wasmhi1981_7351.xml Guide to the Owen L. Hall Lumber Industry Photograph Collection circa 1880s-1974 Hall (Owen L.) Lumber Industry Photograph Collection Finding aid prepared by Jody Hendrickson Museum of History & Industry © 2008
5933 6th Avenue South Seattle, WA 98108 Phone: 206-324-1126 URL: http://www.mohai.org
Finding aid encoded by Jody Hendrickson 2008 Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard). Museum of History & Industry, Sophie Frye Bass Library
5933 6th Avenue South Seattle, WA 98108 Phone: 206-324-1126 URL: http://www.mohai.org
1981.7351 Hall, Owen L., 1908-1981 Owen L. Hall Lumber Industry photograph collection circa 1880s-1974 circa 1880s-1910s 1 box plus oversize materials 121 photographs, 27 postcards, 2 albums and 12 lantern slides Photographs of the lumber industry in Washington State, largely circa 1880-1910, including images of crews, mills, equipment and operations. 2b.1.10 (box 1) 1a.3.6-7(oversize photos) VII.b.3 (panorama) 15b.2.drawer8 (lantern slides) Collection materials are in English. Biographical Note:

Born in Renton, Washington, Owen L. Hall was a lifelong resident of Seattle, living in the University District for much of his adult life. Hall worked in the lumber industry as a logger in Washington State for several years in the late 1930s-early 1940s, and developed a lasting interest in forestry. Over the years, Hall collected artifacts and images related to the lumber industry: saws, axes and other small tools, and photographs and postcards of lumber crews, sawmills, equipment, and other subjects related to lumber and logging.

Owen Hall died in 1981.

The collection is comprised largely of photographs of the early lumber industry in Washington State, circa 1880-1910. Several specific sawmills and mill crews are depicted, such as those at the Allen Shingle Company, Clear Lake Shingle Company, and the King Mill. Images of mill operations depict various pieces of machinery, from steam donkey engines and steam shovels, to setworks and saws operating inside mill buildings. Several images depict various modes of hauling lumber, from horse or oxen teams to flatbed railcars and trucks. One series consists of 11 photographs of logging in the early 1900s, by the Seattle photography studio of Webster & Stevens. Other images depict the Washington Saw Company float in the 1912 Golden Potlatch parade in Seattle, and the archway cut into the "bicycle tree" near Snohomish.The collection also includes several photographs of later mill operations and equipment, such as the Weyerhauser Timber Company pulp mill in Longview, Washington (1931) and equipment at the Walton Lumber Company (1955). Lantern slides also depict logging operations as well as mountain scenes.

The collection also includes two photograph albums, one containing images of mills and mill operations in Washington State and California, and the other depicting the six "gyppo" mills-- small, independent and often portable operations--in Washington State in 1955.

View selections from the collection in MOHAI's online collections.

Arranged in 4 series:

Photographs Postcards Albums Lantern slides

The collection is open to the public by appointment.

The Museum of History & Industry is the owner of the materials in the Sophie Frye Bass Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from MOHAI before any reproduction use. The museum does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Owen L. Hall Lumber Industry Photograph Collection, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle

Gift of Amelia Trowbridge, Owen Hall's daughter, December 14, 1981. Ms. Trowbridge donated additional materials (5 photographs and one postcard) in 2008.

Numbering of the photographs begins with number 61 because numbers 1-60 were assigned to collection artifacts during accessioning.

12 lantern slides and 8 photographs from the collection were found added to the inventory in 2010.

These materials are part of a donation that also included a number of artifacts. These artifacts are cataloged and stored separately by MOHAI's Collections Department. A complete inventory of the artifacts is also available in the Library.

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Webster & Stevens Seattle, Wash. Lumber industry--Washington (State) Logs Climax locomotives Sawmills--Washington (State) Sawmill workers--Washington (State) Donkey engines Lumberyards--Washington (State) Skid roads--Washington (State) Ox teams--Washington (State) Horse teams--Washington (State) Railroad cars--Washington (State) Forestry and Forestry Products Photographs Logging Photographic prints Photograph albums Photographic postcards

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

Photographs

Arranged in subseries:

Sawmills Mill crews Equipment Transportation Webster & Stevens photographs Miscellaneous

Numbering of the photographs begins with number 61 because numbers 1-60 were assigned to collection artifacts during accessioning.

