Pacific Coast Company Photograph Album, circa 1875-1925

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Pacific Coast Company
Title
Pacific Coast Company Photograph Album
Dates
circa 1875-1925 (inclusive)
Quantity
1 photograph album
Collection Number
1978.6585
Summary
Photograph album showing Pacific Coast Company mining, steamship and rail operations in Washington, California, Oregon and Alaska. Includes images of piers, coal bunkers, coal and passenger rail depots, warehouses and other buildings on and near company property.
Repository
Museum of History & Industry, Sophie Frye Bass Library

P.O. Box 80816
Seattle, WA
98108
Telephone: 2063241126 x102
library@mohai.org
Access Restrictions

The collection is open to the public by appointment.

Languages
English.
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The Pacific Coast Company rail, shipping and coal operations served the West coast from the mid 19th century until its last railways were abandoned or sold in the mid 20th century. Though the company was organized under the “Pacific Coast Company” name in late 1897, it comprised several existing organizations, most notably the Pacific Coast Steamship Co., Pacific Coast Coal Co. and the Pacific Coast Railway. In Seattle, the Columbia & Puget Sound Railroad, originally the Seattle & Walla Walla, became part of the Pacific Coast Railway in 1916. The several operations of Pacific Coast Co., which also included a cement company and engineering company, played an important role in the development of King County resources and the development of Seattle and outlying communities.

The company’s rail system, which began as a horse-drawn rail line near San Luis Obispo, developed into full-fledged narrow gauge and later, standard gauge railroads. A fleet of steamships, including the Umatilla and the Walla Walla, complemented the rail service, serving as coal carriers for the company’s mining operations, such as those at Newcastle, Franklin, Maple Valley and the Black Diamond mine. By the 1930s, the Pacific Coast Coal Co. was the top coal producing facility in Washington State. As shipments of coal gradually decreased, the Pacific Coast steamships were converted to passenger ships.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection consists of one album containing 170 photographs on linen backing with typed captions on verso. The photographs depict the various properties and operations of the Pacific Coast Company and its various component companies, largely the Pacific Coast Coal Co., Pacific Coast Steamship Co. and Pacific Coast Railway. The bulk of the images depict facilities and operations in Washington and California, including a number of images of the Pacific Steamship Co. piers in Seattle photographed by Frank H. Nowell.

A few images from Oregon document the Pacific Coast Company coal bunker in Portland. Images from Alaska document the Pacific Coast Steamship Company wharves and coal bunker in Juneau and Pacific Coast Company properties under lease in Skagway and Nome.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

A selection of these photographs is available in digital format in the Museum of History & Industry online collections.

Restrictions on Use

The Museum of History & Industry is the owner of the materials in the Sophie Frye Bass Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from MOHAI before any reproduction use. The museum does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation

Pacific Coast Company Photograph Album, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The photographs in the album were stamped with numbers by the creator. In cases of multiple photographs with the same number, letters have been added to distinguish them, e.g. 3a, 3b,etc. Each linen-backed photograph constitutes one page of the album.

Geographic series and subseries reflect the organization of the index on the first pages of the album.

Location of Collection

2b.1.5

Acquisition Information

Donated by Major Vernon Bunch from the Salvation Army in 1978.

Related Materials

Additional photographs of Pacific Coast Coal Co. operations are available in MOHAI's Webster & Stevens collection (1983.10).

Photographs of the Pacific Coast Railroad Company from the Maple Valley Historical Society are available online at King County Snapshots.

Bibliography

Best, Gerald M. Ships and narrow gauge rails: The story of the Pacific Coast Company. Berkeley: Howell-North, 1964.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Washington Return to Top

