luna Park, Seattle
|
1908 |
| 1/7 | #21-Mecklem's first airship, Luna Park, Seattle
|
1908 |
| 1/7 | #22-Louis Paulhan's Farman biplane, Dominquez Field,
Los Angeles |
1908 |
| 1/7 | #23-Mecklem’s gas generator |
Undated |
| 1/7 | #24-Eastern Airship purchased by Mecklem |
Undated |
| 1/7 | #25-One of Mecklem’s airships, Portland,
Oregon |
Undated |
| 1/7 | #26-Unidentified aircraft |
1908 |
| 1/7 | #27-Mecklem’s airship on tour, Austin,
Texas |
1908 |
| 1/7 | #28-Unidentified airship |
Undated |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/8 | Negatives |
Undated |
| 1/9 | Slides |
Undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Aeronautics -- Washington (State) -- History -- Sources.
- Airplanes -- History -- Sources.
- Ballooning -- History -- Sources.
Personal Names
- Eklund, Don--Archives. (creator)
- Mecklem, L. Guy, 1882-1973--Archives.
Geographical Names
- Washington (State) -- History -- Sources.
Titles within the Collection
- Washington's "Wild Scotsman" : the early aeronautical adventures of L. Guy Mecklem, 1897-1910
Finding aid created by Jason
Viers.
2004
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