 Sawmills 61-65 1/1 Allen Shingle Company, Cow Lake Mill, Kent, Washington circa 1880s-1900 5 photographs

Cow Lake is now Lake Meridian

Alexander Allen arrived in Seattle in 1881. He was the manager of Seattle Dry Dock & Shipbuilding and also owned a shingle mill.

 66 1/2 Seattle Cedar Lumber Manufacturing Company (aerial view) undated

Color photograph is on the front of a card of instructions for "application of factory-primed siding."

 67 VII.b.3 Weyerhauser Timber Company pulp mill, Longview, Washington (panorama) 1931 March 3 Wilson Pain , Longview

Additional information on photograph: "Chris Kuppler's Sons, General Contractors"

 68-73 1/3 Aerial views of mills and timber 1962-1963 Air Photo , Seattle 6 photographs

Group includes one non-aerial photograph of boat Steelhead

 74 1/4 View of lumber mill across water, Skamokawa, Washington circa 1880s 75-80, 378 1/5 Mill buildings and grounds -- unidentified circa 1880s-1890s 7 photographs Mill crews 81 1/6 King Mill Company, Inc. crew circa 1880s-1890s 82 1/7 King Manufacturing Company shingle mill crew, Snoqualmie, Washington circa 1880s-1900 3 copies 83 1/8 Clear Lake Shingle Company crew circa 1880s-1890s Darius Kinsey 11" x 14"

Caption on image: "Clear Lake Shingle Co., Clear Lake, Wash. Timber Views Co."

 84-85 1/9 Men with pike poles in log pond circa 1880s-1900 Hanson Studio , Snohomish, Washington 2 photographs

Both photographs are marked with an "x" over one man, who is identified on verso as Harry Moore.

 86-88, 380, 382-385 1/10 Mill crews in front of mill buildings circa 1880s-1890s 8 photographs

One image (86) depicts two African-American men among the mill crew.

 89 1/11 Steam shovel and construction crew circa early 1900s 90 1/12 Three men near steam donkey circa early 1900s

Identifications on verso: B.N. Bighorn, Fred Nygren, Mr. Taylor

 91 1/12 Five men with axes circa early 1900s 92 1/12 Three fallers standing on spring boards near undercut circa early 1900s 93 1/12 Crew on log near horse team circa early 1900s

Copy print

 94 1/12 Logging crew circa early 1900s

Negative on file

 95- 98 1/12 Men on or near giant logs circa early 1900s 4 photographs

Negative for 95 on file

 99 1/12 Man near pulley circa early 1900s 202 H1 Crew near buildings circa early 1900s Darius Kinsey Equipment 100-109 1/13 Mill equipment at Walton Lumber Company circa 1955 10 photographs 5" x 7"

Each photograph is stamped or stickered on verso identifying it as originating from The Lumberman magazine.

110-111 1/14 Mill equipment with Selectric setworks undated 2 photographs

Photographs show men working on equipment at Walton Lumber Company in Everett and Cascade Lumber Company in Ellensburg. Photos are mounted on black paper with captions indicating that machines use Selectric setworks systems.

 112-129 1/15 Sawmill and mill equipment circa 1974 18 color snapshots

Snapshots of an unidentified mill showing exterior structures and interiors with equipment.

 130-131 1/16 Circular structure on wheels, possibly a log sorting device 1961 2 copies of each 202 G2 Steam donkey in wood undated Darius Kinsey

Printed on photograph: General view of yarding donkey in Washington woods.

 Transportation 132 1/17 Oxen team hauling logs on skid road circa 1890s Boyd & Braas , Seattle 133 1/17 Oxen team hauling logs circa 1880 Watson, Portland, Oregon

Caption on mount: "Logging near Columbia River. About 1880"

 134 1/18 Horse team hauling logs on skid road circa early 1900s

Copy print

 135-137, 379, 381 1/18 Horse-drawn flat cars and sleds circa 1890-1920 5 photographs 138 1/19 Crew on flatbed railcar near steam donkey circa 1890s-1900 139 1/20 Men on loaded Northern Pacific flatbed railcar headed for Wescott's Mill 1907 Pautzke Photo

Caption on photo: "For Wescott's Mill"

Caption on mount: "Hauling logs in Kittitas County, Ellensburg"

Caption on verso: "Logging transfer Wescott's Mill. Right to left: Tom Flynn, Dan Wescott. Left end: Frank Wescott"

 140-141 1/21 Logs on flatbed railcars undated 2 photographs

Writing on verso of 140: "Train at Ryder Wood"

 142-145 1/21 Rail cars circa early 1900s 4 photographs

Writing on verso of 142: "West Fork Log. Co. Andy Mackie, Engineer. 40 yrs old. Mineral, Wash."

