Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Michael Sullivan papers, 1864-1950
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Sullivan, Michael
- Title
- Michael Sullivan papers
- Dates
- 1864-1950 (inclusive)18641980
1975-1981 (bulk)19751980 - Quantity
- 3 linear feet
- Collection Number
- XOE_CPNWS0055michaelsullivan (collection)
- Summary
- Michael Sullivan was a Whatcom County historic preservation planner who directed two very important projects: the Whatcom County Historical Preservation Survey and the Vintage Bellingham Survey. The collection includes correspondence, notes, articles, surveys, audio tapes and slides produced and accumulated during his tenure. The collection also includes various research and reference materials on historical people and places of Whatcom County in Washington State.
- Repository
-
Western Washington University, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Goltz-Murray Archives Building
808 25th St.
Bellingham, WA
98225
Telephone: (360) 650-7534
cpnws@wwu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
This collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English.
- Sponsor
- Funding for preparing this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Funding for encoding the finding aid was awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Michael Sullivan was the Historic Preservation Planner for the Whatcom County Park and Recreation Board. He was instrumental in carrying out both the Whatcom County Historical Preservation Survey and the Vintage Bellingham Survey. Both projects were aimed at identifying sites in Whatcom County that could be designated for historical preservation status on the county register.
During his career, Mr. Sullivan also produced a large collection of research and reference notes on the history of Whatcom County places and pioneers, much of which was donated with the other materials in this collection. His research records include historic manuscript material including Henry Roeder diaries, 1850-1878; Fairhaven folktales of Dirty Dan Harris; early histories of Mt. Baker National Forest, Point Roberts, Ferndale and Bellingham.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Michael Sullivan papers document two important historical preservation projects in the Bellingham and Whatcom County area, both conducted during Michael Sullivan’s tenure as Historic Preservation Planner for the Whatcom County Park and Recreation Board. The collection also contains various research and reference materials on Whatcom County pioneers and places gathered by Mr. Sullivan during his career. .
Sullivan's papers include personal and official records generated during the Whatcom County Historical Preservation Survey. The project was planned and carried out during the years 1978-1980, and aimed at identifying sites in Whatcom County with historic significance to be considered for placement on the county register of historic places. Materials include the administrative records of the project’s advisory board, personal papers and notes of Michael Sullivan who directed the project, forms generated during the actual carrying out of the project, and various photographs and slides depicting buildings that were considered for historical designation in the Whatcom County area.
The collection also includes documentation of the Vintage Bellingham Survey organized by the Whatcom County Arts Commission and led by Michael Sullivan. These records contain informational materials distributed to participants of the survey as well as the completed forms from the following Bellingham neighborhoods: Lettered Streets, Sehome, South Hill, and the York District.
In the course of his work, Sullivan collected research and reference materials regarding Whatcom County and Whatcom County pioneers. These materials comprise newspaper clippings and biographies of important Bellingham and Whatcom County characters, Sullivan's personal research notes, diaries and notes of Henry Roeder and extensive information on "Dirty" Dan Harris. Reference materials regarding Whatcom County history includes newspaper clippings, correspondence, personal notes, photographs, and negatives.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
Michael Sullivan Papers, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University, Bellingham WA 98225-9123.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The collection is organized in accordance with the following series and subseries arrangement:
- Series I: Whatcom County Historical Preservation Survey,
1978-1985 (bulk 1978-1981)
- Subseries One: Survey Board Advisory Materials, 1978-1985
- Subseries Two: Survey Inventory Forms, 1979
- Subseries Three: Historical Preservation Survey Slides, 1978
- Series II: Whatcom County Arts Commission Survey - "Vintage
Bellingham," 1977-1979
- Subseries One: General Survey Information, 1977
- Subseries Two: Completed Survey Forms, 1979
- Series III: Research and Reference Materials on Whatcom County pioneers, 1864-1981
- Series IV: Regional Research and Reference Materials, 1880-1975
Acquisition Information
Michael Sullivan donated his papers to the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies in 2006.
