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Photographs of the Seattle snowstorm of 1916, 1916

Overview of the Collection

Collector
University of Washington. Libraries. Special Collections
Title
Photographs of the Seattle snowstorm of 1916
Dates
1916 (inclusive)
Quantity
48 photographs (1 folder) ; 3 ½" x 5 ½"
Collection Number
PH1404
Summary
Photographs of the aftermath of one of the largest snowstorms to hit Seattle between January and February 1916
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.

Request at UW

Languages
English
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Historical Background

January 1916 in Seattle, Washington, was unusually cold with 23 inches of snow already on the ground when, on the last day of the month, snow began to fall relentlessly. As it continued to fall, between 5 p.m. on Tuesday, February 1 and 5 p.m. on Wednesday, February 2, a record 21.5 inches blanketed Seattle. The United States Weather Bureau in the Hoge Building on the northwest corner of Second Avenue and Cherry Street documented the snowfall, the largest recorded 24 hour accumulation – a record still standing as of 2016.

A front page article in the Seattle Daily Times , February 1, 1916 issue describes attempts to clear the snow, yet “despite the efforts of the toilers, it was found almost impossible during the morning hours to keep crossings clear. Passing automobiles pushed snow piles back on the cleared spaces as rapidly as they were cleaned, churned the snow and slush into a plastic mass which rapidly molded itself into giant snowballs, and skidded and balked on hills to the absolute ruination of tires and tempers.” The Times article continues on page 2 noting “The King County Humane Society has issued an appeal to all teamsters to have their horse sharp-shod to prevent their slipping.”

The following day, the headline of the February 2 issue of the Seattle Daily Times read “More Snow Predicted, City Schools Close; Street Cars Tied Up; All Trains Stalled And With Traffic and Business Suspended, Weather Man Holds Out Little Promise of Improvement.” The photographs in the collection provide a graphic representation of the havoc created by the several snowstorms during the end of January through February, 1916

The aftermath of “The Big Snow of 1916” as it was called, lasted for weeks as it was a wet snow and came to a miserable end -- a mess of mud that mangled bridges and carried away homes.

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Content Description

In 1916, Seattle was hit with what came to be known as "The Big Snow of 1916." The photographs in this collection document the aftermath of the ongoing snowstorms for the several days between the end of January and the beginning of February in downtown Seattle and a few other local neighborhoods.

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Use of the Collection

Alternative Forms Available

View the digital version of the collection

Restrictions on Use

Status of creator's copyrights is unknown; restrictions may exist on copying, quotation, or publication. Users are responsible for researching copyright status before use.

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Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

Transferred from PH 1296 Seattle Subject File - Snow, 2016.

6 postcards donated by Julie Truskowski, August 16, 2019.

Processing Note

Processed by Arlene G. Cohen, November 2016 and November 2019

Transferred from the Seattle Subjects - Snow file, 2016.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

 


2016 (Last modified: 8/3/2023)

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