Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Frederick E. Smith papers
Smith, Frederick E., -- 1914-1979.
Hegg, P. L. -- (Peter L.), --
photographer.
Smith, Frederick E., -- 1914-1979. -- Equality
Colony.
XOE_CPNWS0060smithfe
5 linear feet
1865-1988
1898-1988
The Frederick E. Smith papers document the research of a
self-trained historian born in Blanchard, Washington. The bulk of the collection comprises
research material regarding the Equality Colony, a socialist Utopian settlement based near
present-day Bow-Edison in Skagit County, Washington between 1897 and 1907.
English .
Born in Blanchard, Washington, Frederick E. Smith (1914-1979) held a keen interest in the
history of his hometown and the surrounding region. Much of his research focused on the
history of the Equality Colony, a socialist utopian community near present-day Bow-Edison
between 1897 and 1907.
In the course of his research, Smith conducted numerous interviews with former colony
members and nearby residents, and gathered photographs documenting the colony and its
inhabitants. Smith's research formed the basis for his manuscript Equality Colony, published posthumously by his sister, Florence Lowe, in 1988. His
other research interests included socialism, the International Workers of the World
(Wobblies), and the history and culture of Native Americans in the Northwest. At the time of
his Equality research, Smith worked as a sign-painter and lived in Everett, Washington.
The Equality Colony was founded and financed by members of the Brotherhood of the
Cooperative Commonwealth (B.C.C.). Organized in 1895 in Maine, the B.C.C. hoped to encourage
the spread of socialism by establishing socialist colonies in the American West. In October
1897, B.C.C. member G.E. "Ed" Pelton purchased 280 acres near Blanchard, Washington for the
site of "Equality". At its height, the colony had an estimated population of 200-300 people.
Colonists operated their own sawmill, creamery and school, and published a newspaper
entitled Industrial Freedom. In 1905, under the influence of
anarchist Alexander Horr, the colony re-organized as "Freeland Colony," By 1907, however,
suffering from financial difficulties and an increasingly factionalized membership, the
colony disbanded and sold its property.
The Frederick E. Smith papers document the research and interests of self-trained historian
Frederick E. Smith. The bulk of the collection comprises research material regarding the
Equality Colony, a socialist Utopian Colony based near present-day Bow-Edison in Skagit
County, Washington between 1897 and 1907. Smith's papers also reflect his broad interest in
local and regional history, including labor and Native American history.
Smith's research papers include correspondence with his sister, Florence E. Lowe, regarding
the progress of his Equality Colony manuscript, as well as
drafts and a final version of the manuscript completed and printed by Lowe in 1988. The
collection also contains subject-based note cards compiled by Smith during the course of his
research, a small number of copies of the colony newspaper, Industrial Freedom, and
newspaper articles regarding "Equality." Photographs document colony buildings and
inhabitants, and include publicity shots taken by photographer P.L. Hegg.
Smith's research papers also include a small number of photocopied articles regarding
Native American tribes in Washington State, clippings about the Telegraphic systems and
Telegraph Road, and a photograph of the steamship "Verona" (one of the vessels carrying
I.W.W. members during the "Everett Massacre" of 1916).
Reel-to-reel audio recordings include Smith's interviews with former members and nearby
residents of the Equality Colony, and their descendents. The interviews include discussion
of the individuals and families who lived at the colony and their experiences, as well as
public perceptions of the colonists. Interviewees also discuss the history and changing
landscape of Blanchard and surrounding Skagit County, and the history of the Samish people.
Reel-to-reel tapes also contain copies of records and radio broadcasts recorded by Smith in
the 1960s, including a 1967 program about the Everett Massacre, and programs from Moscow
radio.
The Frederick E. Smith papers are organized in accordance with the following series and
subseries arrangement:
- Series I: Research Projects 1854-1988, bulk 1898-1988
- Sub-series 1.
Equality Colony 1898-1988
- Sub-series 2. Puget Sound and Pacific Northwest
History 1854-1978
- Series II: Audio Materials 1967-1970
Access to some oral history interviews will require advance permission from
interviewees.
