Archives West Finding Aid
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Chalcraft-Pickering Photographs, 1862-1941
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Chalcraft, Edwin L., 1855-1943
- Title
- Chalcraft-Pickering Photographs
- Dates
- 1862-1941 (inclusive)18621941
- Quantity
- 2.5 Linear feet of shelf space, (4 Boxes + Oversize)
- Collection Number
- PC 82 (collection)
- Summary
- Various portraits of the Chalcraft-Pickering family and glass lantern slides of the Chemawa Indian Training School near Salem, Oregon.
- Repository
-
Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
This collection is open and available for research use.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Edwin L. Chalcraft was born on November 13, 1855, on his father's farm near Albion, Illinois, where he lived until his marriage to Alice Pickering on October 13, 1880. The following summer, Edwin, a teacher in the Albion Public School and a county surveyor, and Alice also a school teacher, accepted the invitation of her brother William to visit him in "Squak Valley" (now Issaquah), thirteen miles east of Seattle.
Originally they had planned to stay only for a short visit; but in the spring of 1883 Edwin met Mr. Charles M. Anderson, a. recent graduate of the engineering department of the Territorial University. Anderson and Chalcraft subsequently formed a partnership and opened an office in civil engineering. Meanwhile in Squak Valley the residents learned that Alice had taught school and persuaded her to instruct the very first "Squak Valley" school.
In the summer of 1886, however, the city of Tacoma succeeded in securing the rail terminal for the Northern Pacific Railroad. The ensuing depression in Seattle caused the Anderson-Chalcraft firm to suffer along with other businesses. Then Chalcraft learned of an opportunity to enter the Government Service as Superintendent of the Chehalis Indian Reservation and Boarding School, seventy-five miles southwest of Seattle. Chalcraft had agreed to stay at Chehalis for one year, but worked there until 1889; when he became superintendent of the Puyallup Agency near Tacoma. At Puyallup Chalcraft battled to protect the Indians from the greedy designs of white land grabbers and from the less savory temptations of white civilization.
In 1894 the Agency sent Chalcraft and Alice to superintend the Indian Training school at Chemawa, near Salem, Oregon. Edwin and Alice found Chemawa to be a most congenial place to live and work; but when the Democrats swept into office Chalcraft found through personal experience that political sympathies often outweighed considerations of merit in placing and replacing people in federal jobs. In 1895 the Indian Agency dismissed Chalcraft, without apparent reason other than his Republican political affiliation. Thus Edwin and Alice returned to Seattle, where Edwin resumed his surveying activities. During the years between 1895 and 1900 Edwin surveyed, managed a grocery store and a shingle mill at Mt. Vernon. But in 1900 Republicans under the leadership of William B. McKinley- returned to office and among the people they brought with them were the Chalcrafts. The Agency reinstated Chalcraft then sent him to the Shoshone Reservation in Wyoming. Within a few months the Commissioner appointed Chalcraft to be Supervisor of Indian Schools. In this capacity Edwin was responsible for inspecting the operations of the Indian Schools in their entirety and for evaluating and if necessary correcting any charges of maladministration or wrongdoing.
In 1904, after having traveled throughout the country in discharging his responsibilities, Chalcraft requested and received reassignment to the Salem Indian Training School at Chemawa, Oregon, the place he and Alice liked so well and from which he had been so rudely removed in 1895. Edwin and Alice and their two children lived and worked happily at Chemawa until 1911, when an assistant managed to persuade the Indian Commissioner to remove Chalcraft on the basis of several charges that Edwin was able to prove groundless. Though Chalcraft was able to exonerate himself of these charges, the Agency Commissioner nevertheless transferred him to the James Male Academy in Oklahoma. Chalcraft spent two rather hot and unpleasant years at James Male Academy, but nevertheless admired the abilities of the Indian students there.
In 1914, however, Chalcraft succeeded in getting a transfer to the Siletz Agency in western Oregon. At Siletz Chalcraft pursued the normal duties of Superintendent, teaching, organizing fairs and bands, basketball, baseball and football teams, combatting the evil influence of liquor and generally endeavoring to impart to the Indian students the practical abilities with which to integrate themselves with white society. In 1925, as the time for his retirement approached, Chalcraft recommended to the Indian Commissioner that the Siletz Agency be abolished and its remaining functions integrated with the Chemawa, Agency. In Chalcraft's view, the Agency at Siletz had accomplished its purpose of giving the Indians the practical skills to cope with the white world. The Indian Commissioner complied with Chalcraft's request, and on his birthday, November 13, 1925, Chalcraft and his wife Alice, who had come to Chehalis to stay for a year, retired after forty-one years of service. He and his wife returned to live at their home at 923 Cherry Street in Seattle. Their son, a newspaperman, and their daughter also lived in Seattle.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection consists of two types of materials, Chalcraft-Pickering family portraits and glass lantern slides of the Chemawa Indian Training School near Salem, Oregon.
