University of Washington Libraries, Special CollectionsPH0332Davidson, Issac GrundyIssac G. Davidson
photographsapproximately 1880-188883 photographic prints (2 boxes) ; various sizesCollection materials are in
English.Photographs of
Tacoma, views along the Columbia River, and views along the route of the
Northern Pacific Railway over Stampede Pass between Pasco and Tacoma, circa
1880-1888.Issac Grundy Davidson was born in Warren County, Illinois, in 1845.
His family moved to Oregon in 1850 and soon he was trained in farming and
bookkeeping for a printing business. Soon after in 1869, Davidson married into
the pioneering family of D.L. Riggs from Salem, Oregon by marrying his
daughter, Sarah O. Riggs. The Riggs family traveled to Oregon in 1853 and were
well known blacksmiths and machine workers. Davidson began taking photographs
around 1880. He had a studio in Portland, Oregon as early as 1883. In 1885,
Davidson moved to Tacoma, Washington, where he established a photography
business.
The collection contains photographs taken along the route of the
Northern Pacific Railway over Stampede Pass between Pasco and Tacoma; Scenes in
Oregon and Washington along the Columbia River and views in Tacoma.
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Three photographs Micahel Maslan 1993; two photographs Michael
Fairley; one photograph C.D. Raymond May 21, 1957
Processed by Karma Deki Tshering, 2010; Erin Mettling, 2012; revised
by Stefanie Terasaki, 2013.
Item 61a transferred from the Northern Pacific Railroad Collection
PHColl 357.
Photographic printsVisual Materials Collections (University of Washington)PhotographsRailroadsWashington (State)Tacoma
Oregon and the Columbia River1/11Rooster Rock, Columbia
River1882 Copy of photo from the book Oregon Railway and Navigation Co.
Summer Saunterings, 1882.
1/12Cape Horn, Columbia River, view of
several pinnacles and waterfalls1882 Original photo used in book from Oregon Railway and Navigation
Co.Summer Saunterings, 1882.
1/13Multnomah Falls, Oregon1882 Copy of photo from the book from Oregon Railway and Navigation
Co.Summer Saunterings, 1882.
Multnomah Falls is the tallest waterfall in Oregon.
1/14Castle Rock, Columbia River1882 Copy of photo from the book Oregon Railway and Navigation Co.
Summer Saunterings, 1882.
1/15Passage of the Dalles, Columbia
River1882 Copy of photo from the book Oregon Railway and Navigation Co.
Summer Saunterings, 1882.
1/16View from Upper Cascades, Columbia
River1882 Copy of photo from the book Oregon Railway and Navigation Co.
Summer Saunterings, 1882.
1/17Davidson's Advertisement for Oregon and
Washington landscape view photographycirca 1800s Copy of advertisement from the book Oregon Railway and
Navigation Co.Summer Saunterings, 1882.
1/18Oregon Railway train between The
Needles rock formation1882 Photograph is similar to ones used inSummer Saunterings.
1/19Officer's quarters, Fort Stevens,
Oregonundated Northern Pacific Railway, Washington, wintercirca 1887The Northern Pacific Railway was a transcontinental railroad that
was operational from the Pacific Coast to Minnesota. Construction on the
railroad started in 1870 and Commencement Bay in Tacoma, Washington was
selected as the western terminus on July 14, 1873. By 1883 the main rail line
connecting Minnesota and Portland, Oregon was completed with further planned
connections underway. In 1884 after much financial struggle including the
bankruptcy of the Railway's then president, Henry Villard, a connection was
built between Tacoma and Seattle. The new line was poorly built and did not
provide adequate service and by 1887 Seattle was determined as the new terminus
for the Railway.