The Center for Pacific Northwest Studies requires advance notice for use of reel-to-reel
audio recordings.
[item/date], Frederick E. Smith papers, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Archives & Special
Collections, Western Washington University, Bellingham WA 98225-9123.
The provenance of the Frederick E. Smith papers is unknown.
Ruth Steele processed the Frederick E. Smith papers for the Center for Pacific Northwest
Studies in 2006. In 2024, materials previously in boxes labelled 6 and 7 were consolidated
into box 6.
University of Washington Libraries in Seattle houses issues of the newspaper, Industrial Freedom, letters written by Equality Colony member Henry
Demarest Lloyd, and records of Whidbey Island's Freeland Colony (including Equality Colony
materials).
Additional images of the Equality Colony are housed at the Museum of History and Industry
in Seattle, and in the Mickey Neylan Collection at University of Washington Special
Collections.
Interviews from the 1962-1979 Skagit County Oral History Project include discussions of the
Equality Colony. Transcripts are available at the Skagit County Historical Museum in La
Conner, and the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Washington University.
The Charles Pierce LeWarne collection at Western Washington University Libraries' Special
Collections contains reference material regarding collective settlements in the Pacific
Northwest.
About Harmful Language and Content
To 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.
Smith, Frederick E.
<emph render="italic">Equality Colony </emph>
Bellingham,
1988
LeWarne, Charles Pierce.
<emph render="italic">Utopias on Puget Sound, 1885-1915. </emph>
Seattle: University of Washington
Press, 1975.
Smith, Frederick E.,--1914-1979.
Equality Colony (Skagit County,
Wash.)--History--Sources.
Equality Colony (Skagit County,
Wash.)--History--Sources--Photographs.
Blanchard (Wash.)--History--Sources.
Collective settlements--Washington
(State)--Skagit County--History--Sources.
Communal living--Washington (State)--Skagit
County--History--Sources.
Utopian socialism--Washington (State)--Skagit
County--History--Sources.
Socialists--Washington (State)--Skagit
County--History--Sources.
Indians of North America--Washington
(State)--History--Sources.
Indians of North America--Washington
(State)--Skagit County--History--Sources.
Labor disputes--Washington
(State)--Everett--History--Sources.
Everett Massacre, Everett, Wash.,
1916--History--Sources.
Labor History
Washington (State)
Oral Histories
Sound Recordings
Photographs
Records (Documents)
Photographs.
Interviews.
Research Projects
Series I
1854-1988
1898-1988
1898-1988
Equality Colony research
1898-1988
Correspondence re: Equality
Colony manuscript
circa 1971-1972
1
1
Equality Colony manuscript
Drafts and revisions
undated
English.
1
2-5
Handwritten draft
undated
English.
2
1-2
Typed Manuscript (unbound)
1988
English.
2
3-4
Typed Manuscript (bound)
1988
2
5
Research Note Cards
People (A-Z)
circa 1960-1970
3
Subjects
circa 1960-1970
4
Subjects
circa 1960-1970
5
Newspapers - Industrial Freedom (Equality Colony
Newspaper)
1900, 1974
6
1
Newspapers - clippings re: Equality
Colony
1898, 1900, 1961
6
2
Photographs
Prints - Buildings
circa 1900-1910, undated
6
3
Prints - Landscapes
1900, 1969, undated
6
4
Prints - People
circa 1898-1900, undated
6
5
Prints - People
circa 1900-1908, 1941, 1969, undated
6
6
Negatives
undated
6
7
Proof sheets for Equality Colony
manuscript
circa 1988
1
Socialist Party Membership card (copy)
1901
6
8
Souvenir of Equality School membership
1902
6
9
Student Paper: Bradley Gamroth "Equality Colony:
Reasons for the Founding of the Colony and its downfall"
1993
6
10
Puget Sound & Pacific Northwest History
1854-1978
Articles re: Northwest Native Americans
Indian Story-telling and folk-tales.