There are 105 family portraits of various sizes, including oversize, depicting Edwin L. Chalcraft, his wife, Alice Fawcett (Pickering) Chalcraft, their children, Edwin Pickering Chalcraft and Alice Pickering Chalcraft, as well as sundry relatives. Included is a portrait of William Pickering, Governor of Washington Territory from 1862-1866, and grandfather of Alice Fawcett Chalcraft. At the end of the series is seven negatives and an identification folder.
The more substantial and historically significant part of the collection consists of 166 glass lantern slides, assumed to be the work of Edwin L. Chalcraft. The slides were taken at Chemawa, the Indian Training School near Salem, Oregon while Chalcraft was superintendent in 1894-1895, and again in 1904-1911. Included are classroom scenes, sports, music, and work activities of the students, and scenes from a Chatauqua held at Oregon City, Oregon. Along the glass slide bindings are descriptive notes by Chalcraft and the students.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Copyright restrictions may apply.
Preferred Citation
[Item description]
Chalcraft-Pickering Photographs, 1862-1941 (PC 82)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The collection is divided into the family portaits and lantern slides. The portraits are in a rough chronological sequence of familial groupings. Two oversized portraits are separated for storage purposes. The lantern slides follow Chalcraft's original order.
Acquisition Information
The Chalcraft-Pickering Family Papers, including these photographs, were acquired by the Washington State University Libraries in 1986 (MS86-54) from Florian Shasky, a dealer in out-of-print books and manuscript materials.
Separated Materials
The photographs were seperated from the Chalcraft-Pickering Family Papers, 1821-1954 (Cage 560)
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Chalcraft-Pickering Family PortraitsReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | |
---|---|---|
Box | Folder | |
1 | 1 | Gov. William Pickering of Washington
Territory 2 items.
|
1 | 2 | Richard and Emily Pickering; Pickering
coat of arms 5 items.
|
1 | 3 | Richard and Lucy Chalcraft 3 items.
|
1 | 4 | Family homes and town views, Albion,
Ill. 4 items.
|
1 | 5 | Edwin L. and Alice F. Chalcraft and
children Alice P. and Edwin P. 5 items.
|
1 | 6 | Alice Fawcett Chalcraft 4 items.
|
1 | 7 | Edwin L. and Alice F.
Chalcraft 3 items.
|
1 | 8 | Alice Pickering Chalcraft 10 items.
|
1 | 9 | Unidentified portraits, probably Alice P.
Chalcraft 6 items.
|
1 | 10 | Edwin Pickering Chalcraft 7 items.
|
1 | 11 | Edwin P. Chalcraft, wife Alma Ross and son
Walter 12 items.
|
1 | 12 | Maurice and Mabel Chalcraft and
family 2 items.
|
1 | 13 | Rosa C. Gooch and son John 3 items.
|
1 | 14 | Flower family 4 items.
|
1 | 15 | Henry J. Phillips and wife Mary Pickering
and family 4 items.
|
1 | 16 | Family and friends 11 items.
|
1 | 17 | Alma Ross' school; Ross and Edge family
portraits 6 items.
|
1 | 18 | Mr. John F. Kennedy and Mrs. J. F. Ross
Kennedy 2 items.
|
1 | 19 | Unidentified portraits 4 items.
|
1 | 20 | Negatives (7), and one identification
folder 8 items.
