United States Weather Bureau, Seattle Station records, 1883-1973

Overview of the Collection

Creator
United States. Weather Bureau. Seattle Station (Seattle, Wash.)
Title
United States Weather Bureau, Seattle Station records
Dates
1883-1973 (inclusive)
Quantity
14.02 cubic feet (29 boxes)
Collection Number
0524
Summary
Records, journals and scrapbook from the Weather Bureau, Seattle Station and Seattle Weather Forecast Office
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

No restrictions on access.

Some material stored offsite; advance notice required for use.

Request at UW

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The United States Weather Bureau Seattle Station is a Federal Bureau of the United States located in Seattle, Washington. George N. Salisbury was the Official in Charge at Seattle from October 1894 through July 1923. He was born in Saratoga, Minnesota on 16 September 1860. He was a graduate of the University of Minnesota and the Fort Myer meteorology school after his enlistment in the Signal Service on 3 July 1863. He spoke French and German, was a translator of German, and had three years of experience in state weather office work in Savannah, Georgia before arriving in Salt Lake City. While in Salt Lake City, the Weather Bureau replaced the Signal Service as the agency for weather observations. Like many others in similar circumstances, Sergeant Salisbury was released from the Army and became a Weather Bureau civilian employee. He thus became the first Weather Bureau official in charge in Salt Lake City in December 1891. He remained in charge there until moving to Seattle.

During his stay in Seattle, Salisbury published two articles in the Monthly Weather Review; one in 1917 and another in 1918. He directed the laboratory work associated with the first meteorology course offered by the University of Washington beginning with the 1905-1906 academic year. In 1910, the course title was changed to climatology with Salisbury still directing the laboratory. His stipend for 1911 was $100 per year for that work.

The assistants who substituted for him during his time included Arthur B. Wollaber (Nov 1899-Feb 1900), William Bell (Aug 1901 and Sep 1904), Lawrence C. Fisher (Jan 1906, Mar 1910–Sep 1910, and Oct 1921), and Frank Gillam (Aug 1910 -May 1911).

Salisbury complained to an inspector in 1915 about the title “Section Director” that the Weather Bureau used for him and others who were in charge of stations. He asked that the title be changed to “Meteorologist.” On 9 October 1915, the head of the Weather Bureau, C. F. Marvin, decreed that change. Thereafter, the title was (and still is) Meteorologist in Charge.

Information obtained from an article titled, "History of Weather Observations, Seattle, Washington 1870-1948" by Glen Conner, https://mrcc.illinois.edu/FORTS/histories/WA_Seattle_Conner.pdf

The Seattle Weather Forecast Office is a part of the Weather Bureau of Seattle’s office for the National Weather Service. The Seattle city office was established in May 1893. Its regional headquarters office occupied the Boeing Field airport site from 1942 to 1944 before moving to the Federal Building downtown. The District Forecast and River District Office, or Weather Forecast Office, was established in 1948 and moved to Sea-Tac Airport in 1949, then returned downtown in 1965. Sea-Tac became a Weather Service Contract Meteorological Observatory in 1981 and the Weather Forecast office moved to the Sand Point area of Seattle in 1982.

The Weather Bureau took over the Signal Service office in Port Angeles in 1892 before relocating to the Norse Building in 1916, and finally to its own facility in 1918. The office was closed in the summer of 1933 and replaced by a separate office on the Coast Guard grounds in 1947, which then closed in 1953.

Tatoosh Island Signal Service was taken over by the Weather Bureau in 1891, continuing as a second-order station, then as a first-order station in 1938. Upper-Air observations began in 1940 and the office was closed in 1966.

Source: https://www.weather.gov/media/ilx/History/washington_wb.pdf [Sourced: May 2023]

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Wind signal ledger, 1895-1899, a monthly recording of wind signals in Seattle; station memoranda journals, 1905-28, 1944-52; scrapbook, 1922-31; observations, journals, and documents from the Seattle Weather Forecast Office, including 77 observational records and journals (1883-1965) which consist of mostly handwritten entries, including records from Miles City and Tatoosh Island, Surface Weather Observations (1950-1965), journals of Climatological records (1893-1972), observation instruction manual and memos, notes and comparative data, summary worksheets, and Seattle Weather Bureau Office reports, notes, and station-building documents.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Public Records (use unrestricted when access is granted)

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Organized into 2 accessions.

