Clair Hunt Colville Indian Reservation Photographs

Clair Hunt Colville Indian Reservation Photographs, approximately 1912

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Hunt, Claire, 1865-1937
Title: Clair Hunt Colville Indian Reservation Photographs
Dates: approximately 1912 (inclusive)
19121912
Quantity: 23 photographs (1 folder)
Collection Number: PH1599
Summary: Photographs of the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington State
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 Material Curator required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.
Languages: English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Clair Hunt (1865-1937) was born in Iowa, and moved to Spokane, Washington in 1887. He worked a variety of jobs before working becoming a surveyor and allotting agent for the Indian Service on the Colville Reservation beginning in 1898. In his time in this position, Hunt created maps of the Colville Reservation and took many photos of the Spokane, Wenatchee, Sinkiuse-Columbia, and Colville Indians. Hunt held the positions of United States Deputy Surveyor between 1903 and 1905, Stevens County Surveyor between 1905 and 1908, and Stevens County Commissioner between 1908 and 1920. While working these positions, Hunt continued making photographs. President Harding nominated Hunt to the Senate for the position of Surveyor General, a title which he held between 1921 and 1925, when the position was eliminated. By 1930, Hunt was a proprietor of a mortgage loan business in Olympia. Clair died on January 18, 1937.

Historical BackgroundReturn to Top

Until the mid-1800s, the ancestors of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation were nomadic, ranging between current day Southeastern British Columbia throughout Eastern Washington and into Northeastern Oregon following the seasons from place to place to occupy fishing sites and harvest native plants. President Grant created the Colville Indian reservation through executive order in 1872, and members of the Colville, Chelan, Methow, Okanagan, Sanpoil, Arrow Lakes, Nespelem, Nez Perce, Palouse, Moses, Entiat, and Wenatchee tribes were ordered to live within its boundaries. Three months after being established, another executive order relocated the reservation to its present day location and diminished it to half its original size. In 1892 the Northern portion was ceded to the United States with provisions made for tribal members to keep hunting and fishing rights on the land, and in 1900 the southern portion was opened up to homesteading.

Hunt made the photographs as part of a project along the Sanpoil River.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Photographs showing exterior views of log cabins, barns & teepees on the Sanpoil river (Colville Indian Reservation)

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

View the digital version of the collection

Restrictions on Use

Status of creator's copyrights is unknown; restrictions may exist on copying, quotation, or publication. Users are responsible for researching copyright status before use.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Separated from the Miles Poindexter Photograph Collection PH 174, 1990s.

Processing Note

Processed by Haley Horton-Loup, 2019.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Homes on Colville Indian Reservation near Sanpoil RiverReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Folder	item
1	1	Log cabin in field between two forested hills	1912?
1	2	Log cabin with two cows grazing in distance	1912?
1	3	Log cabin with two metal chimneys	1912?
1	4	Person on horse between teepee and log cabin	1912?
1	5	Two people and two dogs in front of two-story wooden house	1912?
1	6	Two-story wooden house with single-story log cabin in distance	1912?
1	7	Two-story wooden house with picket fence around front yard	1912?
1	8	Two-story wooden house directly adjacent to log cabin	1912?
1	9	Two teepees and wagon beside log cabin	1912?
1	10	Two-story wooden house with unfinished wooden structure in distance	1912?
1	11	Single-story wooden house and wooden shed with laundry hung on a line between them	1912?
1	12	Single-story wooden house with log outbuilding behind it	1912?
1	13	Log cabin with blankets hanging on frame outside	1912?

Outbuildings on Colville Indian Reservation near Sanpoil RiverReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Folder	item
1	14	Partially underground stone outbuilding and unfinished log building	1912?
1	15	Log outbuilding and unfinished wooden structure behind wooden fence	1912?
1	16	Two wooden outbuildings enclosed by wooden fence	1912?
1	17	Log barn and wagon	1912?
1	18	Unfinished wooden hay enclosure and horse	1912?
1	19	Partially underground storage structure	1912?
1	20	Large log outbuilding on top of hill	1912?
1	21	Log barn and smaller log outbuilding with mountain in distance	1912?
1	22a-b	Log barn with smaller log outbuilding, watering trough, and wagon frame	1912?

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