1953
6
11
Gibbs, George, Extract from Indian Tribes of
Washington Territory
1854
6
12
Collins, June M. "Distribution of the Chemakum
language". Extract from Indians of the Urban Northwest
1949
6
13
Lambert, Mary Ann, "Circumstantial Evidence,"
extract from Dungeness Massacre and other Regional Tales
1961
6
14
Articles and clippings re: telegraphic systems and
the Telegraph Trail ,
1865, undated
6
15
Image of the Steamship Verona ("the Wobbly
battleship")
undated
6
16
Audio Recordings
Series II
1967-1970
All recordings are on reel-to-reel tape (1⅞ speed unless otherwise
noted). Interviews and phone conversations are sometimes interspersed with Smith's
comments - much of the identifying description is taken from Smith's notes on the
reel-to-reel boxes. Where noted, the tapes are damaged or contain poor quality
recordings.
"Dwayne and Brenda" (family recording. )
1967 October.
8
1
3¾speed
"Dave" (family recording – poor quality)
1967 October 13.
8
2
Charles LeWarne [minor tape damage circa
0025]
1967 December 17.
8
2
child – barely audible
1967 November 4
8
3
Nellie Halladay re: Equality Colony and
Blanchard
November 17, 1967.
8
4
Edna Boherns Rogers re: Equality Colony
1967 November 19
8
4
Mary Blanche Smith re: EC
1967 November 19
8
4
Frederick Smith comments re: Edna Boherns Rogers /
Labor Songs
Undated
8
4
Edna Boherns Rogers re: Native Americans in
Blanchard.
1968 March 5
8
4
Edna Rogers re: Blanchard, Barbeau North, Native
Americans, Canadian Plains, Equality
1967 November 21; 1967 November 22
8
5
Mary Blanche Smith
1967 November 22
8
5
Edna Rodgers, Colony Photos
1967 November 29
8
6
Edna Rogers
1968 January 29
8
6
African-American High School Students on Bus / Izak
Jesson & Mary Jane Redcay
1967 December 1
8
7
Emma Peterson re: Equality
1967 December 4
8
8
Emma Peterson
1967 December 4
8
8
Alice & George Lawson, Blanchard
1967 December 5
8
9
Edison: Howard Morrison / Mrs Prentice re:
Pearsons
1967 December 6
8
10
Tape 10 had a damaged section near the beginning of the tape which was repaired on
April 10, 2014.
Mrs and Mrs (Tillie?) George Coble
undated
8/10
Tape 10 had a damaged section near the beginning of the tape which was repaired on
April 10, 2014.
Hans Solie
1967 December 8
8
11
Edith Hovig on Bow
1967 December 18
8
12
Emma and Johnson on Vernona and Colony
1967 December 12
8
12
Etta Kenyon Kerr – Blanchard and Colony
1967 November 30
8
13
Etta Kenyon Kerr/Grace Kenyon
Peterson/Colony
1967 December 31
8
13
Phone conversation with Mrs Geneva Graham, Secretary
of Samish Tribe [Tape damage at 0179] 10 min.
1968 January 5
8
14
Interview with Mrs Geneva Graham (Secretary, Samish
Tribe). [Tape damage at 0035 and 0080]
1968 January 7.
8
15
R.A. "Bob" Pierson and Charles Lewarne (Freeland and
Equality)
1968 January 27
8
16
Tape was damaged during playback. Repair made 4/10/2014.