Bibliography
Sullivan, Michael. The Fairhaven Folktales of Dirty Dan Harris. Ink Slinger Publication Company, 1981.
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 the following Statement About Potentially Harmful Language and Content
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Series I: Whatcom County Historical Preservation Survey, 1978-1985 , (bulk 1978-1981 ) Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Subseries
1
:
Survey
Advisory Board Administrative Materials
|
1978-1985 | |
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | Correspondence |
1978-1980 |
1/2 | Letters and Certificates of Appreciation |
1979-1985 |
1/3 | Meeting agendas and minutes |
1979 |
1/4 | Notes |
undated |
1/5 | Publications |
1979 |
1/6 | Information re: Historical Sites and Historic
Register |
undated |
1/7 | Information re: Oral History and Cultural Resource
Survey |
circa 1979 |
1/8 - 1/9 | Audio Cassette Tapes (Whatcom County Advisory Board on
Historical Preservation), |
1979 |
2/1 | Audio Cassette Tapes (Whatcom County Advisory Board on
Historical Preservation) |
1979 |
Subseries
2
:
Survey
Inventory Forms
|
1979 | |
Box/Folder | ||
2/2 | Information and blank forms |
Undated |
2/3 | Acme |
1979 |
2/4 | Bellingham |
1979 |
2/5 | Barron, Chancellor and Ruby City |
1979 |
2/6 | Birch Bay |
1979 |
2/7 | Blaine |
1979 |
2/8 | Blaine Depot |
1979 |
2/9 | Custer |
1979 |
2/10 | Deming |
1979 |
2/11 | Everson |
1979 |
3/1 | Ferndale |
1979 |
3/2 | Glacier |
1979 |
3/3 | Glacier Ranger Station |
1979 |
3/4 | Lawrence |
1979 |
3/5 | Loggie House |
1979 |
3/6 | Lone Jack Mine |
1979 |
3/7 | Laurel |
1979 |
3/8 | Lummi Island |
1979 |
3/9 | Lynden |
1979 |
3/10 | Maple Falls |
1979 |
3/11 | Marietta |
1979 |
3/12 | Nooksack |
1979 |
3/13 | Pickett House |
1979 |
3/14 | Post Offices, historic |
1979 |
3/15 | Saxon |
1979 |
3/16 | Skagit River Area, upper |
1979 |
3/17 | Sumas |
1979 |
3/18 | Van Wyck-Rome |
1979 |
3/19 | Van Zandt |
1979 |
3/20 | Wickersham |
1979 |
Subseries
3
:
Historical Preservation Survey
Slides
|
circa 1978 | |
box-row | ||
4/A1 | Bellingham and vicinity |
circa 1978 |
4/A2 | Lone Jack - Twin Lakes, Deming, Van Zandt,
Lawrence |
circa 1978 |
4/A3 | Acme, Saxon, Wiker, Park |
circa 1978 |
4/A4 | Glacier, Shuksan, Excelsior, Maple Falls, Silver
Lake |
circa 1978 |
4/A5 | Barns, vintage photos |
circa 1978 |
4/A6 | Cabins |
circa 1978 |
4/B1 | Lummi Island, Reservation, Marietta |
circa 1978 |
4/B2 | Lynden, Everson, Nooksack |
circa 1978 |
4/B3 | Ferndale |
circa 1978 |
4/B4 | Laurel - Wiser Lake, Ten Mile, Sumas |
circa 1978 |
4/B5 | Custer, Blaine |
circa 1978 |
4/B6 | Unidentified |
Undated |
Series II: Whatcom County Arts Commission Survey - "Vintage Bellingham", 1977-1979Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Subseries
1
:
General Survey
Information
|
1977 | |
Box/Folder | ||
5/1 | "Manual for the Neighborhood Resources Inventory,"
"Sites from the County Surveys of Historical Places, and other informational
materials |
1977 |
Subseries
2
:
Completed Survey
Forms
|
circa 1979 | |
Box/Folder | ||
5/2-5/3 | Lettered Streets |
circa 1979 |
5/4-5/5 | Sehome |
circa 1979 |
5/6-5/7 | South Hill |
circa 1979 |
5/8 | York District |
circa 1979 |
Series III: Research and reference materials on Whatcom County pioneers, 1864-1980Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
5/9 | Eldridge, Edward and Teresa, correspondence and
newspaper clippings |
circa 1907-1918 |
5/10 | Harris, "Dirty" Dan, newspaper clippings and Michael
Sullivan personal notes |
circa 1867-1918; 1980 |
5/11 | Harris, "Dirty" Dan, District Court records |
1864-1869 |
5/12 | Harris, "Dirty" Dan, The Fairhaven
Folktales of Dirty Dan Harris
|
1981 |
5/13 | Harris, William, journal |
Undated |
5/14 | Roeder, Henry, diaries, certificate from the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows |
circa 1850s |
5/15 | Swan, James G., letter to Major George B.
