September 20, 1951 a forest fire was reported in Whatcom County near Deming, WA. The fire flared and grew due to large gusts of eastern wind and by the following morning it had covered 3,000 acres south of Canyon Creek. All logging operations in Western Washington were halted as 400 firefighters and relief workers including the Salvation Army and Western Washington College of Education students were sent to the area.
Jack Carver was the Bellingham Herald photographer from October 1945 until his retirement in August 1981. His father William Coston Carver was an editor for the Bellingham Herald for many years. Jack Carver began taking photographs during World War II while stationed in England with the Army Air Corps. He would go on to capture photographs of community events in Whatcom County and became the only full-time photographer at the Herald for some time. After his retirement Jack would continue contributing to the Bellingham Herald through writing and editing pieces for the senior activities section. He died July 13, 2013 leaving photographs preserving community activities, families and life.
Photographs stamped with Herald Staff Photo and changeable date stamp known to have been used by Jack Carver depicting forest fires, men fighting forest fires, and their equipment in the vicinity of Bellingham, WA. Many are inscribed with "W.W.C.E.", standing for Western Washington College of Education, now Western Washington University, in Bellingham. Several photos depict young men, who may have been W.W.C.E. students assisting with the fire relief.
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Source: Fairlook Antiques, January 2, 2007
Processed by Meghan Churchwell, 2009; Odile Dumbleton, 2010. Revised by Stefanie Terasaki, 2013.
Accessioned as PH2008-014.
Jack Carver went on an overnight assignment to the Winchester fire lookout. The lookout was built in 1935 near Mount Baker and was restored in 1982.
From Bellingham Herald article: Mrs. Henry Gullickson gives a sandwhich to Dave Olson, a volunteer fire fighter from Bellingham.
From Bellingham Herald article: There was plenty of activity along the Potter creek area of Whatcom County during Thursday's big forest fire. Men of a stand-by crew watch flames across crekk on hillside to north.
From Bellingham Herald article: To the southeast men of Lloyd Barter logging company haul their "yarder" down from the mountainside to safer territory.
Written on verso: W.W.C.E.
Written on verso: W.W.C.E.
Written on verso: W.W.C.E.
From Bellingham Herald article: Residents of the hillside southeast of Welcome were apprehensive Thursday as Whatcom county's big forest fire spread, Friday, however the blaze was continuing but no one was apparently worried about the fire dropping down to Mosquito lake road level, which runs along the base of the hill. Most of the major part of the fire was on the other side of the hill.
Written on verso: W.W.C.E.