Issac G. Davidson photographs

Issac G. Davidson photographs, approximately 1880-1888

Overview of the Collection

Photographer: Davidson, Issac Grundy
Title: Issac G. Davidson photographs
Dates: approximately 1880-1888 (inclusive)
18751893
Quantity: 83 photographic prints (2 boxes) ; various sizes
Collection Number: PH0332
Summary: Photographs of Tacoma, views along the Columbia River, and views along the route of the Northern Pacific Railway over Stampede Pass between Pasco and Tacoma, circa 1880-1888.
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.
Languages: English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Issac Grundy Davidson was born in Warren County, Illinois, in 1845. His family moved to Oregon in 1850 and soon he was trained in farming and bookkeeping for a printing business. Soon after in 1869, Davidson married into the pioneering family of D.L. Riggs from Salem, Oregon by marrying his daughter, Sarah O. Riggs. The Riggs family traveled to Oregon in 1853 and were well known blacksmiths and machine workers. Davidson began taking photographs around 1880. He had a studio in Portland, Oregon as early as 1883. In 1885, Davidson moved to Tacoma, Washington, where he established a photography business.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection contains photographs taken along the route of the Northern Pacific Railway over Stampede Pass between Pasco and Tacoma; Scenes in Oregon and Washington along the Columbia River and views in Tacoma.

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

Three photographs Micahel Maslan 1993; two photographs Michael Fairley; one photograph C.D. Raymond May 21, 1957

Processing Note

Processed by Karma Deki Tshering, 2010; Erin Mettling, 2012; revised by Stefanie Terasaki, 2013.

Item 61a transferred from the Northern Pacific Railroad Collection PHColl 357.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Oregon and the Columbia RiverReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/1	1	Rooster Rock, Columbia River Copy of photo from the book Oregon Railway and Navigation Co. Summer Saunterings, 1882.	1882
1/1	2	Cape Horn, Columbia River, view of several pinnacles and waterfalls Original photo used in book from Oregon Railway and Navigation Co.Summer Saunterings, 1882.	1882
1/1	3	Multnomah Falls, Oregon Copy of photo from the book from Oregon Railway and Navigation Co.Summer Saunterings, 1882.Multnomah Falls is the tallest waterfall in Oregon.	1882
1/1	4	Castle Rock, Columbia River Copy of photo from the book Oregon Railway and Navigation Co. Summer Saunterings, 1882.	1882
1/1	5	Passage of the Dalles, Columbia River Copy of photo from the book Oregon Railway and Navigation Co. Summer Saunterings, 1882.	1882
1/1	6	View from Upper Cascades, Columbia River Copy of photo from the book Oregon Railway and Navigation Co. Summer Saunterings, 1882.	1882
1/1	7	Davidson's Advertisement for Oregon and Washington landscape view photography Copy of advertisement from the book Oregon Railway and Navigation Co.Summer Saunterings, 1882.	circa 1800s
1/1	8	Oregon Railway train between The Needles rock formation Photograph is similar to ones used inSummer Saunterings.	1882
1/1	9	Officer's quarters, Fort Stevens, Oregon	undated

Northern Pacific Railway, Washington, winter, circa 1887Return to Top

The Northern Pacific Railway was a transcontinental railroad that was operational from the Pacific Coast to Minnesota. Construction on the railroad started in 1870 and Commencement Bay in Tacoma, Washington was selected as the western terminus on July 14, 1873. By 1883 the main rail line connecting Minnesota and Portland, Oregon was completed with further planned connections underway. In 1884 after much financial struggle including the bankruptcy of the Railway's then president, Henry Villard, a connection was built between Tacoma and Seattle. The new line was poorly built and did not provide adequate service and by 1887 Seattle was determined as the new terminus for the Railway.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/2	10	Tracks and entrance to Stampede Pass tunnel	circa 1887
1/2	11	Railway trestle	circa 1887
1/2	12	Two men on railway trestle	circa 1887
1/2	13	Group of nine men on railway trestle	circa 1887
1/2	14	Men standing on large railway trestle	circa 1887
1/2	15	Mostly finished railway trestle	circa 1887
1/2	16	Train cars on snow covered tracks	circa 1887
1/2	17	Railway trestle on hillside	circa 1887
1/2	18-19	Railway trestle in winter	circa 1887
1/3	20	Man sitting on railway trestle	circa 1887
1/3	21-22	Railway trestle in the snow	circa 1887
1/3	23	Man sitting on tracks	circa 1887
1/3	24	Train on trestle	circa 1887
1/3	25	Two men standing on very large railway trestle	circa 1887
1/3	26	Switchback tracks on hillside	circa 1887

