John E. Ballaine photograph collection, 1898-1934
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Collector
- Ballaine, John E., 1868-1941
- Title
- John E. Ballaine photograph collection
- Dates
- 1898-1934 (inclusive)18981934
- Quantity
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48 photographic prints and 18
printed scans (1 box) ; various sizes
18 nitrate negatives ; 4 x 5 in. - Collection Number
- PH1185
- Summary
- Photographs of John E. Ballaine, his family, Seward, Alaska and Alaskan railroads
- Repository
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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
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The collection is open to the public.
- Additional Reference Guides
- Languages
- English
Biographical Note
John E. Ballaine (1868-1941), founder of the town of Seward, Alaska, and Alaska Central Railroad Company, was a journalist, businessman, army officer, civic leader, and private secretary to John R. Rogers, Governor of Washington. He was also associated with the Alaska Pulp, Paper, and Hardwood Company, Alaska Smelting and Development Company, and the Washington National Guard.
Ballaine came to Washington from Iowa with his parents. He attended Whitman College in Walla Walla, but did not graduate. He taught school, became a newspaper writer, and then worked as secretary to Governor Rogers and the Adjutant General of the Washington National Guard, 1897-1898. Ballaine served in the First Washington Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. In 1902, Ballaine founded the Alaska Central Railway Company and its construction branch, the Tanana Construction Company. In 1903, he officially founded Seward, Alaska. John Ballaine and his brother Frank operated the Ballaine Brothers Company, and Frank Ballaine took care of real estate transactions in Seward. Ballaine sold his controlling interest in the Alaska Central Railroad Company in 1905, and conflict in the Company resulted in Ballaine's leaving the company completely a few years later. Although his ownership of the Alaska Central Railroad Company had ceased, Ballaine remained fervently interested in Alaska and its development in subsequent years. Ballaine died in Seattle in 1941.
Content Description
Photographs of the Ballaine family, Seward and other parts of Alaska, the Alaska Central Railway and Alaska Railroad.
Use of the Collection
Alternative Forms Available
View selections from the collection in digital format
Printed copies of scanned negatives are included with collection.
Restrictions on Use
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Gift of Jerrold F. Ballaine and Sophronia B. Kalin, October 20, 1965.
Processing Note
Processed by Elizabeth Russell. Processing completed in 2013.
Photographs were relocated from the John E. Ballaine Papers, Mss Collection No. 0498 , in the repository in 1979.
Related Materials
Other photographs donated by Ballaine are Evans 1 and Evans & Anderson 1-4 in the Early Photographers Collection (PH Coll 334) and a panorama in the Panorama Photographs Collection (PH Coll 900).
Detailed Description of the Collection
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John E. Ballaine
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Description: John Ballaine in army uniformBushnell, San Francisco and Oakland (photographer)
Written on verso: First Lieut. John E. Ballaine, 1st Washington Regiment in Spanish American War. Taken at San Francisco, July 1898.
Dates: 1898Container: Box/Folder 1/1, Item 1a -
Description: John Ballaine and fellow officers of 2nd Battalion, 1st Washington Regiment
Written on verso: Officers of Second Battalion, First Washington Regiment, in Spanish American War. This taken at Fontana barracks near Presidio, San Francisco, June 1898.
Dates: June 1898Container: Box/Folder 1/1, Item 1b -
Description: John BallaineDates: 1909Container: Box/Folder 1/1, Item 2
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Description: John Ballaine
Written on verso: John E. Ballaine in 1913. When in contest with Morgan Guggenheim lobby in hearings before Senate and House Committees of Congress at Washington over Alaska Railroad bill.
Dates: 1913Container: Box/Folder 1/1, Item 3 -
Dates: June 26, 1924Container: Box/Folder 1/1, Item 4
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Dates: April 1929Container: Box/Folder 1/1, Item 5
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Dates: June 13, 1934Container: Box/Folder 1/1, Item 6
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Dates: June 14, 1934Container: Box/Folder 1/1, Item 7
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Ballaine Family
John E. Ballaine and his wife Anna Felcher Ballaine had two daughters, Sophronia and Florence, and a son, Jerrold. John Ballaine's brother and business partner, Frank, was responsible for much of the development of the city of Seward. Frank and his wife Genevieve had one son, Francis.
