This collection includes letters and other materials related to several members of the Dasch family of Colfax, WA, and other families related by marriage, encompassing several generations. The bulk of the collection is associated with just a few individuals: Philip William Dasch (1894-1958), his sons Richard Milton Dasch (1925-2001) and Philip Randall Dasch (1924-2011), and his daughter Dorothy "Dot" Dasch Lukins. Many other family members are also represented, including Emma Randall Dasch, Harvey Sylvanus Randall, Lauretta Randall, Charles Dasch, Hazel Dasch, Jack Dasch, Fred Dasch, Elmer Steffelbach, and others.
"Philip William Dasch (1894-1958) was born in Independence, Kansas and moved to Whitman County, Washington with his family in 1897. After graduating from high school and passing a qualifying examination for beginning teachers, he taught at Glenwood School near the town of Palouse. He began studying geology at Washington State College in 1916, but interrupted his studies to enlist in the Army in 1917. He was assigned to the 4th Division, 13th Field Artillery, Battery A, serving in France and Germany. At the time of his discharge in 1919 he held the rank of corporal. After completing his military service, Philip Dasch worked as a teacher in Sunset, WA, near present-day St. John. There he met his future wife, fellow teacher Emma Alcliffe Randall. They married in 1922, and soon after moved to Colfax, WA, where they settled and raised their family. Philip Dasch worked in the Whitman County auditor's office, at the Emerson Knox department store as a bookkeeper, and at the United States Post Office in Colfax, where he became assistant postmaster." (From the introduction to the Philip William Dasch World War I Letters digital collection)
This collection consists of papers of the Dasch family of Colfax, WA, received in multiple installments. It contains correspondence, photographs, scrapbooks, diaries, writings such as autobiographies, newspaper clippings and other printed material, memorabilia, and realia. Several members of the family are represented, spanning multiple generations. Among the contents are World War I correspondence of Philip William Dasch, World War II correspondence of Philip Randall Dasch, correspondence and other material related to Richard M. Dasch's foreign service career with the U.S. Department of State, correspondence and writings of Dorothy Dasch Lukins, and photographs and other items related to earlier generations of the family.
Preliminary inventory:
MS.2008.36:
Dasch family papers, 1913-1981 (bulk 1917-1918). Primarily Philip William Dasch World War I material. Includes correspondence, memorabilia, photographs, printed material.
Box 1. Red cross broadside and silk American flag; broadside "Our Hitch in Hell"; Philip W. Dasch War Department and Civil Service correspondence; letter, Wallace L. Belva[il?] to Jack Dasch; letter, Mother to W. G. Dasch; Philip W. Dasch discharge documents; envelopes and news clipping; Philip W. Dasch letters (5 folders, approximately 84 letters total); photographs; book by Lauretta Randall.
Box 2: Memorabilia (Philip W. Dasch).
MS.2009.12:
Dasch family papers, 1856-2009 (bulk 1910-1980). Correspondence, photographs, scrapbook, clippings, and reminiscences/biographies. Most of the material relates to Richard M. Dasch (1925-2001), brother of Dorothy Dasch Lukins, and his 26-year career with the Department of State. Beginning in 1948, he was posted in China, Taiwan, South Korea, Nepal, Turkey, Afghanistan, Iran, and New Delhi. Documents include correspondence (letters home to his family), passports, and other items related to his foreign service work.
Box 1: Dasch family.
Box 2: Richard M. Dasch.
MS.2010.18:
Dasch and Lukins family papers, circa 1880s-1980s. Includes correspondence, diaries, notebooks, scrapbook, audio recordings (analog discs), photographs, newspaper clippings.
Box 1. Letters from Dick Lukins to Dorothy Dasch, 1940s-1950s.
Box 2. Unsorted correspondence, Dot Lukins journal and writings, photographs, audio recordings, other family papers.
Box 3. Scrapbook (Dot Dasch). Includes keepsakes from Future Homemakers of America conference and other events.
MS.2011.36:
Dasch family papers, circa 1910s-2000. Primarily papers of Philip Randall Dasch. Includes family photograph albums, realia, correspondence, and other papers. A large amount of the Philip Randall Dasch correspondence consists of his letters home to his family in Colfax during World War II.
Box 1. Photograph albums, circa 1910s-1950s; loose photographs; realia (political, civic, military, including buttons, ribbons, tokens).
Boxes 2-4. Philip Randall Dasch incoming correspondence, 1947-1977.
Boxes 5-6. Philip Randall Dasch correspondence, primarily outgoing, 1942-1948.
Box 7. Philip Randall Dasch correspondence, some unsorted, 1950-1990; miscellaneous unsorted family papers; Philip Randall Dasch autobiography and biographical materials; Dot Lukins biography.
Box 8. Suitcase belonging to Philip Randall Dasch, circa 1930s-1940s.
This is an unprocessed collection. Arrangement reflects a pre-existing order from the records’ creators or previous custodians.
The Philip William Dasch letters in MS.2008.36 have been digitized, and are available in the
This collection is open and available for research use.
Copyright restrictions may apply.
[Item description]
Preliminary Guide to the Dasch Family Papers, 1856-2009 (MSSM.076)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
Dorothy Lukins and Philip R. Dasch donated this collection in multiple installments beginning in 2008 (MS.2008.36, MS.2009.12, MS.2010.18, MS.2011.36).
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.