wasmhi1991_40.xml Guide to the Swartz Family Photographs circa 1890-1910 Swartz Family Photographs Finding aid prepared by Jody Hendrickson Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Museum of History & Industry © 2006
5933 6th Avenue South Seattle, WA 98108 Phone: 206-324-1126 URL: http://www.mohai.org
Finding aid encoded by ArchProteus2006 Finding aid is 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
1991.40 Swartz family Swartz Family Photographs circa 1890-1910 235 glass plate negatives Photographs of the family and friends of Russian immigrant Joseph Swartz; of the Swartz shingle mill near Granite Falls, Washington; and of Everett High School student groups. 4b.4.4 (glass plate negatives) 2b.2.10 (modern prints) Collection materials are in English. Biographical Note:

Joseph Swartz was the founder and owner of the Swartz shingle mill on Swartz pond, three miles southeast of Granite Falls, Washington. Swartz was born on March 15, 1860 in the province of Podolsk in southern Russia. After graduating from college and serving in the army in Russia, he prepared himself to immigrate to the United States by studying industrial arts and learning the trade of machinist. Upon immigrating to the U.S. in 1884, Swartz went directly to Cleveland, where he worked for eighteen months in a machine shop. In Ohio, he was joined by his fiancée Mary Vinshinkof of Bershad, Russia, who he married in 1886. He spent three years clearing a timbered tract of land in Ohio before moving to Missouri and opening a shoe store in Kansas City.

After a fire destroyed this business, he went to Seattle, arriving just after the Great Fire of 1889, and from there to Snohomish County where he took a homestead east of Granite Falls. Around 1900, he formed a shingle mill business with a Mr. Stacey under the firm name of Swartz & Stacey until Stacey's retirement in 1903; the mill was one of the four shingle mills near Granite Falls at that time. Granite Falls boomed during the early 1900s, with as many as twelve lumber mills operating at one time. Swartz shingle mill and the nearby logging camp ran till at least 1906. As of 1906, Swartz had four children, Leo (b. 1887), Elbert (b. 1888), Florence (b. 1890) and Gladys (b.1896), though the photographs in the collection suggest that Swartz and his wife had more children after this date.

The collection consists mostly of photographs of the family and friends of Russian immigrant Joseph Swartz, of the Swartz shingle mill near Granite Falls, Washington and of Everett High School student groups. With the exception of Swartz's wife, Mary Vinshinkof, the individuals in the family photographs are largely unidentified. Many of the family photographs were taken on the grounds of the Swartz family home; others depict groups of people camping, people in automobiles, and posed in comical scenarios, probably in college dorm rooms.

Many photographs depict groups of students at Everett High School, including sports teams, orchestra and theater groups and school classes. Photographs of the Swartz mill depict mill buildings, the log pond and horse teams pulling shingle bolts. Other pictures of Everett include boats at dock, the water company reservoir and businesses on a commercial street.

A number of the photographs are signed "Swartz" and are presumed to have been taken by Joseph Swartz.

Negatives were numbered by the Museum upon accession in the original order in which they were received.

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.

Swartz Family Photographs, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle

These glass plate negatives were found abandoned in a house by a real estate agent who contacted the Museum of History & Industry. The museum took possession of the negatives in 1991.

Acquired in 1991.

Shiach, W.S., ed. (1906). An illustrated history of Skagit & Snohomish Counties: Their people, their commerce and their resources. Chicago: Interstate Publishing Co.

 Swartz, Joseph Swartz & Stacey Granite Falls (Wash.) Everett (Wash.) Glass negatives Everett High School (Everett, Wash.)--Photographs High School Students--Washington (State)--Everett Lumber industry--Washington (State)--Photographs Mills--Washington (State)--Photographs Business, industry and labor Elementary and Secondary Education Forestry and forestry products Home and family Photographs Russian Americans Student life Washington State

All photographs are dated circa 1890-1910 unless a more specific date is given. Notes in quotation marks represent handwriting transcribed from the original negative envelope.