Mel Brann on Samish, Blanchard, and Colony
1968 March 1
8
17-18
Phone conversation with Mrs. Harriette Dover (Tulalip,
Samish and Books)
1968 March 8
8
19
Mrs Nellie Halladay re: Colony
1968 March 13
8
19
Bill Giles, Wenatchee
1968 March 28
8
20-21
Freeland - Ernie Lieseke
1968 April 13
8
22
Austin Marshall, Fred Smith, Steven Uthoff
1968 April 13
8
22
Charles Marquart, Sedro-Woolley (Equality)
1968 July 18
8
23-25
E & K. Kallstrom
1968 August 20
8
26
Mrs Edna Rogers
1968 August 27
8
26
"Emma Hertz and Johnson"
1968 September 24
8
27
Mary Scott – Samish Island
1968 October 2
8
28
Howard C. Ault
1968 October 11
8
29
Howard C. Ault, Tacoma
1968 October 11
8
30
Dick Lewis, Amy Lewis, Ruby May Johnson
(Seattle)
1968 October 15
8
31-32
Roland Lewis, Anacortes
1968 October 18
8
33-34
Minnie Missoura Lang re: Equality
(Everett)
1968 December 4-5
8
35
Mrs Dora McClintock and Mrs Otis Metcalf "concerning
Charles H. Pelton"
1968 December 9
8
36
Rose Savage, Scotty Eichholtz (Anacortes)
1969 April 7
8
37
Thomas Scott Eicholtz
1969 April 7
8
37-38
Bernard Halladay
1970 June 7
8
38
Mary Eddy Chown re: Equality (Olympia)
1969 April 11
8
39
Giles and Dodge at Bow
1969 June 9
8
40
Giles at Burlington / Giles and Dodge at
Bow
1969 June 9
8
41
Bernard Halladay, Everett
1969 June 22
8
42
Blanchard picnic with Florence Pelton Clark, Bud Ault,
Gladys Ault Gray, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Ault, Mrs "Mickey" Cunningham, Mrs. "Babe"
Bridgeman, George Gray, Mel Brann, Bill Giles .
1969 August 17
8
43
Gladys Ault Gray, Mrs Mickey Cunningham, Mrs Bridgman
(Seattle)
1970 June 20
8
44-45
Charles Marquat, Sedro-Woolley
undated
8
46
Lawson
December 5
8
47
Suzanne and Janna Dohner
undated
8
48
Songs and Dances of Washington Coast Indians (Neah
Bay, La Push)
January 30, 1968
8
49
Recording of Indian music, Northwest (Puget Sound)
from Library of Congress
undated
8
50
Indian Music of the Pacific Northwest Coast (Folkways
Record)
December 8, 1967
8
51
Everett Waterfront Wobblies - radio
program
1967 November 13
8
52
Loggers Tavern Scene
1967 November 14
8
52
Songs of the Revolution / "News ..
Songs..Mao"
1967 November 8
8
53
International Music / Voice of Lenin
1967 October 23
8
54
Radio Moscow: 50th Anniversary Songs to Lenin; News;
Speech by Chedi Jagan; Science and Engineering Space Link-up / Kosmos 186/188
link
November 7-8
8
55
Speech by Lin Piao 50th Anniversary (Mao Tse Tung's
Thought)
1967 November 8
8
56
News; Moscow 50th Anniversary / 10 Days that Shook –
Reed
1967 November 8
8
56
Peking; NHK; Moscow / Music From Moscow; News and
comment
1967 November
8
57
Commentary on Cultural Revolution; Cuba; Songs of the
People / Chou En Lai; Radio Moscow
1967 October 8-9
8
58
Cuba: Havana; Latin America / Vietnam
1967 October 3
8
59
Peking: Inner Mongolia Revolutionary Committee; Music
and News / Inner Mongolia; Music
1967 November 2
8
60
Peking: 18th Anniversary of Chinese
Revolution
1967 October 1
8
61
Mockba: What is Communism?; Jazz; Vietnam Solidarity
Week / Pravda Commentary / Threat of Federal Germany ; Moscow University Choir;
News
1967 December 15
8
62
Music from Mockba / Ira Blue
1967 November 15
8
63
Cuba; Vietnam
1967 October 25
8
64
Mao Quotes; Moscow; Venus Landing / Cultural
Revolution
October 21
8
65
Peking: 18th Anniversary Celebration; Radio Moscow
News and Commentary
1967 October 1
8
66
Peking; Russian drama and music; Nihon Tamra
(?)
undated
8
67
US In Vietnam; Red Guard Cultural Revolution / Venus
Probe; News; What is Communism?
1967 October 23
8
68
"Fragment" (Radio program with music)
October 25
8
69
Radio Moscow broadcast
1967 October 25
8
70
Radio Moscow broadcast
1967 October 25
8
71
Family recording
undated
8
72