|
OS | Unidentified house with two men and two
women |
|
OS | Panoramic view of Chemawa |
Lantern slidesReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | |
---|---|---|
Box | Folder | |
2 | 1 | Site where Chemawa school began (Feb. 25,
1880), Forest Grove, Oregon. |
2 | 2 | Entrance to grounds at Chemawa |
2 | 3 | Grounds and bandstand at
Chemawa |
2 | 4 | School grounds at Chemawa
(tinted) |
2 | 5 | Part of Chemawa school grounds |
2 | 6 | Part of campus at Chemawa |
2 | 7 | Rose Avenue at Chemawa, snow of
grounds |
2 | 8 | Rose Ave. looking north from the
superintendent's home |
2 | 9 | Rose Ave., superintendent's house at
right |
2 | 10 | Rose Ave. at Chemawa |
2 | 11 | Unidentified slide (grove of
trees) |
2 | 12 | Edwin L. Chalcraft taking photo of rose
bush |
2 | 13 | Rosebush growing, building at
Chemawa |
2 | 14 | An inspecting officer visiting
Chemawa |
2 | 15 | A visiting superintendent at
Chemawa |
2 | 16 | Miss Jennie Bowman |
2 | 17 | Mr. Cooper and blooming
sweetpeas |
2 | 18 | Academic Building |
2 | 19 | Employees cottage |
2 | 20 | Dormitory for medium size boys |
2 | 21 | Mitchell Hall, large boys home |
2 | 22 | Commissary |
2 | 23 | Domestic Science Building |
2 | 24 | Habitat Building |
2 | 25 | Mechanics Building |
2 | 26 | Steam engineering, heating and electrical
plant |
2 | 27 | Unidentified building |
2 | 28 | Bakery |
2 | 29 | Interior of Bakery |
2 | 30 | Wagon made in shop |
2 | 31 | Blacksmith shop |
2 | 32 | Chemawa graduate in his own Blacksmith
shop at Bellingham, WA |
2 | 33 | Harness shop |
2 | 34 | Storage room for harness |
2 | 35 | Carpenter shop |
2 | 36 | Wagon wood work shop |
2 | 37 | Part of canned fruit room |
2 | 38 | Vegetable storage building |
2 | 39 | Laundry |
2 | 40 | Wash room in laundry |
2 | 41 | Ironing and drying room in
laundry |
2 | 42 | Engine room in steam plant |
2 | 43 | Boiler room in steam plant |
2 | 44 | Filling a silo at dairy barn |
2 | 45 | Taking up garbage |
2 | 46 | Gathering Chemawa strawberries |
2 | 47 | Chemawa boys at work |
2 | 48 | Clearing land at Chemawa |
2 | 49 | Part of Chemawa farm |
2 | 50 | View of Chemawa farm (man
plowing) |
2 | 51 | Part of Chemawa farm (cutting grain or hay
with horses) |
2 | 52 | Part of Chemawa farm
(cornfield) |
2 | 53 | Part of school farm |
2 | 54 | View of part of Chemawa farm |
2 | 55 | Mealtime in Chemawa stock yard |
2 | 56 | Bear pit at Chemawa |
2 | 57 | Female deer at Chemawa (a Chemawa
pet) |
2 | 58 | A couple of fawns |
2 | 59 | Three "Deers" at Chemawa |
3 | 60 | Chemawa boys starting out to pick
hops |
3 | 61 | Chemawa students picking hops in Charles
MacNary hop yard |
3 | 62 | Chemawa boys hauling hops to
dryer |
3 | 63 | Chemawa girls going out to pick
hops |
3 | 64 | Sorting prunes for drying |
3 | 65 | Gathering prunes at Chemawa |
3 | 66 | Chemawa prune orchard |
3 | 67 | Chemawa prune orchard |
3 | 68 | Chemawa prunes |
3 | 69 | Chemawa prune orchard in bloom |
3 | 70 | Chemawa prune orchard in bloom |
3 | 71 | Thanksgiving display at Chemawa
(potato) |
3 | 72 | Thanksgiving display at Chemawa
(apples) |
3 | 73 | Thanksgiving display
(potatoes) |
3 | 74 | Thanksgiving display (potatoes, cabbage,
squash) |
3 | 75 | Thanksgiving display |
3 | 76 | Floral display |
3 | 77 | Pupils room at Chemawa |
3 | 78 | Pupils room at Chemawa |
3 | 79 | Interior of pupils room |
3 | 80 | Interior of pupils room |
3 | 81 | Interior of pupils room |
3 | 82 | Classroom at Chemawa |
3 | 83 | Classroom at Chemawa (sewing,
tailoring) |
3 | 84 | Classroom at Chemawa |
3 | 85 | Classroom at Chemawa |
3 | 86 | Classroom at Chemawa |
3 | 87 | Classroom at Chemawa |
3 | 88 | Joe Purns (with tuba) at rest |
3 | 89 | Bandstand at Chemawa (gazebo) |
3 | 90 | Schoolband at Chemawa |
3 | 91 | Chemawa band on parade grounds |
3 | 92 | Special band at Chemawa |
3 | 93 | Special band at Chemawa |
3 | 94 | Musical trio (violinist, cellist,
pianist) |
3 | 95 | Y.M.C.A. group at Chemawa |
3 | 96 | Y.M.C.A. girls at Chemawa |
3 | 97 | A literary society group
(girls) |
3 | 98 | Mrs. Smith and her literary society boys
at Chemawa |
3 | 99 | Nesika Club at Chemawa |
3 | 100 | Dona May? Smith (baby sitting in
tuba) |
3 | 101 | Edwin Smith and daughter Dona
May |
3 | 102 | Edwin Smith and daughter Dona
May |
3 | 103 | Visiting football team at
Chemawa |
3 | 104 | Football team; Edwin Smith,
coach |
3 | 105 | Football sic. team at Chemawa School, i.e.