 1 Man, woman and young girl

"Laghf Wetmor family"

 2 Two men aiming rifles near mountain

"Mt. Pilchuck Gulph scene by camp"

 3 Man with rifle on road through trees 4 Everett High School freshmen in front of school 5 Two men burning timber 6 High school group in aprons

"Senior class apron social"

 7 Everett High School senior track team with trophy cup 8 Boys on school sports team, probably Everett High School 9 Men cooking around campfire 10 Building and log pond at Swartz Mill 11 Rocky mountainside (Mt. Pilchuck?) 12 Everett High School group 13 German club at Everett High School 14 Building and log pond at Swartz mill 15 Men and women around campfire (at Mount Pilchuck?) 16 Everett High School junior class 17 Swartz family around Christmas tree 18 Everett High School sophomore class 19 Mr. and Mrs. Eli Stanford and family in front of wood house 20 Men and women around campfire (at Mount Pilchuck?) 21 Everett High School orchestra on steps of school 22 Everett High School class photo 23-24 Everett High School sophomore class 25 Girl ("Gladys") and two dogs near fountain 26 Everett High School class photo 27 Mount Pilchuck 28 Mountain 29-30 Houses at lakeside 31 Everett High School junior class photo 32 Birdseye view of Everett with mountains in distance 33 Couple in automobile decorated with BPOE banner and elk head in front of Everett Auto Co.

"Pulland & wife Elk Head Automobile"

 34 Sailboats from Clark Nickerson Lumber Company 1908 February 29 35 Everett High School orchestra on school steps 1908 36 Group at campsite 37 Everett High School baseball team 1908 38 Everett High School track team 1908 39 Girls in E.M.F. "30" automobile circa 1909 40 Two men inside power house in Everett 41 Two men on cable crossing over river 42 Everett High School orchestra on steps of school 43 Group, including Mary and Joseph Swartz and their daughter Florence, in front of Christmas tree 44 Group with wagon on dock 45 Men near car in front of house 46 Two men with horse-drawn hay wagon in field 47 Men with debris from boiler explosion at lumber camp 48 Houses 50 Man driving horse drawn mowing machine 51 Two men and two women on steps of building 52-53 Field and trees 54 Woman using push mower near house 55 House and garden pond 56 Orchard 57 Horses outside barn in the snow 58 Woman holding field camera 59 Everett High School 1907 60 Woman in chair 61 Women and children near river 62 Three girls (Swartz's daughters?) in front of garden pond 63 Baseball game with houses in distance 64 Couple ice skating 65 House in woods 66 Everett High School senior track team with trophy cup 67 Two girls (probably Swartz's daughters) 1900 June 15 68 Baby in chair 1908 March 2

"Swazy baby"

 69 Pots of wildflowers in Everett 70 Three men playing cards, possibly in University of Washington dormitory room 71 Group on porch of house 72 Four men with guns in woods 73 Front deck of battleship Tennessee 74 Everett High School track team 75 Houses and Mount Pilchuk 76 Man with hoe in vegetable field 77 Debris from destruction of bridge near Ebey Island during flood of Snohomish River 1906 December 78 Man pole vaulting 79 Two men carrying log 80 Chris Nelson doing the high jump 81 Icicles 82 Mrs. J. Swartz (Mary Vinshinkof) 83 View of Swartz shingle mill 84 Group, including Mary and Joseph Swartz and their daughter Florence, in front of Christmas tree 85 Three girls with parasols near gate 86 Landslide at Tunnel #1 of the Monte Cristo Railroad 1907 February 87 Double exposure of women on horses and automobile 88 Two women on horseback 89 People in canoes watching two men in a log rolling contest 90 Two women on horseback 91 Group of mountain climbers on rock 92 Two men on bridge 93 Two women on horseback 94 Three women in garden near man with camera 95 Brick building (school?) 96 Men at fire near stacks of shingles 1907 September 26

"Fire on 14th St. Kiln burned"

97 Lumber mill near railroad tracks, probably near Everett 98 Man with gun near tree 99 Two men with guns near lake 100 Albert Swartz Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Swartz in horse drawn buggy 101 Group, including Mary and Joseph Swartz and their daughter Florence, in front of Christmas tree 102 Family in horse drawn cart on road 103 Two men climbing snowy hillside on hands and feet 104 House and fountain covered in snow 105 Deck of battleship Tennessee 106 Everett High School orchestra on steps of school 107 Boy performing high jump 108 Military group in parade 109 Men and women sitting on fence in park 110 Two women on grass 111 Tree in bloom near house 112 Two girls seated in woods 113 Three women and man on porch 114 Rock, stream and trees 115 Two men and woman studying in room with school pennants (dorm room?) 116 Three men posed in card game with props and gun (in dorm room?) 117 Group on porch of house 118 Two men in front of house 119 Bedroom, possibly a college dorm room 120 Three people in automobile on residential street 121 Man and five women joking in front of Laurelhurst Co. sign 122 Everett commercial street at night showing trolley tracks in road