 146 1/21 Rail car loaded with fir logs circa early 1900s

Negative on file

 147 1/21 Truck hauling logs in Thompson Falls, Montana 1973

Negative on file

 Webster & Stevens photographs circa 1900-1905 Webster & Stevens , Seattle 11 photographs

Webster & Stevens number given in parentheses

 148 1/22 Crew at top of log chute (2434) circa 1900-1905 149 1/22 Crew of McNeeley-Wilcox Logging Company hauling logs to water with steam donkey (2440) 1903 April 3 150 1/22 Hauling log on skid road (2441) circa 1900-1905 151 1/22 Rigging crew, showing lines and chokers on logs (2443) circa 1900-1905 152 1/22 Family near steam donkey and 14 horse team at logging camp (2447) circa 1900-1905 153 1/22 Log crib dam under construction (2449) circa 1900-1905 154 1/22 Logs on rail cars at log dump, Yeon Pelton Company, Rainier, Oregon (2454) circa 1900-1905 155 1/22 Shingle mill, Machias, Washington (2471) circa 1900-1905 156 1/22 Logs descending log chute (2473) circa 1900-1905 157 1/22 Log chute, Yeon Pelton Company, Rainier, Oregon circa 1900-1905 158 1/22 May Creek Logging Company rail car and crew circa 1900-1905 Miscellaneous Washington Saw Company float for Golden Potlatch parade, Seattle 1912

159 H1 Washington Saw Company float showing 84 inch diameter saw blade 1912 Pierson & Co. , Seattle 2 copies 160-161 1/23 Men on Washington Saw Works float for Golden Potlatch, Seattle 1912 2 photographs Photo 160 by Roman's Photographic Company , Seattle

Float pictured in front of Washington Saw Works building at 2921 First Avenue South

 162 1/23 Men in cars with Washington Saw Company banner 1912 163-165 1/24 "Bicycle Tree" near Snohomish, Washington circa early 1900s 3 photographs 3.5" x 5.5"

Photographs of people and a car near the "Bicycle Tree," a large cedar tree with a archway cut into its trunk, along a dirt road in what is now Snohomish, Washington. The tree had served as a milestone on a favorite bicycling route in the 1880s when Snohomish Bicycle Club president David Lewis Paramore led the effort to have a pathway cut through the massive trunk. The tree, compromised by floodwaters from the Snohomish River and buffeted by gusting winds, toppled in 1927.

 166 1/25 Children on railroad tracks amid timber circa early1900s 2 copies 167 1/25 Two men and two women on log circa early 1900s

Writing on verso: "George and Tony Zoffel camp at St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co."

 168 1/25 Two men shaking hands on tree fallen across pathway circa early 1900s

Photograph mounted on page which was probably removed from a scrapbook (with 169-170)

 169-170 1/25 Man standing on lumber flatbed railcar on collapsed pier circa early 1900s 2 photographs

Photographs are mounted on pages which were probably removed from a scrapbook (with 168)

 171-172 1/25 Views through timber circa early 1900s 2 photographs 386 1/25 Men near trees and water 1928 Pickett , Index, Washington

Caption on photo: "Pioneers"

Photographer's number: 3820

 173-199 Postcards undated 27 photographic postcards

19 black and white and 8 color or colorized postcards. Postcards of the lumber industry depict logging crews, log trains, steam donkeys and other logging equipment, big trees and logs, horse teams and one colorized postcard of Monte Cristo, Washington in 1894. Includes one colorized postcard of a Frank H. Nowell photograph of Gray's Harbor Lumber Company, Aberdeen, Washington.

 Albums 2 photograph albums 200 1 Album 1: Lumber industry photographs and postcards circa early 1900s 21 photographs 13 postcards 200.1-200.2 Log pond, horse team and crew at Shaw Log Company, Snohomish circa early 1900s

Copy prints

Identification based on writing on verso.