1/210Tracks and entrance to Stampede Pass
tunnelcirca 1887 1/211Railway trestlecirca 1887 1/212Two men on railway trestlecirca 1887 1/213Group of nine men on railway
trestlecirca 1887 1/214Men standing on large railway
trestlecirca 1887 1/215Mostly finished railway
trestlecirca 1887 1/216Train cars on snow covered
trackscirca 1887 1/217Railway trestle on hillsidecirca 1887 1/218-19Railway trestle in wintercirca 1887 1/320Man sitting on railway
trestlecirca 1887 1/321-22Railway trestle in the snowcirca 1887 1/323Man sitting on trackscirca 1887 1/324Train on trestlecirca 1887 1/325Two men standing on very large railway
trestlecirca 1887 1/326Switchback tracks on
hillsidecirca 1887 Northern Pacific Railway, Washington, summercirca 18871/427Trestle over Green River
Gorgecirca 1887 1/428Six men on railroad bridgecirca 1887 1/429Railroad bridge over rivercirca 1887 1/430Train on bridges above a
campcirca 1887 1/431Men with handcar on railroad trestle
along hillsidecirca 1887 1/432Railroad trestle and cars of the
Northern Pacific Railwaycirca 1887 1/433Railway trestle along
hillsidecirca 1887 1/434Two men standing on handcar on railroad
trestlecirca 1887 1/435Railway trestle along
hillsidecirca 1887 1/536Five men around a handcar on a railway
trestle near bridgecirca 1887 1/537-42Railway trestlecirca 1887 1/643Five men on railway trestlecirca 1887 1/644Railway trestlecirca 1887 1/645Five men standing on railway
trestlecirca 1887 1/646-47Railway trestlecirca 1887 1/648Railway trestle over rivercirca 1887 1/649Bridge in Yakima Countycirca 1887 Caption on photo: 5" Xing [crossing] Yakima.
2/150-51Railway trestlecirca 1887 2/152Railway trestle over rivercirca 1887 2/153-55Railway trestlecirca 1887 2/156Railway trestle over rivercirca 1887 2/157Railway trestle on hillsidecirca 1887 2/258Railroad flatcars carrying ore on
trestlecirca 1887 2/259Trestle over gulley in cleared
forestcirca 1887 2/260Short trestle in cleared
forestcirca 1887 2/261Man on a rail bike on a trestle, route
of the Northern Pacific Railwaycirca 1887 2/261aGroup of men standing on trestle,
Cascade Division1886Written on front: Last Spike. Edgar Wickersham, water man.
Railroad Campcirca 18872/362Building near Stampede Pass
Tunnelcirca 1887 Stampede Pass is in the Cascade Range and was discovered in 1881
by Virgil Bogue. The Northern Pacific Railroad created the Northern Pacific
Cascade Division and handled the Stampede Pass Tunnel that was completed in
1888 and was 1.86 miles long. The completion of the tunnel allowed for a
connection through the Cascades from Yakima to Tacoma.
2/363Waterfall at Stampede Pass, east end
tunnelcirca 1887 2/364Men on railroad, Stampede
Passcirca 1887 Written on verso: "Last spike"
2/365Men standing on porch of
buildingJanuary 1, 1887 Written on photo: Headquarters, Eagle Gorge
Eagle Gorge in the Cascades was discovered and named during the
explorations of Green River and Stampede Pass by the Northern Pacific Railway
Company.
2/366Materials yard, Eagle GorgeJanuary 1, 1887 2/367Men and women outside a log
buildingcirca 1887 2/368Man next to ore cart on
trackscirca 1889-1890 Written on verso: Unidentified metals mine, probably eastern
Washington
2/369Men, women, and horses around a
building minecirca 1889-1890 Written on verso: Unidentified metals mine, probably eastern
Washington
2/370Men and children posed in front of
buildingcirca 1889-1890 Written on verso: Unidentified metals mine, probably eastern
Washington
Washington1/771Photograph of a drawing of front and
side of the Tacoma Hotel, Tacoma, Washingtoncirca 1888 The Tacoma Hotel was designed by Stanford White, an architect
from New York and built in 1884. It was positioned over Commencement Bay and
had views of Mount Rainier. In 1935 the Hotel was burned down by a fire.
1/772Photograph of a drawing of rear view of
Tacoma Hotel with boats and dock, Tacoma, Washingtoncirca 1888 1/773Panorama of Tacoma,
Washingtoncirca 1800s 1/774-75Mount Rainier from Tacoma,
Washingtoncirca 1800s 1/776Lumber yard at the Utsalady
MillAugust 9-13, 1883 Written on photo: P.M. Co. Utsalady Mills Puget Sound Aug 9-13th
1883
1/777Men and a woman outside a log cabin,
N.B, Turner's homecirca 1880s Written on verso: Cascade Tunnel, Washington Territory, N.B.
Turner's Residence
1/778Interior of bankcirca 1880s People1/879Sports teamcirca 1880s 1/880Reverend Myron Eelscirca 1880s Myron Eels was born to pioneer missionaries Cushing and Myra
Eels in 1843 in Spokane, Washington. Myron Eels father, Cushing Eels worked to
create Whitman College in 1859. In 1871 Myron attended Hartford Theological
Seminary in Connecticut and by 1874 he was working as a missionary on the
Skokomish Reservation. He is known for his extensive research into the
histories of the Pacific Northwest and its peoples.
1/881Portrait of a mancirca 1880s 1/882Portrait of a manbetween 1883 and 1885