Showing Maize Cafe, Bank of Commerce, Everett Beer

123 People and car in front of Swartz family house 124 Three women and two men with University of Washington pillows and pennant 125 Group in automobile 126 Ship at Oriental dock 128 Automobile on road in woods 129 Man standing near lake 130-133 Swartz family house 134 Six men in college room with "Washington" banner 135 Group on lawn in front of Swartz house 136 Four men in front of house 137 Lake with trees and reflection 138 Man in rowboat on lake 139 Group with dog picnicking under tree 140 View of mountain and trees 141 Six young men on porch 143 People sleeping in camp 144 Men and women around campfire (at Mount Pilchuck?) 145 Group at camp 146 Group of mountain climbers on rock 147 Trees and clouds 148 Man and four women on rocks on mountain 149 Exterior of house 150 Man with gun and dog on snowy trail 151 Rocky hillside 152 Trees 153 Six young men on porch 154 Man with gun and dog on snowy trail 155 Steam shovel digging near houses 156 Men building tall wooden structure near docks 157 Building 158 Men and women around campfire (at Mount Pilchuck?) 159 Five people standing on log over water 160 Everett High School baseball team 161 Mrs. Joseph Swartz seated at fountain at Swartz house 162 Mrs. Swartz and four girls in front yard 163 Three women with hats 164 Mrs. Swartz and four girls in front yard 165 Three women in front yard with tennis rackets 166 Life boats on ship City of Puebla 167 Girl on horse with Mrs. J Swartz 168 Woman in woods 169 Man ice skating on log pond in front of Swartz mill 170 Icicles 171 View of house, probably the Swartz home 172 Girl on horse with Mrs. J. Swartz 173 Man working on car stopped on road 174 Car and dog outside Swartz home in snow 175 Girl in woods 176 Girl spading in garden at Swartz house 177 Two men in front of Swartz shingle mill 178 Two men eating at campsite 179 Man ice skating on pond 180 Three men on log near two horses

"Shingle bolt team drawing log-Al Hamley, F. Chambers, Ted Keeler"

 181 Joseph Swartz 182 Everett High School 183 Lily Irving with guitar 184 Family group 185 Mrs. Joseph Swartz 186 Five people standing on log over water 187 Building dome lit at night 188 Everett High School trophy cup 189 Family group 190 Men with debris from boiler explosion at lumber camp 191 Man on fence in front of lake 192 Man with gun and dog in woods 193 Six young men on porch 194 Men and women in launch 195 Reservoir of the Everett Water Company 196 Group on porch of house 197 Reservoir of the Everett Water Company 198 Railroad tunnel, possibly the Monte Cristo Railroad 199 Men on railroad tracks near tunnel entrance, probably the Monte Cristo 200 Three sailing vessels near dock 201 Boats at wharf loading lumber 202 Railroad tunnel, possibly the Monte Cristo Railroad 203 Wooden pioneer house 204 Group standing on porch 205 Man near abandoned wood building 206 Railroad track along river 207 Swartz mill 208 Three men near skid road 209 Four men with guns in woods 210 Girl with camera on tripod 211-212 Corbett Students from the Sunny Slope School on steps on building 213 Men and rail cars on train tracks 214 Man driving horse drawn cart loaded with bundles of shingles

"Hauling shingles to railroad-Swartz Mill, Wlm. Earl, driver"

 215 Florence Swartz and Myrtle Crouse in armchair 216 Actors in costume on proscenium stage for play "The Rivals" at Everett High School 1908 217 Ship at Oriental dock 218 Actors in costume for play "The Rivals" at Everett High School 1908 April 29 219 Florence Swartz and Myrtle Crouse in armchair 220 Men and boys sitting at top of Mount Pilchuk 1908 August 18 221 Family outside house in Granite Falls 222 Albert Hamley driving horse drawn cart loaded with shingle bolts.

"Shingle bolt teams"

 223 Boats near American Tug Boat Co. building at city dock, Everett 224 City dock in Everett 225 Everett High School track team 1908 April 29 226 Man and three women with Studebaker on road 227 A. Swartz (Joseph's son?) with two dogs on road 228 Steamship Salatie 229 Men loading shingle bolts near horse team 230 Three women in horse drawn buggy 231 Albert Swartz Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Swartz in horse drawn buggy 232 House 1907 September 22

"Old Swartz homestead"

 233 Everett High School 1906 September 8 234 Horse teams pulling shingle bolts on skid road 235 Woman and two men in EMF 30 automobile on road