Captain S.E. Lancaster photograph album

Captain S.E. Lancaster photograph album, 1899-1928

Overview of the Collection

Collector: Lancaster, S.E., Captain
Title: Captain S.E. Lancaster photograph album
Dates: 1899-1928 (inclusive)
18991928
Quantity: .21 cubic feet (1 box)
79 photographic prints (one album) ; various sizes
Collection Number: PH0168
Summary: Photographs of steamboats on the Yukon River and Bering Sea
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: Permission of Visual Materials Curator required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.
Languages: English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

S. E. Lancaster was originally from LeClair, Iowa, a town along the Mississippi River where his father, Benjamin Parmar Lancaster (1840-1928) and several brothers and uncles were steamboat captains. He moved to Seattle with his wife, Shirley, sometime around the turn of the 20th century. He worked as a steamboat captain in Alaska and the Yukon Territory at the height of the gold rush.

Historical BackgroundReturn to Top

When gold was found along the Klondike River in the late 1890s, the discovery prompted a rush of people to this region. Before the completion of the Alaska Railroad in 1923, the primary way to get to remote mining camps was by steamship. Captain Lancaster's career saw both the height and the end of this era, with one photograph towards the end of this album picturing decommissioned steamships beached in St. Michaels, Alaska bearing his comment "St. Michaels, Alaska. Now a bone yard for the once famous Yukon River steamers."

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection is an album documenting Lancaster's life aboard Yukon River steamships, and scenes along the Yukon and Tanana Rivers as well as landscapes, towns and Native American villages. Several steamboats prominently represented are the Louise, Ohio, Sarah, Leah, Susie, Seattle #3 , and the Hannah , along with photographs of many others. Also included are images from Lancaster's travels including several of the Port of San Francisco with one photograph of an airship under construction; a railroad trip from San Francisco to Seattle; ships loading lumber in Tacoma; and scenes in Salt Lake City and along the wharf of New Orleans Harbor. All photographs are captioned by S. E. Lancaster.

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

Acquisition Information

Source: Michael Maslan; received in 1987.

Processing Note

Processed by Kelly C. Porter and Alicia Reuter, 2009.