200.3 Logs and steam engine circa early 1900s

Copy print

 200.4 Logs being hauled on flatcar circa early 1900s Frank Reed

Copy print

 200.5 Steam log train and shingle bolts, Everett area 1913

Copy print

 200.6 Men near log engine circa 1900 200.7 Log train with Climax locomotive, Port Angeles 1911 Bert Kellogg

Copy print

 200.8 Log train with Climax locomotive, Port Crescent 1902 Bert Kellogg

Copy print

 200.9 Sawmill at Index, Washington circa 1910s Picket Photo Co. Photographic postcard 200.10 Sawmill at Marysville, Washington circa 1914 Photographic postcard 200.11 Kulsey Lumber Company mill buildings and yard, Valley, Washington 1914 Photographic postcard 200.12 Fire engine at Galen Lumber Company, Index, Washington circa 1910s Picket Photo Co. Photographic postcard 200.13 Loading log train circa early 1900s Photographic postcard 200.14 Men with large log on flatcar circa early 1900s Photographic postcard 200.15 Men amid timber: "Clearing land near Tracyton" circa early 1900s Photographic postcard 200.16 Men near steam donkey circa early 1900s Photographic postcard 200.17 Palmer and Libby Logging Company Shay locomotive circa early 1900s Photographic postcard 200.18 West Side Lumber Company Hysler locomotive early 1900s Photographic postcard 200.19 Men with 9 feet diameter log inside Port Blakely mill building circa 1912 200.20 Workers outside mill building circa 1900 200.21 Lamb-Davis Lumber Company sawmill, Leavenworth, Washington early 1900s Oakes Photo Photographic postcard 200.22 Lamb-Davis Lumber Company dam, Leavenworth, Washington early 1900s Oakes Photo Photographic postcard 200.23 View of sawmill across water, Snohomish, Washington circa early 1900s Elite Studio 200.24 Birds-eye view of sawmill, Bullwinkle, California circa early 1900s Seely Foto 200.25 Log train with Shay locomotive at log dump circa early 1900s 200.26-.27, 200.29 Log trains circa early 1900s 3 photographs hand-colored 200.28 Logging camp showing railcar on tracks circa early 1900s hand-colored 200.30 Birds-eye view of Everett Milling Company and town of Everett undated 200.31 Saw blades inside mill building, Crescent City, California undated 200.32 Truck loaded with lumber on dirt road circa early 1900s 200.33 Large man with axe near tree circa early 1900s 200.34 Trees growing from fallen redwood undated Paterson

Caption: "Reincarnation of the Redwood. Hartsook's."

 200.35-.36 Loggers among trees undated 201 1 "Gypos" 1955 1 album containing 34 photographs

Gyppo (or gypo) loggers were independent contractors, often family-based, in the post World-War II timber economy. These small-time, often portable, operations took on small jobs that would have been rejected by the larger mills.

This album documents six gyppo mills in Washington State in 1955, showing mill owners and employees, with equipment and operations often set up under temporary shelters.

201.1-.7 Waterman's Mill, Langley, Washington 1955 April 12 7 photographs

Photographs depict Bernard Waterman and his workers loading a large log onto a cart; caption indicates Corley brand sawmill equipment is being used.

 201.8-15 Frie Brothers Mill, Langley, Washington 1955 April 12 8 photographs

Depicts a portable mill, showing equipment and an underslung diesel engine, and two men, "Fred" and "Bob."

 201.16-.18 Pioneer Mill Company, Oroville, Washington 1955 April 26 3 photographs

One photograph of lumber under shelter and two of a car in the snow. Caption on page: "Joe Hartley's mill on Chesaw Road NE of Oroville."

 201.19-.22 Landreth Timber Company, Tonasket, Washington 1955 April 27 4 photographs

Includes two photographs of "air dogs," one photograph of Bill Siegrist and Ivan Landreth, and one photograph captioned "Landreth's new mater carriage with Sel-Set preset setworks."

 201.23-.27 Roy Neal's mill near Freeland, Washington on Whidby Island 1955 May 5 photographs

Includes photographs of Roy Neal and of mill operations.

 201.28-.34 Lee Bloom's Mill on Guemes Island, Washington 1955 May 7 photographs

Images depict Lee Bloom working on logs at his mill.

 366-377 Lantern slides undated 12 lantern slides

Lantern slides of unidentified logging and mountain scenes.