  • Accession No. 0524-001, United States, Weather Bureau, Seattle Station records, 1905-1952
  • Accession No. 0524-003, Seattle Weather Forecast Office records, 1883-1973

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Accession No. 0524-001: United States, Weather Bureau, Seattle Station records, 1905-1952Return to Top

0.75 cubic feet (2 boxes)

Scope and Content: Wind signal ledger, 1895-1899; station memoranda journals, 1905-28, 1944-52; scrapbook, 1922-31. The wind signal ledger is a monthly recording of wind signals in Seattle, Washington from 1895 to 1899. The observer for the Weather Bureau is noted to be G. N. Salisbury (George N. Salisbury) for the majority of the entries with a few other names added in. Taped into the front of the book is a letter given to Salisbury from H. E. Williams who was the head of the division which is dated 1898.

Physical/Technical Access: Records stored offsite; advance notice required for use.

Restrictions on Access: Public Records (public disclosure laws may restrict access to some files).

Records stored offsite; advance notice required for use.

Restrictions on Use: Public Records (use unrestricted when access is granted)

Acquisition Info: Richard F. Greene, 1965-01-16.

Processing Info: Merger of Accession No. 6298-001 and Accession No. 0524-002.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder Accession
1/1-4 0524-001
U.S. Weather Bureau (Seattle) Station Memorandum
1905-1928; 1944-1952
1/5 0524-001
U.S. Weather Bureau (Seattle) Scrapbook
1922-1931
Box
2 0524-001
U.S. Weather Bureau (Seattle) Monthly Record of Wind Signals
General Notes: The observer for the Weather Bureau is noted to be G. N. Salisbury (George N. Salisbury) for the majority of the entries with a few other names added in. Taped into the front of the book is a letter given to Salisbury from H. E. Williams who was the head of the division which is dated 1898.
1895-1899

Accession No. 0524-003: Seattle Weather Forecast Office records, 1883-1973Return to Top

13.27 cubic feet (27 boxes)

Scope and Content: Observations, journals, and documents from the Seattle Weather Forecast Office, including 77 observational records and journals (1883-1965) which consist of mostly handwritten entries, including records from Miles City and Tatoosh Island, Surface Weather Observations (1950-1965), journals of Climatological records (1893-1972), observation instruction manual and memos, notes and comparative data, summary worksheets, and Seattle Weather Bureau Office reports, notes, and station-building documents.

Arrangement: Arranged in 3 series.
  • Series 1, Observations, 1883-1965
  • Series 2, Climatological Records and Local Climatological Data, 1893-1973
  • Series 3, Seattle Weather Forecast Office Documents, 1909-1959

Restrictions on Access: No restrictions on access.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's copyrights are in the public domain.

Acquisition Info: Donated by Brian Voss, NOAA Seattle Regional Library, January 2023