Hibbard |
1899 |
5/16 | Tennant, John, newspaper clippings and Michael Sullivan
personal notes |
1972; circa 1980 |
5/17 | Thornton, Dr. Augustus W., biographical
sketch |
undated |
5/18 | Thorsteinson, Dagbort and Helgi |
circa 1975 |
Series IV: Regional Research and Reference Materials, circa 1872-1975Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Subseries
1
:
Research Papers
|
1880-1975 | |
Box/Folder | ||
5/19 | Bellingham Bay history, newspaper clippings and
Forty Years on Bellingham Bay 1852-92
|
1880 |
5/20 | Ferndale Area history, newspaper clippings and Michael
Sullivan personal notes |
circa 1900; undated |
5/21 | Mt. Baker and Washington National Forests
histories |
circa 1930-1950 |
5/22 | Point Roberts newspaper clippings |
circa 1950s |
5/23 | Whatcom County Bridge Data |
1908-1975 |
Subseries
2
:
Photographs
|
circa 1872-1955 | |
Box/Folder | ||
6/1 | Buildings and barns |
undated |
6/2 | Buildings in Bellingham |
undated |
6/3 | Blaine District |
undated |
6/4 | Blaine - Great Northern Railroad Depot
nomination |
undated |
6/5 | C.C.C., W.P.A. |
1940 |
6/6 | Chuckanut Drive Area |
1920-1925 |
6/7 | Fairhaven Hotel |
1890; 1955 |
6/8 | Forest Service, Mt. Baker Lodge and Glacier Ranger
Station |
1924-1927 |
6/9 | Lummi Island nomination |
undated |
6/10 | Portraits of John H. Fravel and Ella Higginson
|
1872; undated |
6/11 - 6/12 | Unidentified buildings and places |
undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Architecture, Domestic--Washington (State)--Whatcom County--History--Sources.
- Architecture, Domestic--Washington (State)--Whatcom County--Surveys--Sources.
- Architecture, Domestic--Washington (State)--Whatcom County--Sources--Photographs.
- Frontier and pioneer life--Washington (State)--Whatcom County--History--Sources.
- Historic preservation--Washington (State)--Whatcom County--Sources.
- Legends--Washington (State)--Puget Sound Area.
Personal Names
- Harris, Daniel Jefferson--1826-1890.
- Roeder, Henry--1824-1902.
- Sullivan, Michael--1950- --Archives.
Corporate Names
- Whatcom County Park Board.
Geographical Names
- Baker, Mount, Region (Wash.)--History--Sources.
- Bellingham (Wash.)--History--Sources.
- Ferndale (Wash.)--History--Sources.
- Point Roberts (Wash.)--History--Sources.
- Whatcom County (Wash.)--Buildings, structures, etc.--History--Sources--Photographs.
- Whatcom County (Wash.)--Buildings, structures, etc.--History--Sources--Slides.
- Whatcom County (Wash.)--Buildings, structures, etc.--History--Sources.
- Whatcom County (Wash.)--History--Sources.
- Whatcom County (Wash.)--Surveys--Buildings, structures, etc.--Sources.
Form or Genre Terms
- Personal correspondence.
- Photographs.
- Records (Documents)