Alaska Steamship Company Photographs of Dock and Harbors, 1939-1971

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Alaska Steamship Co
Title
Alaska Steamship Company Photographs of Dock and Harbors
Dates
1939-1971 (inclusive)
1951-1966 (bulk)
Quantity
978 photographic prints (2 boxes)
Collection Number
PH0646
Summary
Photographs of harbors, docks, and steamships in Alaska and Washington State.
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

The collection is open to the public.

Request at UW

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The Alaskan shipping industry began to grow in the late 1800s with the expansion of fishing and cannery activities. As a result, there was a dramatic increase in the need for transportation of other products to and from the lower 48 states. In 1894, six men, recognizing this need, incorporated; they gathered $30,000 by selling 300 shares at $100 each, and then set about scouting for a ship to begin hauling. They found and purchased the Willapa , which could carry passengers as well as freight. Their timing could not have been better; soon after the Alaska Steamship Company (ASC) opened for business, Alaska began to experience major economic benefits resulting from the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897. In addition to fish products, ASC began hauling mining equipment, dog sleds, cattle, and miscellaneous supplies.

The company began by servicing Southeast Alaska, running only between Skagway and Seattle. Another shipping company, the Northwest Steamship Company, had organized the northern route as a result of the Nome gold strike in 1900, servicing Valdez, Cook Inlet, and the Bering Sea ports. A third party, the Guggenheim Company, bought out both ASC and the Northern Steamship Co., keeping the ASC name. They expanded the fleet into 18 ships and expanded service to all Alaskan ports from Ketchikan to Kotzebue.

For the next quarter of a century, ASC relied on copper from the Kennecot mines, gold, and salmon for backhauls from northern cities to the lower 48 states. By 1938, the copper mine had closed and the gold rush had subsided. With backhauls now significantly reduced, the Alaskan shipping industry was severely impacted. In addition, the much relied-upon fishing industry was only seasonal. The one-way haul was one of the great problems of the Alaska run; the other problem was the weather. Ships were constantly threatened by fierce Alaskan weather patterns.

Eventually, the Kennecot Company acquired controlling interest from Guggenheim Company. In 1944, G.W. Skinner of Seattle purchased all interests and retained the management identified with the Alaska Steamship Company for the next several years.

The ASC joined the war effort in 1942, losing five ships in various campaigns. In 1953, they expanded into container service. The holds of the vessels were paved to accommodate fork lifts. New masts were engineered to lift massive vans. New generators were installed to provide power for van refers (refrigerated vans) and heater equipment. Containerization was recognized as the most significant development in ocean transport since the steam engine. There was less damage to freight, less pilfering, and labor costs were significantly reduced as there was no more piece by piece handling of cargo.

In 1954, the company ceased passenger operations due to high costs of labor and union standards. By then, ASC had established itself as a pioneer in containerization. At one point, the company pumped $11 million into the economy by employing dockworkers, ship workers, and stevedores, hauling freight, and operating ship and dock facilities. However, because of increased fuel and insurance costs, increased competition from barges, ferries, and tugboats, and continual union demands, the Alaska Steamship Company ceased operations in 1971.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection includes 978 black-and-white photographs of docks, chiefly in cities in Alaska but also in Washington State. The photographs primarily show operational docks, newly constructed docks, damage to docks, pilings, and docked ships; also included are views of canneries, harbors, and cities.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Donor: Mr. McAllister, Alaska Steamship Company, 1971.

Processing Note

Processed by Elizabeth Parks, 2004.

Photographs are pasted on pages which were removed from three-ring binders; the original order of the pages was retained.

Related Materials

Also available in the repository are the Alaska Steamship Company Records (Accessions 1585 and 1566), a collection of pamphlets and various maps issued by the company.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

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

Adak, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/1 1a-d
Cargo handling on dock
1963-1969

Alitak, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/2 2a-d
Dock views and cannery, Butler warehouse, S.S. Tonsina in port
1962-1966

Anacortes, WashingtonReturn to Top

Container(s) Description
Box/Folder item
1/3 7a-8c
Municipal dock

Anchorage, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description
Box/Folder item
1/4 9a-13b
Alaska Freight Lines operations at Anchorage
Municipal dock, discharge operations, and views of "knot" ship at dock.

Bellingham, WashingtonReturn to Top

Container(s) Description
Box/Folder item
1/5 14a-16d
Bellingham South Terminal and harbor; ships and Pacific American Fisheries (PAF) building and dock

Bethel, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/6 17a-18c
Harlan Eggleston's wife and barges at Bethel dock
1967

Blaine, WashingtonReturn to Top

Container(s) Description
Box/Folder item
1/7 19a-20d
Alaska Packers Dock, Semiahmoo Bay

Captain's Bay, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/8 21a-27a
Dock damage and shipping operations
Dock damaged by Iliamna, Fortuna in harbor, and San Juan Cannery.
1965-1969

Chatham, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/9 28a-31b
Chatham Cannery and harbor
M.S. Susitna, new fish house, and fish elevator.
1967

Chena, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/10 32a-c
Fishing vessel and dock
1964

Chignik, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/11 33a-37e
APA Dock and harbor
1962

Cook Inlet, Nikiski, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/12 38a
Newspaper article "Pipeline Message Marks Beginning of Oil Flow" with photograph of dock built to facilitate oil transport
1960

Cold Bay, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/13 39a-41d
Cold Bay Dock with damage, causeway to beach
S.S. Chena, Iliamna.
1960

