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Reginald Heber Thomson photograph album, 1895-1937
Overview of the Collection
- Collector
- Thomson, Reginald Heber, 1856-1949
- Title
- Reginald Heber Thomson photograph album
- Dates
- 1895-1937 (inclusive)18951937
- Quantity
- 186 photographic prints
- Collection Number
- PH0043
- Summary
- Photographs related to Seattle city engineer, Reginald Heber Thomson.
- 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
-
Entire collection can be viewed on the Libraries' Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials Curator is required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.
- Additional Reference Guides
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Reginald Heber Thomson (1856-1949), a Seattle civil engineer, official, and consultant, is credited with establishing much of the municipal infrastructure of the fledgling city of Seattle. Thomson was Seattle city engineer from 1892 through 1911 and again in 1930 and 1931. He chaired the Seattle Public Works Board 1896-1911, established the Port of Seattle in 1911, served as superintendent of Stathcona Park, Vancouver Island, from 1912 to 1915, and was a member of the Seattle City Council from 1916 to 1922. Thomson consulted on major water and hydroelectric projects in Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, and Alaska. Among the many projects he is known for are several major regrades of Seattle's business district and waterfront, the establishment of Seattle's first hydroelectic plants, and establishment of the Cedar River water supply and the West Point sewage treatment plant.
Early in his career, Thomson entered into a partnership with F. H. Whitworth, the city and county surveyor. One of Thomson’s early tasks as assistant surveyor involved the initial work of dredging a canal between Lake Washington and Lake Union where, decades later, he would be instrumental in constructing the Lake Washington Ship Canal connecting both lakes to Puget Sound. In 1884, Thomson became the city surveyor. In this role he built Seattle’s first sewers and the Grant Street bridge across the tideflats. He resigned in 1886 to work for the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern railroad. As locating engineer, he plotted the path of the railbed from the northern end of Lake Washington all the way eastward through Snoqualmie Pass, to Lake Keechelus. Not stopping there, he moved on to Spokane for a few years where he constructed terminals and built two bridges. Once back in Seattle, he worked as a consulting engineer. Then, in 1892 he became city engineer, a job that he would hold for the next 20 years. He added 4.5 miles of sewer lines throughout the city, much of it through formations that had stymied earlier engineers. He also worked on creating the growing community’s first sidewalks and paved roads, including Lake Washington Boulevard, which he and his assistant, George F. Cotterill (1865-1958), first designed as a cinder path for bicycles.
His first regrade, in 1898, was up 1st Avenue from Pike Street to Denny Way. Five years later, Pike and Pine were regraded from 2nd Avenue to Broadway. For the next eight years, Thomson’s crews pummeled Denny Hill, between 2nd and 5th Avenues, and Pike Street and Denny Way. Thomson also went after the hillock between Main and Judkins Streets and 4th and 12th Avenues. Dearborn Street was regraded, and the 12th Avenue Bridge was built to Beacon hill. He created Westlake Avenue, which provided level access to Lake Union. In all, Seattle regraded 25 miles of streets, which displaced 16 million cubic yards of dirt. This dirt was poured into the tideflats south of the city, the landfill creating a whole new industrial section for the burgeoning metropolis. When James J. Hill (1838-1916), owner of the Great Northern Railroad, established his terminus in Seattle, Thomson convinced him to bypass the waterfront's already crowded Railroad Avenue (now Alaskan Way) and establish King Street Station south of Pioneer Square. Thomson had a tunnel built beneath the city from Virginia to Washington Streets, which was completed in 1906.
Seattle used to get water from a reservoir on Beacon Hill filled with water pumped from Lake Washington, but as the city grew, this system became woefully inadequate. Thomson looked towards the Cedar River Watershed as a source of freshwater for Seattle residents, located 30 miles southeast of Seattle in the foothills of the Cascade mountain range. By 1899, work on the pipeline had begun in earnest. On December 24, 1900, a test was made of the water flow to look for leaks. The system worked well enough that on January 10, 1901, water began flowing into the Volunteer Park reservoir in Seattle. More than a century later, Seattle and King County still use the Cedar River watershed.
Thomson and his crew designed and built the City Light Cedar Falls hydroelectric plant, which went into operation on October 4, 1904. On January 10, 1905, electric current illuminated streetlights in Seattle, and by September 9, City Light began serving private customers, which it does to this day. At the urging of the city council, Thomson was asked to take a well-deserved vacation from all of his good work. He visited Europe, where he “made examination of nearly everything connected with city life, such as water, lights, sewers, conditions accelerating city growth, cities’ fire control, municipal baths, municipal laundries, and so forth.”