Several photographs were found to be missing from the album during processing. The missing photographs are noted in the inventory below.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
item
1	The steamboatClifford Siftonof Victoria, B.C. on the Yukon Caption on page: "Excursion on Yukon 1899"	1899
3	The steamboatLouiseen route from Dawson to St. Michael docked and loading wood fuel along the Yukon Flats	1900
4a	Missing as of 6-11-2009
4b	Four of the crew shooting craps on the deck of the steamshipLouise	July 4, 1912
5	The foredeck of the steamshipLouisewith crew during a fire and boat drill	August, 1905
7	Railroad tracks lines with trees and snowy mountains in the distance Caption on page: "Passing up over the mountains."	undated
9	View of the mining camp Forty Mile from the Yukon River Miler (photographer)	undated
11a	SteamshipJ.S.docking at Le Claire, with carriage and people on shore	1901
11b	Hills with large mounds of mining backfill near Dawson, Yukon Territory	1905
13a	The steamshipLouisein winter quarters 65 miles south Dawson Caption on page: "We all walked to Dawson 55 miles."	1903-1904
13b	View of the bed in the Captain's quarters of theLouisewith portrait of a woman on the wall Caption on page: "Captain's Room. Str. 'Louise.' Best girl in the rear. From H.P. Schworm."	undated
15a	Side-view of the steamshipOhioin icy Yukon River with crew on deck, en route to St. Michael and Nome	June 12, 1903
15b	S.E. Lancaster standing on a snow bank with the steamshipOhioice bound on the Bering Sea in the background Caption on page: "S.E.L. starting out for morning exercise."	June 13, 1903
17a	Crew of men chopping ice flows near the steamshipLouise62 miles south of Dawson Caption on page: "Endeavoring to keep ice away from Str. 'Louise' Being impossible she remained here for the winter."	October 16, 1903
17b	Front-view of the steamshipOhioice bound in the Bering Sea with the crew on deck Caption on page: "Str. 'Ohio." Ice bound in Bering Sea from the 10th to 14th of June, 1903. Drifting 90 miles out of course.	June 10-14, 1903
18a	Missing as of 3-10-2009 Caption on page: "Benjamin P. Lancaster 1927. Born July 29th 1840 died Oct. 14th 1928."	1927
18b	Missing as of 3-10-2009 Caption on page: "Shirley Jean Lancaster."	undated
18c	Missing as of 3-10-2009 Caption on page: "Our old home in Le Claire before larger porch construction."	undated
19a	View of crew members at a dinner table aboard the steamshipLouiseon the Yukon River Caption on page: "Hattie and Kirk at the Table"	1901
19b	View of the starboard side of the steamshipLouisedocked on the Yukon River	1902
21a	View of wooded hill from a river (likely the Yukon) in Alaska	1902
21b	View of 3 small buildings of a wood choppers camp and forest seen from the Yukon River	1902
23a	View of tents of a small Native American village taken from the Yukon River near Tanana Station	undated
23b	View of Drew's Coal Mine and surrounding hills from the Yukon River north of Rampart, Alaska	undated
25a	The steamshipsLouiseandSarahcoming to the aid of the steamshipLeah, which is badly listing	1904
25b	Front view of the steamshipLeahand port side of the steamshipLouisewith rigging Caption on page: "Str. Leah now raised and ready for steam."	1904
27a	A fisherman gutting a salmon flanked by crew members including Purser Frank Grace. Taken on the banks of the Yukon River	1904
27b	Crew members kneeling in a vegetable garden near the Yukon River	Summer 1904
29a	Gated grave in Brigham Young's graveyard, Salt Lake City, Utah	1902
29b	View of the construction of an air ship frame by the Stanley Air Ship Company, San Francisco, California Caption on page: "Imagine figuring on flying this bunch of steel."	1902
31a	Front view of a house in Salt Lake City, Utah Caption on page: "Old cottage at Salt Lake City"	circa 1902
31b	View of the Salt Lake City Mormon Temple from outside the temple grounds	circa 1902
33a	Train wreck and passengers between Seattle and San Francisco	1902
33b	View of train tracks, train and passengers passing over the mountains between Seattle and San Francisco	1902
35a	View of two trains passing each other in the mountains between San Francisco and Seattle	1902
35b	Yukon River landscape taken north of Circle City, Alaska	1902
37a	Tall sailing ship with lumber being hauled aboard in Tacoma, Washington Caption on page: "Loading lumber for Foreign Ports."	1902
37b	View of landscape and water along the Yukon River flats, Alaska	1901
39a	Waterfront at Oakland, California	1902
39b	Distant view of sailing vessels at anchor in San Francisco Bay	circa 1902
40a	View from the water of a Native American cemetery on the hills above the Yukon River, below Kaltag	July 16, 1928
40b	Miss Mathews on the deck of theJacobsat harbor near Anchorage, Alaska	circa 1928
41a	View of tall ships docked in the fog in San Francisco, California	1902
41b	Distant view of a ferry boat crossing the San Francisco Bay	1902
43a	SteamshipLindaand a barge on the Yukon River	1902