Cordova, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/14 42a-47f
Harbor views, Cordova Municipal Dock, state ferry Tustumena at dock
1967-1969

Crab Bay, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/15 48a
Dock from approaching fishing vessel
1939

Dutch Harbor, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/16 49a-56c
North, Ballyhoo, and Standard Oil Docks
Views of dock damage and vessels in port: Tatalina, S.S. Chena, Iliamna.
1965-1969

Excursion Inlet, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/17 57a-60d
Aerial views of Excursion Inlet, Barge Landing, dock, and piling damage
1962-1968

False Pass, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/18 61a-66a
False Pass: moored ships S.S.Chena and Fortuna and dock and piling damage
1962-1969

Haines, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/19 67a-81a
Haines City Dock, Lutak Dock
Aerial views and close-ups of piling damage and new dock under construction at Haines; Fortuna and M.S. Susitna in port
1952-1967

Hawk Inlet, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/20 82a-85c
Dock and harbor views
Fish elevator and hoist, Coastal Rambler, Fortuna.
1951-1970

Homer, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/21 86a-89e
Homer harbor, old pilings, new dock (1965), and S.S. Tatalina
1952-1965

Hoonah, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/22 90a-d
Nadina in port
1953

Hydaburg, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/23 91a-92a
Harbor, Coastal Rambler in port
1951-1952

Juneau, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/24 93a-100f
Dock views, harbor businesses
1952-1967

Kake, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/25 101a-102e
Dock and pilings, M.S. Susitna
1962-1966

Ketchikan, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/26 103a-121d
Ketchikan harbor docks and aerial views of town and docks
1962-1966

King Cove, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/27 122a-127c
Views of harbor, S.S. Chena andTatalina in port
1953-1970

Kenai, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/28 128a-c
Kenai barge operations
1955

Klawock, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/29 129a-e
Klawock harbor, dock, Coastal Rambler
1951-1967

Kodiak, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/30 130a-143f
Aerial views of city, dock, van staging area, and Coastal Monarch and Iliamna in port
1947-1969

Letnikof Cove, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/31 144a-148a
Harbor views, dock and pilings
1954-1962

Lutak Inlet, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/32 149a-152b
Harbor views in winter, ferry landing, Lutak Inlet Dock
1954-1955

Metlakatla, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/33 153a-156a
Aerial view of harbor and city, harbor, dock and pilings
1962-1967

Moser Bay, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description
Box/Folder item
1/34 157a
Moser Bay dock

Oduna, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/35 158a-c
Dock views
1971

Orca, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/36 159a-d
Dock views
1962-1967

Ouzinkie, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/37 160a-161a
Ouzinkie Seafoods dock, aerial view of harbor
1967

Petersburg, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/38 162a-163f
Dock and pilings
1962

Port Bailey, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/39 164a-166c
Harbor and dock views, Tanana
1962-1966

Port Nellie Juan, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/40 167a
Dock view
1939

Port San Juan, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/41 168a-f
Harbor and dock views
1962

Port Vita, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/1 169a
Harbor view
1939

Port Wakefield-Raspberry Strait, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/2 170a-174c
Dock and harbor views, Kizhuyak Bay
1939-1967

Port Williams, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/3 175a-176c
Harbor, dock and pilings
1962

Pulney Point, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/4 177a-178a
Harbor views, S.S. Columbia
1942

Sand Point, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/5 179a-184d
Aerial view of harbor and town, harbor and dock views, and dock damage
1962-1967

Seldovia, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/6 185a-189a
Dock and pilings, harbor views
Dock damage, S.S. Tatalina, and Anderson dock.
1947-1962

Seward, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/7 190a-208a
Various docks, construction
1951-1966

Shearwater Bay, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description
Box/Folder item
2/8 209a
Dock view

Sitka, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/9 210a-215a
Aerial views of harbor and city, various docks
1966

Skookumchuck, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/10 216a
Bay view
1967

Snug Harbor, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/11 217a-b
Harbor views
1962

Squaw Harbor, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/12 218a-222a
Aerial views of harbor and town, S.S. Chena
1964-1966

St. George Island, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/13 223a-d
Skinboats, S.S. Tatalina
1966

St. Paul Island, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/14 224a-225d
Loading mike boats, S.S. Tatalina
1966

Tenakee, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description
Box/Folder item
2/15 226a-b
Dock and pilings

Uganik, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/16 227a-228c
Dock and harbor views
1939-1965

Uyak, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/17 229a
New dock
1965

Valdez, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/18 230a-248c
City dock, ferry landing, ships in port
Alaska State Ferry Bartlett, Iliamna, S.S. Nordnes, S.S. Denali.
1953-1969

Ward's Cove, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/19 249a-251b
Dock and pilings, Fortuna
1962-1966

Wrangell Dock, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/20 252a-260d
Views of dock and pilings, warehouse
1951-1966

Waterfall, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/21 261a-265d
Dock views
1962-1967

Whittier, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/22 266a-269b
Plowing snow off dock, unloading containers with crane
1965

Yakutat, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/23 270a-273a
Dock and pilings
1962-1966

Zachar Bay, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/24 274a-b
Ship in harbor
1939

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Canneries--Alaska--Photographs
  • Docks--Alaska--Photographs
  • Harbors--Alaska--Photographs
  • Steamboats--Alaska--Photographs
  • Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)

Geographical Names

  • Alaska--Photographs
  • Washington (State)--Photographs

Form or Genre Terms

  • Photographic prints