Baseball |
3 | 106 | Football team at Chemawa |
3 | 107 | Chemawa football team |
3 | 108 | Joe Dillstrom, Chemawa student |
3 | 109 | Joe Yebo, football coach and player at
Chemawa (in baseball uniform) |
3 | 110 | Chemawa girls basketball team |
3 | 111 | Baseball game at Chemawa |
3 | 112 | Athletic sports at Chemawa |
3 | 113 | Relay race (Salem to Portland) |
3 | 114 | Salem-Portland relay race |
3 | 115 | Relay race, YMCA |
3 | 116 | Relay race, Chemawa member |
4 | 117 | Student parade on athletic grounds at
Chemawa |
4 | 118 | Group of Alaskan boys and girls at
Chemawa |
4 | 119 | An Alaskan pupil at Chemawa |
4 | 120 | Two Chemawa students |
4 | 121 | A group of girls at Chemawa
School |
4 | 122 | A new group entering school at
Chemawa |
4 | 123 | Nora and Rena Mann, Chemawa
students |
4 | 124 | Fourtunato Jayme, a Philipino student at
Chemawa |
4 | 125 | Chemawa student officer at Oregon City
Chatauqua |
4 | 126 | Chemawa students camp at Oregon City
Chatauqua |
4 | 127 | Chemawa students "Dining Hall" at Oregon
City Chatauqua |
4 | 128 | Chemawa students camping at Oregon City
Chatauqua |
4 | 129 | Attending Chatauqua session at Oregon City
(l to r, Edwin Pickering Chalcraft, Mrs. Alice F. Chalcraft, Alice
Pickering Chalcraft) |
4 | 130 | Chemawa students "cook," Tent at Oregon
City Chatauqua |
4 | 131 | Charlie Larsen at Oregon City
Chatauqua |
4 | 132 | David Brewer, a most worthy
man |
4 | 133 | David Brewer, a most worthy
man |
4 | 134 | Indian family, unidentified |
4 | 135 | Unidentified Indian woman, child and white
girl |
4 | 136 | Unidentified Indian woman |
4 | 137 | Two unidentified Indian man |
4 | 138 | Unidentified Indian family |
4 | 139 | Unidentified Indian man |
4 | 140 | Unidentified Indian man |
4 | 141 | Unidentified Indian man |
4 | 142 | Unidentified Indian man |
4 | 143 | Two unidentified Indian man |
4 | 144 | Unidentified little girl |
4 | 145 | Mrs. Woods and daughter Evaline at
Chemawa |
4 | 146 | Alice Pickering Chalcraft,
"Hallie" |
4 | 147 | Hallie (Alice Pickering Chalcraft) at
Chemawa, Oregon |
4 | 148 | Alice Pickering Chalcraft, "Hallie"
(tinted) |
4 | 149 | Alice Pickering Chalcraft,
"Hallie" |
4 | 150 | Edwin L. Chalcraft at Silver Creek Falls
camp, Oregon |
4 | 151 | Family group (Chalcrafts and
Pickerings) |
4 | 152 | Grandpa Pickering, Hallie and
Marie |
4 | 153 | Cemetery at Wanborough,
Illinois |
4 | 154 | Old mud house at Wanborough,
Ill. |
4 | 155 | Old mud house at Wanborough,
Ill. |
4 | 156 | Old mud house at Wanborough,
Ill. |
4 | 157 | Albion, Illinois, from Richard Chalcraft
farm |
4 | 158 | Bridge over "Deep Cut," Albion,
Ill. |
4 | 159 | Block house at Grand Ronde, built by
General Sheridan |
4 | 160 | Horace Craigs house, Canyon City,
Colorado |
4 | 161 | Where [we?] lived in Canyon City,
Colo. |
4 | 162 | Unidentified house |
4 | 163 | Unidentified houses |
4 | 164 | Two unidentified houses |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Indians of North America -- Education -- Oregon -- Photographs
Personal Names
- Chalcraft, Alice, 1858-1938 -- Archives
- Chalcraft, Edwin L., 1855-1943 -- Archives
- Pickering, William T., 1798-1873
Corporate Names
- Chemawa Indian School -- Photographs
Family Names
- Chalcraft family
- Pickering family
Geographical Names
- Chemawa (Salem, Or.) -- Photographs
- Washington (State) -- Photographs
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Chalcraft, Alice, 1858-1938 (creator)