Kevin Castle was born in 1952 in Coos Bay, Oregon. Her family had moved there during the McCarthy Era "red scare" when progressive trade union organizers and a members of the Communist Party like here father, Del Castle, were being targeted by the US government for special scrutiny and persecution. Labor organizations and their leaders alike were systematically harassed and surveilled by the FBI. Due to this political context, Kevin's family was living under an assumed name in Coos Bay. When it was safer, the family emerged from hiding and moved to Seattle. Kevin attended some of the few integrated schools in the city, graduating from Garfield High School in 1970. She became involved in anti-Vietnam War activities, and took a year off from school to travel throughout South America before attending the University of Washington. During her time at the UW, Kevin continued her anti-war activism and co-founded the Seattle Tenant Union before graduating in 1979 with a BA in history.
During summers in college, Kevin had begun working as a casual waterfront worker. In 1980, she was hired along with a group of twelve other women who were the first to work in the Port of Seattle. After gaining enough seniority to train, she became the first woman cargo crane operator in Seattle, and worked as a crane operator until her retirement in 2005. Kevin worked on many of these stories and poems after her retirement.
This collection includes writings by Kevin Castle about her role as a pioneering woman in the longshore industry. The writings include print copies of several vignettes: The collection contains a long-form personal memoir account, "The Longshoreman's Daughter." Castle's poems include: "Rare", "Breaking out Containers in the Port of Seattle", "Crane Operator 1: The Climb", and "Crane Operator 2: The Drive". Her historical fiction includes: "The Shape Up", 1983; "Strike Headquarters", 1983; and "Smith Cove", 1983. All of these stories were written in 1983 based on contemporary newspaper accounts of the 1934 Pacific Coast Maritime Strike.
Collection includes a digital file, which has been printed out and included in the print files.
No restrictions on access for paper-based materials. One electronic file is available for previewing onsite in the Special Collections Reading Room. Additionally, users may obtain a reproduction of the media for a fee by contacting Special Collections. This file has been printed and a hard copy is part of the physical collection.
Collection includes a digital file, which has been printed out and included in the print files.
Creator's copyrights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections except for the short story "The Longshoreman's Daughter" copyright for that story is retained by creator. Restrictions may exist on copying, photographing. Restrictions existing on quotation or publication of "The Longshoremen's Daughter". Contact University of Washington Libraries Special Collections for details.
Forms part of the Labor Archives of Washington.
Donated by Kevin Castle