From 1905 to 1915 Thomson also became president of the University of Washington’s board of managers. During this time he also examined the flow of commerce along Seattle’s waterways. This interested him so much, that he resigned as city engineer in 1911 to organize the Port of Seattle, established largely through his efforts at lobbying the state legislature. Under Thomson's direction as engineer, the Port Commission made far reaching developmental plans, many of which are still in effect. While on the commission, Thomson pushed for acquisition of Smith Cove and the foot of Bell Street for use by the Port. He advocated deepening and straightening the Duwamish River for use in the industrial area, and also campaigned in Washington D.C., for funds to build the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks.
From 1916 to 1922, he was a member of the Seattle City Council, yet he continued to do engineering work. He was a consultant on the Rogue River Valley Irrigation canal, and built a hydroelectric plant in Eugene, Oregon. He was in charge of water development in Bellingham. He surveyed power-plant sites in Southeastern Alaska. He returned, temporarily, to his job as Seattle city engineer in 1930 to oversee the final work on the Diablo Dam on the Skagit River. After that, he was a consulting engineer for both the Wenatchee Metropolitan Water System and the Inter-County River Improvement Commission for Pierce and King counties. He also consulted on the construction of the Lake Washington Floating Bridge and for the foundations of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Reginald Thomson died on January 7, 1949, at the age of 92. Immediately prior to his death, he wrote his autobiography, That Man Thomson (published posthumously). [credit: Alan J. Stein, HistoryLink.org]
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Photographs documenting Reginald H. Thomson's engineering mission to Europe in May 1905, including tour of dock facilities, factories, harbors and dams. Also includes photographs documenting the Cedar Falls Dam project in 1903.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
View the digital version of the collection
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
Donor: Mrs. Frank Morrill, 1955.
Processing Note
Processed by Sara Cordes, 2017
Photographs were removed from deteriorating album. The original order was retained. Inscription on front page of album: Reginald H. Thomson Engineer City of Seattle Engineering Mission to Europe May 1905.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Album of Engineering Mission Trip to EuropeReturn to Top
Gileppe and Dolhain, originally part of Germany, are now in Belgium.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box/Folder | item | ||
1/1 | 1a |
Pile of refuse in warehouse building in Glasgow,
Scotland Written on accompanying material: The various phases of Ruehill
Destructor, Glasgow.
|
1905 |
1/1 | 1b |
Two men next to refuse pile in Glasgow,
Scotland Written on accompanying material: The various phases of Ruehill
Destructor, Glasgow.
|
1905 |
1/1 | 1c |
Three men standing in warehouse in Glasgow,
Scotland Written on accompanying material: The various phases of Ruehill
Destructor, Glasgow.
|
1905 |
1/1 | 1d |
A horse and cart standing between a building and rock
pile in Glasgow, Scotland Written on accompanying material: The various phases of Ruehill
Destructor, Glasgow.
|
1905 |
1/1 | 1e |
A man with two horses and carts under a skybridge in
Glasgow, Scotland Written on accompanying material: The various phases of Ruehill
Destructor, Glasgow.
|
1905 |
1/1 | 1f |
Four rail cars filled on the track in Glasgow,
Scotland Written on accompanying material: The various phases of Ruehill
Destructor, Glasgow.
|
1905 |
1/2 | 2a | 1905 | |
1/2 | 2b | 1905 | |
1/2 | 2c | 1905 | |
1/2 | 2d | 1905 | |
1/2 | 2e | 1905 | |
1/3 | 3a | 1905 | |
1/3 | 3b | 1905 | |
1/3 | 3c | 1905 | |
1/3 | 3d | 1905 | |
1/3 | 3e | 1905 | |
1/4 | 4a |
Interior of Woolwich Factory Written on verso: Woolwich view of cells and borders.
|
1905 |
1/4 | 4b |
Exterior of Woolwich Factory Written on photo: Woolwich- Plumstead Destruction Bldg May/
05.
|
1905 |
1/5 | 5a |
Sketch of Concrete Cottage Written on photo: John A. Brodie M. Inst. C.E. City Engineer
Liverpool.
|
1905 |
1/5 | 5b |
Sketch of Concrete Cottage at Letchworth Written on photo: John A. Brodie M. Inst. C.E. City Engineer
Liverpool.
|
1905 |
1/6 | 6a |
Group of women and children standing outside three-story
building in Liverpool, England Written on photo: Liverpool houses built entirely of clinker May
1905. Eldon Street Dwellings May 23 '05. No- 770.
|
May 23, 1905 |
1/6 | 6b | 1905 | |
1/7 | 7a | 1905 | |
1/7 | 7b | 1905 | |
1/7 | 7c | 1905 | |
1/7 | 7d | 1905 | |
1/7 | 7e | 1905 | |
1/7 | 7f |
Men with newspapers standing near entrance to
underground toilet in London, England Written on accompanying material: London.