Northern Pacific Railway, Washington, summer, circa 1887Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/4	27	Trestle over Green River Gorge	circa 1887
1/4	28	Six men on railroad bridge	circa 1887
1/4	29	Railroad bridge over river	circa 1887
1/4	30	Train on bridges above a camp	circa 1887
1/4	31	Men with handcar on railroad trestle along hillside	circa 1887
1/4	32	Railroad trestle and cars of the Northern Pacific Railway	circa 1887
1/4	33	Railway trestle along hillside	circa 1887
1/4	34	Two men standing on handcar on railroad trestle	circa 1887
1/4	35	Railway trestle along hillside	circa 1887
1/5	36	Five men around a handcar on a railway trestle near bridge	circa 1887
1/5	37-42	Railway trestle	circa 1887
1/6	43	Five men on railway trestle	circa 1887
1/6	44	Railway trestle	circa 1887
1/6	45	Five men standing on railway trestle	circa 1887
1/6	46-47	Railway trestle	circa 1887
1/6	48	Railway trestle over river	circa 1887
1/6	49	Bridge in Yakima County Caption on photo: 5" Xing [crossing] Yakima.	circa 1887
2/1	50-51	Railway trestle	circa 1887
2/1	52	Railway trestle over river	circa 1887
2/1	53-55	Railway trestle	circa 1887
2/1	56	Railway trestle over river	circa 1887
2/1	57	Railway trestle on hillside	circa 1887
2/2	58	Railroad flatcars carrying ore on trestle	circa 1887
2/2	59	Trestle over gulley in cleared forest	circa 1887
2/2	60	Short trestle in cleared forest	circa 1887
2/2	61	Man on a rail bike on a trestle, route of the Northern Pacific Railway	circa 1887
2/2	61a	Group of men standing on trestle, Cascade Division Written on front: Last Spike. Edgar Wickersham, water man.	1886

Railroad Camp, circa 1887Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
2/3	62	Building near Stampede Pass Tunnel Stampede Pass is in the Cascade Range and was discovered in 1881 by Virgil Bogue. The Northern Pacific Railroad created the Northern Pacific Cascade Division and handled the Stampede Pass Tunnel that was completed in 1888 and was 1.86 miles long. The completion of the tunnel allowed for a connection through the Cascades from Yakima to Tacoma.	circa 1887
2/3	63	Waterfall at Stampede Pass, east end tunnel	circa 1887
2/3	64	Men on railroad, Stampede Pass Written on verso: "Last spike"	circa 1887
2/3	65	Men standing on porch of building Written on photo: Headquarters, Eagle GorgeEagle Gorge in the Cascades was discovered and named during the explorations of Green River and Stampede Pass by the Northern Pacific Railway Company.	January 1, 1887
2/3	66	Materials yard, Eagle Gorge	January 1, 1887
2/3	67	Men and women outside a log building	circa 1887
2/3	68	Man next to ore cart on tracks Written on verso: Unidentified metals mine, probably eastern Washington	circa 1889-1890
2/3	69	Men, women, and horses around a building mine Written on verso: Unidentified metals mine, probably eastern Washington	circa 1889-1890
2/3	70	Men and children posed in front of building Written on verso: Unidentified metals mine, probably eastern Washington	circa 1889-1890

WashingtonReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/7	71	Photograph of a drawing of front and side of the Tacoma Hotel, Tacoma, Washington The Tacoma Hotel was designed by Stanford White, an architect from New York and built in 1884. It was positioned over Commencement Bay and had views of Mount Rainier. In 1935 the Hotel was burned down by a fire.	circa 1888
1/7	72	Photograph of a drawing of rear view of Tacoma Hotel with boats and dock, Tacoma, Washington	circa 1888
1/7	73	Panorama of Tacoma, Washington	circa 1800s
1/7	74-75	Mount Rainier from Tacoma, Washington	circa 1800s
1/7	76	Lumber yard at the Utsalady Mill Written on photo: P.M. Co. Utsalady Mills Puget Sound Aug 9-13th 1883	August 9-13, 1883
1/7	77	Men and a woman outside a log cabin, N.B, Turner's home Written on verso: Cascade Tunnel, Washington Territory, N.B. Turner's Residence	circa 1880s
1/7	78	Interior of bank	circa 1880s

PeopleReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/8	79	Sports team	circa 1880s
1/8	80	Reverend Myron Eels Myron Eels was born to pioneer missionaries Cushing and Myra Eels in 1843 in Spokane, Washington. Myron Eels father, Cushing Eels worked to create Whitman College in 1859. In 1871 Myron attended Hartford Theological Seminary in Connecticut and by 1874 he was working as a missionary on the Skokomish Reservation. He is known for his extensive research into the histories of the Pacific Northwest and its peoples.	circa 1880s
1/8	81	Portrait of a man	circa 1880s
1/8	82	Portrait of a man	between 1883 and 1885

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)

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