Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Guy S. Allison Collection, 1936-1961
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Allison, Guy S., -- 1883-1968.
- Title
- Guy S. Allison Collection
- Dates
- 1936-1961 (inclusive)19361961
- Quantity
- 0.5 linear ft. (1 box)
- Collection Number
- XOE_SC0026
- Summary
- Articles and poetry written by Guy S. Allison, an amateur historian, newspaper columnist, and graduate of the Washington State Normal School at Bellingham.
- Repository
-
Western Washington University, Special Collections
Wilson 6th Floor
516 High Street MS9103
Bellingham WA
98225-9123
Telephone: (360) 650-3193
Fax: (360) 650-3044
speccoll@wwu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Guy Selwin Allison was born in Pike County, Missouri, in 1883. His family moved to Washington in 1889 and lived on a farm near Spokane. The family returned to Missouri in 1891 but maintained connections to Washington. Allison moved west again in 1906 to attend the Washington State Normal School at Bellingham (now Western Washington University). Editor of the school’s monthly publication, The Messenger, he won the Interscholastic Debate in 1907. He later studied agriculture and pomology at the University of California at Berkeley.
In 1909, Allison abandoned his career as a school principal in Tacoma to take a job with the Pacific Fruit and Produce Company. He established his own produce shipping business in California in 1918. Retiring in 1938, he divided his time between Glendale, California, and Ocean Park, Washington, where, in 1912, he had constructed a summer cottage out of logs salvaged from the Pacific Ocean. Named “The Wreckage,” the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Allison was an enthusiastic amateur historian with a particular interest in the Mayflower, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln. His syndicated newspaper column, “Bypaths of History,” ran to more than 6,500 articles and was published in Southern California newspapers from 1936 to about 1959. He also wrote longer historical articles for various newspapers and magazines. In 1918, Allison published Poems of the Pacific, a collection of verse. “Beautiful Bellingham Bay” is dedicated to the author’s alma mater.
Guy Allison died in 1968.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Guy S. Allison Collection contains selected articles from Allison’s syndicated newspaper column, “Bypaths of History,” and seven scrapbooks of articles on the Mayflower, Abraham Lincoln, and various U.S. Presidents. One folder of poetry includes a manuscript copy of “Beautiful Bellingham Bay.” Biographical information on Allison is interspersed throughout.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
Guy S. Allison Collection, Special Collections, Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Acquisition Information
Donated by Guy S. Allison.
Processing Note
About Harmful Language and ContentTo learn more about problematic content in our collections, collection description and teaching tools (including how to provide feedback or request dialogue on this topic), see our Statement About Potentially Harmful Language and Content.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | Newspaper and magazine articles by Allison | 1955-1961 |
1/2 | Poetry, manuscripts and broadsides | undated |
Box | ||
1 | Scrapbooks | approximately 1936-1959 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Authors -- Poetry.
- Presidents -- United States -- History.
Personal Names
- Allison, Guy S., 1883-1968 -- Archives.
- Lincoln, Abraham, -- 1809-1865.
- Washington, George, -- 1732-1799.
Corporate Names
- Mayflower (Ship)
- Western Washington University -- Students -- Newspapers.
Geographical Names
- Massachusetts -- History -- New Plymouth, 1620-1691.
Form or Genre Terms
- Albums (Books)
- Records (Documents)