|
1905 |
1/8 | 8a | 1905 | |
1/8 | 8b | 1905 | |
1/8 | 8c | 1905 | |
1/9 | 9a | 1905 | |
1/9 | 9b |
Women walking over rails in Dresden, Germany Written on verso: Rail joint Dresden.
|
1905 |
1/9 | 9c | 1905 | |
1/9 | 9d | 1905 | |
1/9 | 9e | 1905 | |
1/10 | 10a | 1905 | |
1/10 | 10b | 1905 | |
1/10 | 10c | 1905 | |
1/10 | 10d | 1905 | |
1/10 | 10e | 1905 | |
1/11 | 11a | 1905 | |
1/11 | 11b | 1905 | |
1/11 | 11c | 1905 | |
1/12 | 12a |
Ramp leading down to docks in Tillbury,
England Written on accompanying material: A walk thro Tillbury
Docks.
|
1905 |
1/12 | 12b |
Men moving barrels on road with rail lines in Tillbury,
England Written on accompanying material: A walk thro Tillbury
Docks.
|
1905 |
1/12 | 12c |
Man walking on road with two ships in background in
Tillbury, England Written on accompanying material: A walk thro Tillbury
Docks.
|
1905 |
1/12 | 12d-e |
Piles of dirt on barges with large ships in background
in Tillbury, England Written on accompanying material: A walk thro Tillbury
Docks.
|
1905 |
1/12 | 12f |
Ship at docking station in Tillbury, England Written on accompanying material: A walk thro Tillbury
Docks.
|
1905 |
1/13 | 13a | 1905 | |
1/13 | 13b | 1905 | |
1/13 | 13c | 1905 | |
1/14 | 14a | 1905 | |
1/14 | 14b | 1905 | |
1/14 | 14c | 1905 | |
1/15 | 15a | 1905 | |
1/15 | 15b | 1905 | |
1/15 | 15c | 1905 | |
1/16 | 16a |
Men standing with dolly at docks in Hamburg,
Germany Written on verso: Hamburg-American Docks.
|
1905 |
1/16 | 16b | 1905 | |
1/16 | 16c |
People on barges in canal in Hamburg,
Germany Written on photo: Hamburg St. scene.
|
1905 |
1/17 | 17a-b | 1905 | |
1/17 | 17c | 1905 | |
1/17 | 17d | 1905 | |
1/17 | 17e | 1905 | |
1/17 | 17f | 1905 | |
1/18 | 18a | 1905 | |
1/18 | 18b | 1905 | |
1/18 | 18c |
Ship at Dock 3 in Manchester, England Written on photo: Manchester 3.
|
1905 |
1/18 | 18d |
Front of Dock 7 in Manchester, England Written on photo: Manchester 7 Front.
|
1905 |
1/18 | 18e |
Back of Dock 7 in Manchester, England Written on photo: Manchester No 7. Rear.Written on verso: Manchester Ship Canal Dock No. 7.
|
1905 |
1/18 | 18f |
Ships at Barton Locks in Manchester, England Written on photo: Barton Locks Manchester.Written on verso: Barton Locks Manchester Ship Canal.
|
1905 |
1/19 | 19a | 1905 | |
1/19 | 19b-c | 1905 | |
1/19 | 19d | 1905 | |
1/20 | 20a | 1905 | |
1/20 | 20b-d | 1905 | |
1/20 | 20e | 1905 | |
1/20 | 20f | 1905 | |
1/20 | 20g | 1905 | |
1/21 | 21a-b | 1905 | |
1/22 | 22a | 1905 | |
1/22 | 22b-c |
Cows in a field in Dolhain, Germany Written on verso 22c: On the road to Gilleppe out from Dolhain-
1900.
|
1900 |
1/22 | 22d | 1905 | |
1/22 | 22e |
Set of stairs surrounded by brush at Gileppe Dam,
Germany Written on verso: Stairway at Gileppe.
|
1905 |
1/22 | 22f | 1905 | |
1/22 | 22g | 1905 | |
1/23 | 23a | 1905 | |
1/23 | 23b | 1905 | |
1/23 | 23c | 1905 | |
1/24 | 24a | 1905 | |
1/25 | 25a | 1905 | |
1/25 | 25b | 1905 | |
1/25 | 25c,e | 1905 | |
1/25 | 25d | 1905 | |
1/26 | 26a | 1905 | |
1/26 | 26b | 1905 | |
1/26 | 26c | 1905 | |
1/26 | 26d |
Road under bridge with scaffolded building in background
in Hamburg, Germany Written on verso: Scene in Hamburg park.
