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Max R. Oswald collection of Army Signal Corps logging photographs, circa 1918
Overview of the Collection
- Collector
- Oswald, Max R
- Title
- Max R. Oswald collection of Army Signal Corps logging photographs
- Dates
- circa 1918 (inclusive)19161920
- Quantity
- 37 photographic postcards (1 folder) ; 3.5 x 5 in.
- Collection Number
- PH0807
- Summary
- Photographs of a World War I U.S. Army Signal Corps logging camp near Clatsop, Oregon
- 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
-
The collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Max R. Oswald's father, Albert Oswald, a native of Michigan, served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War I. After basic training in Fort Hood, Texas, Oswald was transferred to a lumber camp near Clatsop, Oregon, as part of the Spruce Production Division of the U.S. Army Signal Corps (later named the Army Air Corps and Army Air Force).
Historical BackgroundReturn to Top
The Spruce Production Division of the U.S. Army Signal Corps, led by Lt. Col. Brice P. Disque, was authorized by General Pershing in September 1917 and discontinued after the Armistice in November 1918. During this brief period, soldiers and civilian lumbermen constructed approximately 60 logging camps and 130 miles of railroad track in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California to harvest and transport trees—primarily Sitka spruce—to lumber mills for Allied airplane production. The activities of Disque and the Spruce Production Division continued to affect the lumber industry in the years after the First World War. Disque was instrumental in forming the Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumbermen union, which opened old-growth forests for harvest and affected labor relations in the lumber industry until the 1930s.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Photographs of logging camps near Clatsop, Oregon, run by the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War I. Includes images of men at the camp, of the typical canvas tents built at logging camps, and of camp operations such as the building of timber bridges and buildings and the use of railcars to transport lumber. Also includes images of the natural environment, including rivers and spruce trees.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
View selections from the collection in digital format
Restrictions on Use
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| item | ||
| 1 |
Studio portrait of four soldiers
Wilson Studio, Astoria, Oregon (photographer)
Albert Oswald is standing on the right.
|
circa 1918 |
| 2 | Group of soldiers at Clatsop railway station | circa 1918 |
| 3 | Group of soldiers in logging camp | circa 1918 |
| 4 | Albert Oswald with friend in camp tent | circa 1918 |
| 5 | Soldier seated on cot inside tent | July 1918 |
| 6 | Forest clearing with stumps and felled trees
Written on verso: "That is the starter of Camp 1.F"
|
circa 1918 |
| 7 | View of tree stumps and camp tents with cooking fires | circa 1918 |
| 8 | Camp tents pitched among tree stumps | circa 1918 |
| 9 | Burning tree stumps with camp tents in background | circa 1918 |
| 10 | Tree stumps and felled trees with camp in background | circa 1918 |
| 11 | Horses in camp with tree stump and tents | circa 1918 |
| 12 | Men building a wood-framed kitchen platform at camp | circa 1918 |
| 13 | Men posing in partially constructed wood-framed kitchen at camp | circa 1918 |
| 14 |
Two soldiers posing with locomotive and flatcar in camp
Written on verso: "This is at Camp 1.B"
|
circa 1918 |
| 15 | Railroad tracks running through camp | circa 1918 |
| 16 | Railroad tracks and trestle in forest | circa 1918 |
| 17 | View of locomotive on track with spare axles | circa 1918 |
| 18 | Railcar of spruce logs on the way out of camp
Written on verso: "[First] Car Rived Spruce To Mill"
|
circa 1918 |
| 19 | View of spruce trees | circa 1918 |
| 20 | View of spruce tree
Written on verso: "and here is the top I cut a log the uther [sic] day had 186 ft of logs How is that"
|
circa 1918 |
| 21-22 | View of river and trees | circa 1918 |
| 23 | Man fishing from the bank of a river | circa 1918 |
| 24 | Woods and river with soldier standing on the far bank | circa 1918 |
| 25 | Two soldiers standing at river dam
The man on the right is possibly Albert Oswald
|
circa 1918 |
| 26 | Woods and two soldiers on snowy trail | circa 1918 |
| 27 | Four soldiers posed on tree stump | circa 1918 |
| 28 | Two men standing on felled log | circa 1918 |
| 29 | Group of men with carcass of a bear | circa 1918 |
| 30 | Group of men posed on large tree stump | circa 1918 |
| 31 | Group of men seated among felled logs | circa 1918 |
| 32 | Men posing on partially constructed plank bridge
Written on verso: "This bridge is 94 ft up to where you can see the water pipe"
|
circa 1918 |
| 33 | Men walking over plank bridge at Camp 1.B | circa 1918 |
| 34 | Men sawing with crosscut saw | circa 1918 |
| 35 |
Four men posing with crosscut saw and partially cut tree
Written on verso: "This is the but [sic] of the stump"
|
circa 1918 |
| 36 |
Group of men with logging equipment, including bull block and part of donkey engine
Written on verso: "here is a picture of a part of a donkey [engine] that block is a bull block it is some rig you can see some of the [illegible] They take a big tree"
|
circa 1918 |
| 37 | Men resting at forest campsite | circa 1918 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Lumber camps--Oregon--Clatsop County--Photographs
- Soldiers--United States--Photographs
Personal Names
- Oswald, Albert--Photographs
Corporate Names
- United States. War Dept. Spruce Production Division
Form or Genre Terms
- Photographic postcards
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Oswald, Max R (collector)
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)
