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Harbor Department Annual Reports, 1894-1950

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Seattle (Wash.). City Clerk
Title
Harbor Department Annual Reports
Dates
1894-1950 (inclusive)
Quantity
.6 cubic foot, (2 boxes)
Collection Number
1802-G5
Summary
Annual reports for the Harbor Department, 1894 to 1958. Reports include statistics, recommendations, and information on imports and exports.
Repository
Seattle Municipal Archives
Seattle Municipal Archives
Office of the City Clerk
City of Seattle
PO Box 94728
98124-4728
Seattle, WA
Telephone: 2062337807
Fax: 2063869025
archives@seattle.gov
Access Restrictions

Records are open to the public.

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

The Harbor Department was created by the City Charter of 1890. The Charter authorized the City Council to regulate wharfage and dockage tolls, regulate landings and berths for water craft, and provide general control of wharves and docks. The City Council could also order construction of wharves, docks, and other "landing places." The Port Warden was appointed by the mayor as the head of the Harbor Department.

In 1962, the charter article creating the Harbor Department and office of the Port Warden was repealed by charter amendment; the functions of the department were assigned to other city departments by ordinance.

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Content Description

Annual reports for the Harbor Department, sometimes called Port Warden reports, date from 1894 to 1958; there are gaps between 1922 and 1944. The early reports contains statistics on steam and sail departures and arrivals, foreign imports and exports, and inbound and outbound passengers. They also contain reports on waterfront activity; some contain detailed information on type and quantity of imports and exports. Recommendations for the waterfront are also included, such as the need for a harbor patrol, the necessity of a seawall and the replacement of wood buoys with steel ones. The 1922 report is in the “Official Port Book” and contains photographs and other information about the harbor. The reports dating from 1944 to 1958 are brief and contain brief information on the operations of the department.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

[Item and date], Harbor Department Annual Reports, Record Series 1802-G5. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Annual reports are arranged chronologically by year.

Custodial History

Records were originally filed with the City Clerk in the Comptroller/Clerk's Files (CFs) and were removed to create this record series.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Exports--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Harbor police--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Harbors--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Imports--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Sea-walls--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Shipping--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Waterfronts--Washington (State)--Seattle

Corporate Names

  • Port of Seattle

Geographical Names

  • Seattle (Wash.)--Politics and government

Form or Genre Terms

  • Annual reports

Other Creators

  • Corporate Names

    • Seattle (Wash.). Harbor Dept. (creator)

Finding aid prepared by Anne Frantilla
2004

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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