|
1905 |
1/26 | 26e | 1905 | |
1/26 | 26f | 1905 | |
1/27 | 27a | 1905 | |
1/27 | 27b-c | 1905 | |
1/28 | 28a |
Town road with horse carriage in foreground, with train
and buildings in background in Rotterdam, Netherlands L.M. Lammerse, Rotterdam, Netherlands (printer)
Written on photo: 17461. P.Z. - Rotterdam. Beurs & Station
Beurs.
|
1905 |
1/28 | 28b |
Statue of a fiddler in York Minster, England Written on verso: Used to be above the South door now in the
Crypt. The Fiddler York Minster. May 1905.
|
May 1905 |
1/28 | 28c-d |
Reredos altarpiece in York Minster, England A reredos or raredos is a large altarpiece, a screen, or
decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious
images. A reredos can be made of stone, wood, metal, ivory, or a combination of
materials. The images may be painted, carved, gilded, composed of mosaics,
and/or embedded with niches for statues. Sometimes a tapestry is used, or other
fabric such as silk or velvet.
|
1905 |
1/29 | 29a |
View of docked ships with city in background in
Montreal, Canada Written on photo: Ent. Acc. to [illeg.] Canada. Year- 1906. By
[illeg.] & Son. At the Dept. of Agriculture. [illeg.] from [illeg.]
elevator. Written on verso: Montreal R.H.T.
|
1906 |
1/30 | 30a |
Rail lines with cars and horse carriages in Montreal,
Canada Written on photo: 3751- Harbour, Montreal. [illeg.],
Montreal.Written on verso: Montreal R.H.T.
|
1906 |
1/31 | 31a | 1905 | |
1/31 | 31b | 1905 | |
1/31 | 31c | 1905 | |
folder:oversize | |||
XH1 | 32a |
Panorama of Salina Cruz harbor in Oaxaca,
Mexico Written on photo: Panorama de Salina Cruz. Oax.
|
between 1900 and 1910? |
Box/Folder | |||
1/32 | 32b | 1905 | |
1/32 | 32c | 1905 | |
1/33 | 33a |
York Minster, England Written on verso: Top of one of the Towers of The West. Front of
York Minster taken while scaffolding was up during recent restoration 1905.
|
1905 |
1/34 | 34a |
Scale models of finials and pinnacles Written on verso: 1. Finial of Buttress [illeg.]- West front. 2.
Two-foot rule, to show size. 3. Pinnacle over niche-head of flying Buttress. 4.
Pinnacle on Buttress- West front. 5. Pinnacle to [illeg.] of Flying Buttress
Pinnacles. 6. Finial at Summit of main Pinnacle of Flying Buttresses 1905.Finial, in architecture, the decorative upper termination of a
pinnacle, gable end, buttress, canopy, or spire. In the Romanesque and Gothic
styles, it usually consists of a vertical, pointed central element surrounded
by four outcurving leaves or scrolls. Pinnacle, in architecture, vertical
ornament of pyramidal or conical shape, crowning a buttress, spire, or other
architectural member. A pinnacle is distinguished from a finial by its greater
size and complexity and from a tower or spire by its smaller size and
subordinate architectural role. A tower may be decorated with pinnacles, each
one capped by a finial.
|
1905 |
1/35 | 35a | 1905 | |
1/36 | 36a |
Sculpture of Hell Cauldron Written on verso: Sculptured representation of Hell Cauldron,
recently found near the Dean & Chapter Library 1905.
|
1905 |
1/37 | 37a |
Reginald Thomson and twelve other men at Mayor's office,
Seattle Thomson is seated third from left, bottom row.
|
November 1895 |
1/38 | 38a |
Men working on Jackson Regrade at Beacon Hill and
Washington Street, Seattle, WA Written on verso: Jackson Regrade Seattle- 1900(?) Called
Thomson Folly by Seattle Times.
|
1900? |
1/38 | 38b-c |
Residence at 2004 34th Avenue S., Seattle,
WA Written on verso (both photographs): Thomson Last Home 1636 34
Ave Seattle.
|
between 1900 and 1910? |
1/39 | 39a | between 1900 and 1910? | |
1/39 | 39b-c |
Gravestone of J.H. Thomson Written on accompanying material: Reginald H. Thomson 2404 -
42th Ave North Seattle Apt 409. When 90, Thomson lived here with Mariana
(Edgewater Park).