Container(s) Description Dates
Series 1: Observations
1883-1965
Box Accession
1 0524-003
Observation Journal
August 1883 - November 1886
1 0524-003
Observation Journal
December 1886- December 1890
1 0524-003
Observation Journal
February 1897- January 1900
1 0524-003
Observation Journal
January 1903 - June 1911
2 0524-003
Observation Journal
May 1893-December 1893
2 0524-003
Observation Journal
1894
2 0524-003
Observation Journal
1895
2 0524-003
Observation Journal
1896
2 0524-003
Observation Journal
1897
2 0524-003
Observation Journal
1898
2 0524-003
Observation Journal
1900
2 0524-003
Observation Journal
1901
3 0524-003
Observation Journal
1902
3 0524-003
Observation Journal
1903
3 0524-003
Observation Journal
1904
3 0524-003
Observation Journal
1905
11 0524-003
Observation Journal
1906
11 0524-003
Observation Journal
1907
4 0524-003
Observation Journal
1908
4 0524-003
Observation Journal
1909
4 0524-003
Observation Journal
1910
4 0524-003
Observation Journal
1911
5 0524-003
Observation Journal
1912
5 0524-003
Observation Journal
1913
5 0524-003
Observation Journal
1914
5 0524-003
Observation Journal
1915
6 0524-003
Observation Journal
1916
6 0524-003
Observation Journal
1917
6 0524-003
Observation Journal
1918
6 0524-003
Observation Journal
1919
7 0524-003
Observation Journal
1920
7 0524-003
Observation Journal
1921
7 0524-003
Observation Journal
1922
8 0524-003
Observation Journal
1923
8 0524-003
Observation Journal
1924
8 0524-003
Observation Journal
1925
8 0524-003
Observation Journal
1926
9 0524-003
Observation Journal
1927
9 0524-003
Observation Journal
1928
10 0524-003
Observation Journal
1929
10 0524-003
Observation Journal
1930
10 0524-003
Observation Journal
January-December 1930
10 0524-003
Observation Journal
1932
11 0524-003
Observation Journal
1931
12 0524-003
Observation Journal
2 copies
1932
12-13 0524-003
Observation Journal
2 copies
1933
13 0524-003
Observation Journal
2 copies
1934
14 0524-003
Observation Journal
2 copies
1935
14 0524-003
Observation Journal
1 Earthquake report paper
1936
15 0524-003
Observation Journal
1937
15 0524-003
Observation Journal
1938
15 0524-003
Observation Journal
1939
16 0524-003
Observation Journal
1940
16 0524-003
Observation Journal
1941
16 0524-003
Observation Journal
1942
18 0524-003
Observation Journal
1943
18 0524-003
Observation Journal
1944
18 0524-003
Observation Journal
1945
23 0524-003
Observation Journal
2 copies
1946
23 0524-003
Observation Journal
1948
24 0524-003
Miles City Observation Journal
1907-1917
24 0524-003
Tatoosh Island Observation Journal
1922-1942
Box/Folder
19/1 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 1/3)
1950
19/2 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 2/3)
1950
19/3 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 3/3)
1950
19/4 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 1/3)
1951
19/5 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 2/3)
1951
19/6 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 3/3)
1951
19/7 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 1/3)
1952
20/1 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 2/3)
1952
20/2 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 3/3)
1952
20/3 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 1/2)
1953
20/4 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 2/2)
1953
20/5 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 1/3)
1954
20/6 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 2/3)
1954
20/7 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 3/3)
1954
21/1 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 1/2)
1955
21/2 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 2/2)
1955
21/3 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 1/2)
1956
21/4 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 2/2)
1956
21/5 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 1/2)
1957
21/6 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 2/2)
1957
21/7 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 1/4)
1958
22/1 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 2/4)
1958-1959
22/2 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 3/4)
1959
22/3 0524-003
Surface Weather Observations
1 Binder (Folder 4/4)
1959-1965
Series 2: Climatological Records and Local Climatological Data
1893-1973
Box Accession
25 0524-003
Climatological Record Volume 1
1911-1930
25 0524-003
Climatological Record Volume 2
1895-1911
25 0524-003
Climatological Record Volume 3
1931-1950
25 0524-003
Tatoosh Island Climatological Record
1911-1930
25 0524-003
Tatoosh Island Climatological Record
1931-1950
25 0524-003
Port Angeles Climatological Record
1931-1950
26 0524-003
Local Climatological Data
1966-1972
26 0524-003
Local Climatological Data
1971-1973
Box/Folder
22/4 0524-003
Local Climatological Data
1966-1972
Box
26 0524-003
Climatological Record
1 Binder
1951-1970
27 0524-003
Temperature and Precipitation Records
1 Binder
1893-1938
Series 3: Seattle Weather Forecast Office Documents
1909-1959
Box Accession
17 0524-003
Instruction Manual and Memos
August- December 1928
17 0524-003
Temperature Trends Notes
1959
Box/Folder
17/1 0524-003
Temperature and Wind velocity comparative data
1932-1954
17/2 0524-003
US Dept. of Weather Annual Summary Worksheets
1909-1957
17/3 0524-003
Seattle WBO Station Reports and Notes
1909-1944
17/4 0524-003
Seattle WBO Station Building History and Documents
1933-1939

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)
  • Winds--Speed--Measurement
  • Winds--Speed--Washington (State)
  • Winds--Speed--Washington (State)--Observations

Corporate Names

  • United States. Weather Bureau. Seattle Station (Seattle, Wash.)--Archives

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Salisbury, George N (creator)