43b	View off the side of a ferry crossing San Francisco Bay with the city in the distance	1902
45	View of Northern Commercial Company steamshipsSusie,LouiseandLaVellelocked in ice in Dawson, Yukon Territory Page is cut in half.	1905
47a	Side view of the rigging of a US battleship at New Orleans	1904
47b	Two men on the deck of a foreign battle ship at anchor in New Orleans harbor	1904
49a	Men and cotton bales on the wharf in New Orleans	1903
49b	Unloading cotton bales from the steamshipNatchezeonto mule carts in New Orleans	December 20, 1903
51a	View from the upper deck of the steamshipLouiselooking up the icy Yukon River.	October 12, 1903
51b	Men rolling large cotton bales down a ramp from the steamshipNatchezeto the docks, New Orleans	December 10, 1903
53a	Snow-covered rock outcroppings and icy Yukon River viewed from the rear of the steamshipLouisenear Eagle, Alaska	1903
53b	View of the icy Yukon River and steamshipLeahfrom theLouise	1903
55a	View in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California	1902
55b	Large Victorian house with palm trees in the front yard, Los Angeles, California Caption on page: "Old Residence."	1903
57a	Ostriches at an ostrich farm in South Pasadena, California	1903
57b	A man in an orange grove posed picking an orange, Pasadena, California	1903
58	SSPortlandmaking its way through the ice of the Bering Sea with crew on deck and surrounding ice flows Douglas Tancred, Kent, Washington (photographer) Caption on page: "This ship of the A.E. Company brought the first gold to Seattle from the Klondike."	1901
59	Side-view of the steamshipLouiseand barge unloading cargo in Ruby, Alaska Lomen Bros (photographer) Caption on page: "with four barges and 1900 tons of general cargo."	July 18, 1912
60	S.E. Lancaster aboard the SSSt. Michael, leaning against the door of the helm, St. Michael, Alaska. Taken by Custom House Officer, Mr. Snivers	September 14, 1910
61a	Mr. Smith, US Mail inspector, from Washington DC and S.E. Lancaster aboard theJ.W. Jacobs	undated
61b	S.E. Lancaster at the helm of a steamship on the Yukon Caption on page: "Snapped by a passenger steaming up the Yukon. Looks like the D____ but one can't disguise their looks."	undated
63a	S.E. Lancaster and ship's officers posed around the bell on the deck of the steamshipSarahat Tanana, Alaska	1915
63b	S.E. Lancaster and officers on the deck of the steamshipLouise	1910
65a	SteamshipLouisetaken from the second of seven barges, with the steamshipSeattle #3to starboard	1912
65b	S.E. Lancaster with crew aboard the steamshipLouiseon the Yukon River Caption on page: "Showing a few of our bunch."	July 4, 1913
67a	View of a tow of barges from the rigging of the steamshipSarahat Andreafski, Alaska	1915
67b	View inside the captain's quarters of the steamshipSarah. Caption on page: "Arranged by S.E. Lancaster."	1915
68	Aerial view of Ruby, Alaska and ships in the Yukon River Photographer: Major Gillett	1928
69a	The steamshipGeneral J.W. Jacobsdischarging its freight on the banks of the Yukon with a fish wheel in the distance, Ruby, Alaska	1928
69b	Side-view of the steamshipLouisewith barges, along a wooded section of the Yukon River	1912
69c	Rear view of the steamshipSusiewith a tow of empty barges headed for St. Michaels, Alaska	undated
70	Beached steamships and houses along the shore of St. Michaels, Alaska Caption on page: "St. Michaels, Alaska. Now a bone yard for the once famous Yukon River steamers."	undated
71a	SteamerLeahsinking in the Yukon River with a full load of passengers south of Kalteg, Alaska Caption on page: "became a total wreck."	1909
71b	Upper deck of steamshipSarah.	1915
72	View of men cutting ice away from aboard the steamshipSeattle #3on the Yukon River Caption on page: "Str. "Seattle" 3 cutting away ice to get into winter quarters. Built a log cabin and stored the cargo with all kinds of general perishables. Left Fred Racy and Ed Baker care takers, then we walked 60 miles to Fairbanks.	1909
73a	Several derelict steamships beached on the shores of St. Michaels, Alaska Caption on page: "Old river steamers built by the Alaska Commercial Company at Dutch Harbor 1897-1898. Put out of commission as a result of the completion of the Alaska Railroad."	undated
73b	Front view of the steamshipSeattle #3going into winter quarters on the Tanana River	October 16, 1909
75a	SteamshipLouiseat dock and crew salvaging cargo from a barge wrecked in a storm in St. Michaels Bay	1910
75b	SteamshipsHannahandLouise Caption on page: SteamshipHannahlost her stacks in a storm at the Mouth of Yukon, now in the canal ahead of theLouisein winter quarters.	1909
76	Men and women feeding pigeons at the San Francisco Fair	1915
77a	Missing as of 3-10-2009 Caption on page: "May 15, 1909. Hatlie and Kirk with their pet Jersey."	undated
77b	Missing as of 3-10-2009 Caption on page: "Again our pet Jersey calf at her barn ready for feed."	undated

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