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Dates: July 15, 1915Container: Box/Folder 1/2, Item 8
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Description: Woman bathing infant with mountains visible through window in background, probably in Seward, Alaska
Probably Genevieve Ballaine and her son Francis Ballaine.
Dates: circa 1907-1909Container: Box/Folder 1/2, Item 9 -
Dates: circa 1907-1909Container: Box/Folder 1/2, Item 10-18
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Description: Family group, probably Frank, Genevieve and Francis Ballaine, in front of house in Seward, Alaska
Frank Ballaine's house in Seward still stands and is known as the Ballaine House.
Dates: circa 1908-1910Container: Box/Folder 1/3, Item 19 -
Description: John Ballaine house at 4703 15th Ave. N.E., Seattle
Written on verso: John E. Ballaine home in Seattle from March 1900 to January 1923.
Dates: circa 1907-1923Container: Box/Folder 1/3, Item 20 -
Dates: circa 1910-1923Container: Box/Folder 1/3, Item 21
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Description: Woman, possibly John Ballaine's daughter Florence, pushing boy in wheelbarrow
Written on verso: Aug. 2. Would you recognize your own youngest daughter here wheeling Mr. Mercer in an old rusty wheel barrow?
Dates: circa 1915-1920Container: Box/Folder 1/3, Item 22 -
Dates: circa 1930sContainer: Box/Folder 1/3, Item 23
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Description: Room decorated with flowers and greeneryDates: undatedContainer: Box/Folder 1/3, Item 24
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Description: Portrait of manC. J. Alexander, Seward, Alaska (photographer)Dates: undatedContainer: Box/Folder 1/3, Item 25
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Seward, Alaska
According to his own account printed in the Seward Daily Gatewayon January 1, 1906, Ballaine decided to situate the terminus of the Alaska Central Railway in 1901, at the present site of Seward on Resurrection Bay, after determining that the Bay had the best harbor and geographic location for a terminus. After homesteading at the site, in 1903, he decided to name the new town after former Secretary of State William H. Seward. After a formal protest by the postal inspector for the territory of Alaska, Ballaine took his case all the way to President Theodore Roosevelt, who endorsed the name choice and instructed the Postal Service accordingly.
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Dates: circa 1900-1910Container: Box/Folder 1/4, Item 26
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Description: Seward street
Written on verso: 4th Street. 3/28/04. This was taken the afternoon of the day we landed but does not do justice to the place. Fifth Ave. is almost as well built up as 4th. There are about 60 buildings now completed.
Businesses and buildings identified on image (L to R): Com Berrick Dining House; Com Saloon now [illeg.] built; Bells Cigar Store; Brown & Hawkins; Dr. Burr hospital under construction; Brown & Hawkins new 2 story frame bldg. 30x60; restaurant; saloon; p. office; McNeely Hotel, 3 stories; barber shop; saloon; dentists; Hildreth Clo. Store; Com Store.
Dates: 1904Container: Box/Folder 1/4, Item 27 -
Dates: circa 1904-1909Container: Box/Folder 1/4, Item 28
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Description: Looking across town of Seward, showing Alaska Central Railway and port
Written on verso: Seward, Alaska. The Pacific terminus of the Alaska Central Railway, now under construction for 450 miles to the interior of Alaska. Seward is one year old, has 1,000 population, electric light plant, telephone exchange, public school, daily newspaper, fine churches, thirty-eight general stores, fifteen saloons, and is growing rapidly. It is now the terminus of the government cable extending from Seattle to Alaska.
Dates: circa 1906Container: Box/Folder 1/4, Item 29 -
Dates: circa 1906-1907Container: Box/Folder 1/4, Item 30-32
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Dates: circa 1907-1914Container: Box/Folder 1/4, Item 33
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Description: Two bear cubs in Seward
Postcard addressed to Master John F. Ballaine, 4703 15th Ave. N.E., Seattle, Wash. Message reads: Seward, July 29, '10. This is the picture of two little bears here in town. I have seen them many times. Don't you think they are cute! I go to kindergarten every afternoon. I am a big boy now, are you? Aff. Francis.