|
October 22, 1924 |
1/40 | 40a | Letter to Reginald Thomson concerning tonnage of Hartman
coal property Written on verso: Coal data.
|
April 8, 1920 |
PhotographsReturn to Top
Cedar Falls Dam is also called Masonry Dam.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box/Folder | item | ||
1/41 | 41 | 1903 | |
1/41 | 42 | 1903 | |
1/41 | 43 | 1903 | |
1/41 | 44 | November 13, 1909 | |
1/41 | 45 | November 20, 1909 | |
1/42 | 46 | February, 11, 1910 | |
1/42 | 47 | between 1900 and 1915 | |
1/42 | 48 | between 1900 and 1915 | |
1/42 | 49 | between 1900 and 1915 | |
1/42 | 50 | between 1900 and 1915 | |
1/43 | 51 | between 1900 and 1915 | |
1/43 | 52 | between 1900 and 1915 | |
1/43 | 53 | between 1900 and 1915 | |
1/43 | 54 | between 1900 and 1915 | |
1/43 | 55 | between 1900 and 1915 | |
1/44 | 56 | between 1900 and 1915 | |
1/44 | 57 | between 1900 and 1915 | |
1/44 | 58 | between 1900 and 1915 | |
1/44 | 59 | between 1900 and 1915 | |
1/44 | 60 | between 1900 and 1915 | |
1/44 | 61 |
Workers standing in front of tents with supply packs in
foreground Written on verso: In Stathcona Park.
|
between 1900 and 1915 |
Camp No.2 Album |
|||
Box/Folder | item | ||
1/45 | 62 | December 12, 1911 | |
1/45 | 63 | December 12, 1911 | |
1/45 | 64 | December 12, 1911? | |
1/45 | 65 | December 12, 1911 | |
1/45 | 66 | December 12, 1911 | |
1/45 | 67 | December 12, 1911 | |
1/45 | 68 | December 12, 1911 | |
1/45 | 69 | December 12, 1911 | |
1/46 | 70 | December 12, 1911 | |
1/46 | 71 | December 12, 1911 | |
1/46 | 72 | December 12, 1911 | |
1/46 | 73 | December 12, 1911 | |
1/46 | 74 | December 12, 1911 | |
1/46 | 75 | December 12, 1911? | |
1/46 | 76 | December 12, 1911 | |
1/46 | 77 | December 12, 1911 | |
1/46 | 78 | December 12, 1911 | |
1/47 | 79 | December 12, 1911? | |
1/47 | 80 | December 12, 1911? | |
1/47 | 81 | December 12, 1911? | |
1/47 | 82 | December 12, 1911? | |
1/47 | 83 | December 12, 1911? | |
1/47 | 84 | December 12, 1911? | |
Victoria, B.C. |
|||
Box/Folder | item | ||
1/48 | 85-86 | October 15, 1937 | |
1/48 | 87 | October 15, 1937 | |
1/48 | 88 | October 15, 1937 | |
1/48 | 89 | October 15, 1937 | |
1/48 | 90 |
Reginald Thomson Written on verso: Oct 15 1937 Mr. Butcharts pontoon
Victoria.
|
October 15, 1937 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Dams--Washington (State)--Photographs
- Dams--Washington (State)--Photographs--20th century
- Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)
Personal Names
- Thomson, Reginald Heber, 1856-1949--Archives
- Thomson, Reginald Heber, 1856-1949--Photographs
Corporate Names
- Seattle (Wash.) City Engineer
Geographical Names
- Antwerp (Belgium)--Photographs--20th century
- Belgium--Photographs
- Cedar Falls Power Plant (Wash.)--Photographs--20th century
- Dolhain (Belgium)--Photographs--20th century
- Dresden (Germany)--Photographs
- Dresden (Germany)--Photographs--20th century
- England--Photographs
- France--Photographs
- Gileppe (Belgium)--Photographs--20th century
- Glasgow (Scotland)--Photographs
- Glasgow (Scotland)--Photographs--20th century
- Gravity dams--Belgium--Photographs--20th century
- Hamburg (Germany)--Photographs--20th century
- Lancashire (England)--Photographs--20th century
- Loiret (France)--Photographs--20th century
- London (England)--Photographs--20th century
- Manchester (England)--Photographs--20th century
- Masonry Dam (Wash.)--Photographs
- Masonry Dam (Wash.)--Photographs--20th century
- Nelson (England)--Photographs--20th century
- Netherlands--Photographs
- Rotterdam (Netherlands)--Photographs--20th century
- Tilbury (Thurrock, England)--Photographs--20th century
- Victoria (B.C.)--Photographs--20th century
- Woolwich (London, England)--Photographs--20th century