Container(s) Description
Seattle
Photographs stamped with Frank Nowell's name are attributed to him below; however, many others without attribution are also believed to have been taken by Nowell.
Page
1
2
3a
Pier A with steamer Umatilla in berth
Frank H. Nowell, Seattle (photographer)
3b
Pacific Coast Steamship Co. pier A
4a
4b
Pier B with Admiral Dewey in dock
5a
5b
Pier C with ships in dock
6a
6b
Waterfront view of Pier D (Pacific Coast Steamship Co.)
7a
Pier D from Railroad Avenue
Frank H. Nowell, Seattle (photographer)
T.F. Clark building, Washington Stevedore Co. building, Draper Engine Works and Railroad Company storage.
7b
Pier D from Railroad Ave. showing Pacific Coast Steamship Co. building
8
Barrels and crates in Pier D building
9
Washington Stevedoring Company building and Columbia & Puget Sound Railroad cement shed
10a
Coal bunkers
Frank H. Nowell, Seattle (photographer)
10b
Waterfront view of coal bunkers
10c
Coal depot facilities
10d
Panorama of coal depot showing steamer loading towers, crane tracks, retail bunkers and storage space
11a
11b
Office building, shops and garage on Dearborn St..
12a-b
13a
13b
Outfitting wharf of Pacific Coast Engineering Company
Frank H. Nowell, Seattle (photographer)
14
Building leased to Western Hardware & Metal Co. at First Ave. South and Railroad Way.
15a-b
Occidental warehouse, Oriental warehouse and Washington Cold Storage building at Pier 11
Frank H. Nowell, Seattle (15b) (photographer)
16
Northern Pacific cars on tracks, Vashon Sand Gravel Co. and Seattle Fish & Cold Storage Co. building
17
Great Northern and Northern Pacific rail cars on tracks in front of Independent Asphalt Company.
18a
Overhead walkway from waterfront to First Ave. and Pike Street
Frank H. Nowell, Seattle (photographer)
18b
19a
19b
Georgetown yard of Pacific Coast Coal Co.
Frank H. Nowell, Seattle (photographer)
20, 21a
View across Lake Washington of Pacific Coast addition property
21b-c
Coal yard at Madison park, ca. 1915
Coal yard at Madison park, ca. 1915
Frank H. Nowell, Seattle (21b) (photographer)
21d
Tug S.L.Dowell on Lake Washington
Frank H. Nowell, Seattle (photographer)
21e-f
Pacific Coast Coal Co.'s barge William H. Smith
Cardinell Vincent Co., San Francisco (photographer)
Renton
Page
22
Newcastle
Page
23
Coal Creek
Page
24
Columbia & Puget Sound ticket office, and powerhouse and bunkers at Ford Mine
25a
25b
Wash house for miners
Frank H. Nowell, Seattle (photographer)
26a
Ford Mine bunkers
26b
Coal Creek Hotel
Frank H. Nowell, Seattle (photographer)
27
Maple Valley
Page
28
Black Diamond
Page
29
30
31
Men on steps of mine office
32
33
34
Powerhouse and bunkers at Mine 11
35
Mouth of slope at Mine 11
36
Trestle to bunkers and powerhouse, and engine room at Mine 14
37
Engine room, power house, machine shop and warehouse at Mine 14
38
Franklin
Page
39
40
41
Cannon Mine coal bunkers under construction
42
Cannon Mine power plant
43
43a
Men near revolving tipples at Cannon Mine bunkers
43b
44
Gem mine portion of top works
45
Columbia & Puget Sound rock quarry
Frank H. Nowell, Seattle (photographer)
Burnett
Page
46
Store, meat market and warehouse
47
Train tracks and houses in ravine
48
Mine office and houses in ravine
49-51
Burnett mine top works
Frank H. Nowell, Seattle (49b,c) (photographer)
52
Power house
53a
Miners' houses
Issaquah
Frank H. Nowell, Seattle (photographer)
Page
53b
Men and carts at mouth of slope at Issaquah Mine
53c
Loaded mine cars on bunker trestle
53d
Miners at picking table
53e
Miners machine mining coal
53f
Power house and transformers
53g
Hotel building
53h
Panorama of miners' dwellings
53i
Miners' dwellings on Second Ave.
Tacoma
Page
54
Pacific Coast Coal Co. depot
55a
View of coal yard from waterfront showing tug, bunkers and storage piles
55b
Coal depot site
56a
Coal depot from Dock Street showing office, crane, retail bunkers and Northern Pacific spur
56b
Waterfront view of property acquired for new coal depot
57a
Horse drawn wagon near retail bunkers
57b
Train tracks and buildings (near newly acquired property)
58a
Crane moving coal from cars to retail bunkers
58b
Buildings on property acquired by company
Container(s) Description
Portland
Page
59
Waterfront view of Pacific Coast Coal Co. bunker
60
Rear view of bunker showing cart on tracks
61
Side view of bunker

California Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
San Francisco
Page
63
Beale St. block (with overlay outlining Pacific Coast Company's property)
Gabriel Moulin, San Francisco (photographer)
Eureka
Page
64
View of lumberyard, company property and warehouse (with overlay outlining properties)
Freeman (photographer)
65
Pacific Coast Steamship Company warehouse
Watsonville Landing
Page
66, 67
Warehouses near Elkhorn Slough
Moss Landing
Page
68
Wharf and warehouse
69
Warehouses and Pacific Coast Steamship Co. wagon bridge across Salinas River
70
Warehouses across Moro Cojo Slough
71
Birds-eye view of Moss Landing
Monterey
Page
72, 73
Pacific Coast Steamship Co. wharf and warehouse
Swain photo (photographer)
Soquel (Capitola)
Page
74, 75
Wharf
Ravnos, Capitola, CA (photographer)
Camp Goodall
Page
76
Cottages and bridge
77
Buildings near sand dunes
Ventura
Page
78, 79
San Buena Ventura wharf
San Pedro
Page
80-82c
San Pedro property; wharf under lease to B.P. Lumber Co.[sic] 8 pages
San Diego
Herbert R. Fitch, San Diego (photographer)
Page
83
Wharf
84a
Warehouse
Port San Luis
Page
84b
Pacific Coast Railway Co. wharfs
85
Waterfront and wharf with Hotel Marre pictured
86
Port San Luis wharf
87
Approach to wharf
88
New Pacific Coast Railway wharf
88b
Port Harford Asphalt Co., Avila, CA and Whaler's Island
1912 February 12
88c
County wharf and Pacific Coast Railway wharf
San Luis Obispo
Page
89
Shops, depot, turntable and round house
90
Grain warehouse and bean cleaner
91
Pacific Coast Coal Co. lumber office
92
Men working at planing mill
93
Lumber yard
Hadley
Page
94
Ensign-Baker asphalt refinery at crossing of the Pacific Coast and Southern Pacific Railways
Arroyo Grande
Page
95
Howe Truss bridge
Nipomo & Santa Maria
Page
96
Rock quarry between Nipomo and Santa Maria
97
Depot, bean cleaner and warehouse
98
Interior of bean cleaner
Louise Studio, Santa Maria (photographer)
99
Interior of grain warehouse
Louise Studio, Santa Maria (photographer)
100
Pacific Coast Railway Company electric car in front of the Santa Maria Hotel
Betteravia
Page
101
Beet sugar factory
Sisquoc
Page
102
Depot an lumber yard
Palmer
Page
103
Train of oil cars, Cat Canyon branch
104
Reservoir of oil and Palmer pump station
Judkins Studio, Santa Maria (photographer)
Orcutt
Page
105
Depot
Bicknell
Page
106
Old Santa Maria oil fields near Bicknell
Los Alamos
Page
107
Depot
Los Olivos
Page
108
Car near frame trestle near Los Olivos
109
Los Olivos depot and grain warehouse
110
Los Olivos lumber yard and depot
111
Terminus of line in Los Olivos
Container(s) Description Dates
Juneau
Page
112
Pacific Coast Steamship Company wharf and bunkers, and curio shop
113a
Waterfront with Pacific Steamship Company wharf and coal handling facility, Alaska-Juneau Mining Company hill in distance
113b
Pacific Steamship Company dock from wharf
113c
View of Juneau property showing old and new Pacific Steamship Company wharves, coal handling facility and coal bunkers, with mountains in distance
114a
Franklin Street approach to Peoples Wharf
114b
Wharf and cola handling facilities
114c
Shops on street and approach to new wharf and coal depot property
115a
View of central waterfront and business districts
115b
Waterfront showing Alaska Steamship Company dock and Pacific Coast Company addition
115c
Bird's-eye view of Juneau
Frank H. Nowell, Seattle (photographer)
Skagway
Page
116
Bird's-eye view of Skagway showing steamer City of Seattle at Moore's wharf and old Pacific Coast Company wharf
Case and Draper (photographer)
Nome
Page
117
Panorama of Nome waterfront showing property owned by the Pacific Coast Company under lease to John J. Sesnon Co.
118
Panorama of John J. Sesnon Co. docks
Frank H. Nowell (photographer)
1907 October 16
119
John J. Sesnon Co. office
Frank H. Nowell (photographer)
1907 October 16
120
Panorama of John J. Sesnon Co.'s coal pile
Frank H. Nowell (photographer)
1907 October 17

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Coal mining
  • Industrial facilities
  • Railroad stations--California
  • Railroad stations--Washington (State)

Corporate Names

  • Columbia & Puget Sound Railroad
  • Pacific Coast Coal Company
  • Pacific Coast Railroad Company
  • Pacific Coast Steamship Co.

Geographical Names

  • Ballard (Seattle, Wash.)
  • Black Diamond (Wash.)
  • Coal Creek (Wash.)

Form or Genre Terms

  • Photograph albums

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Nowell, Frank H., 1864-1950 (photographer)