Francis K. Ballaine, born 1906 in Alaska, was the son of John Ballaine's brother Frank and Frank's wife Genevieve. The recipient lived at John Ballaine's house in Seattle, although it is unclear who John F. Ballaine was since John Ballaine's son, also born in 1906, was named Jerrold Ballaine.
Dates: 1910Container: Box/Folder 1/4, Item 34 -
Description: Landscape near Seward
Written on notes found with photographs: Taken around Mile 37 - the white flowers are call [sic] wild parsnips. On Road from Seward to old Radio Station Head of Bay.
The U.S. Government built the radio station at the head of Resurrection Bay in Seward in 1917. By 1931, the Government had left the radio station vacant; the City of Seward purchased the station in 1931, but a 1934 fire destroyed most of the building.
Dates: circa 1925-1934Container: Box/Folder 1/4, Item 35 to 43a -
Description: North fork of Snow River
Written on verso: River canyon, below falls 14 miles by road plus f[ill.] by trail from Seward.
Dates: circa 1910Container: Box/Folder 1/4, Item 43b -
Dates: 1903Container: Box/Folder 1/4, Item 43c
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Alaska Central Railway
Construction of the Railway began in April 1904. The Railway included an engineering marvel, a circular trestle known as the "Loop." Only approximately 54 miles of track were completed before the Alaska Central Railroad Company went bankrupt in 1908. In 1910, new ownership began operations as the Alaska Northern Railway Company, which continued until the Railway was bought by the U.S. Government and integrated into the Alaska Railroad, which eventually ran track from Seward to Fairbanks.
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Dates: June 1904Container: Box/Folder 1/5, Item 44
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Description: Alaska Central Railway headquarters building
Later occupied by Alaska Northern Railway management and Alaska Engineering Commission. Demolished 1964.
Dates: circa 1905Container: Box/Folder 1/5, Item 45 -
Description: Mile 22 of Alaska Central Railway along Lake KenaiDates: July 1906Container: Box/Folder 1/5, Item 46
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Dates: circa 1906-1907Container: Box/Folder 1/5, Item 47-50
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Dates: circa 1906-1907Container: Box/Folder 1/5, Item 51
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Dates: circa 1904-1909Container: Box/Folder 1/5, Item 52
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Alaska Railroad
The Alaska Railroad, constructed between 1915 and 1923, was also called the "Government Railroad," because of its construction and operation by the United States government.
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Dates: October 11, 1918Container: Box/Folder 1/6, Item 53
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Description: Three men at Alaska Engineering Commission coal mines at Chickaloon, Alaska (G1031)H. G. Kaiser (photographer)Dates: October 11, 1918Container: Box folder:oversize OS6, Item 54
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Description: Construction of new railroad track for Alaska Railroad next to old Alaska Northern Railway track (G1109)H. G. Kaiser (photographer)Dates: October 22, 1918Container: Box/Folder 1/6, Item 55
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Description: Docks in north Nenana (T3)Dates: July 8, 1919Container: Box/Folder 1/6, Item 56
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Description: Nenana dock damaged by spring ice break-upDates: May 11, 1921Container: Box/Folder 1/6, Item 57
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Description: Gasoline-electric railroad car on Alaska Northern Railway
Written on verso: The gasoline-electric car on the Alaska Northern Railway in 1909, along Turnagain Arm near mile 70.
Dates: 1909Container: Box/Folder 1/6, Item 58 -
Dates: circa 1900sContainer: Box/Folder 1/6, Item 59
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Alaska Locations and ships
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Dates: circa 1909Container: Box/Folder 1/7, Item 60
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Dates: May 11, 1921Container: Box/Folder 1/7, Item 61
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Dates: 1904Container: Box/Folder 1/7, Item 62-63
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Description: ShipMariposawrecked on rock ledgeDates: December 20, 1905Container: Box/Folder 1/7, Item 64
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Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Spanish-American War, 1898--Officers--Photographs
- Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)
Personal Names
- Ballaine, John E., 1868-1941--Homes and haunts
- Ballaine, John E., 1868-1941--Photographs
Corporate Names
- Alaska Central Railroad--Photographs
- Alaska Northern Railroad--Photographs
- Alaska Railroad--Photographs
Geographical Names
- Seward (Alaska)--Photographs
