The Peter Buschmann family immigrated to Washington state in 1891 from Aure, Norway to seek fishing and salmon packing industry opportunities in southeast Alaska. The Buschmann family initially lived in Tacoma, Port Townsend, Fairhaven, and later Seattle, while spending the fishing seasons in Alaska. Peter Buschmann is noted as founding Petersburg, “Little Norway,” Alaska by settling 40 acres of land where he built a sawmill and cannery. By 1902, Peter Buschmann owned and operated several cannery operations under the corporate names: the Quadra Packing Company, Icy Straits Packing Company, Petersburg Packing Company, and Chatham Straits Packing Company. After ten years of financial success, Peter sold his Alaska interests to the Pacific Packing and Navigation Co.. He was paid in common stock and bonds that became worthless just a year later when Pacific Packing and Navigation Co. went bankrupt. Peter Buschmann, overwhelmed with profit loss and responsibility for encouraging others to invest in his venture, took his own life in 1903, leaving his wife Petra and children Christian, Erik, Elisabeth, Sophie, Solveig, Eigil, Trygve, Ruth and Leif.
Peter's son Eigil Buschmann became the general manager of the Northwestern Fisheries Company, who purchased the bankrupt Pacific Packing and Navigation Co.. In 1922, Eigil and his partner Haakon Friele started the Nakat Packing Corporation, a subsidiary of the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. To begin operations, Eigil sold his personally owned cannery site at Hidden Inlet to the Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co.. Eigil installed a row of generators to provide power to the cannery, secondary to his dream of hydro-generation from a large nearby stream. In 1924, Eigil built the cannery at Waterfall on Meares Passage, on the west coast of Prince of Wales Island and it became the largest cannery in the world of its time. In 1941, 256,000 cases of salmon were processed at the Waterfall cannery alone. Eigil Buschmann's and Haakon Friele's Nakat Packing Corporation owned and operated six canneries in southeast Alaska with 800 employees, producing on average 250,000-300,000 cases of salmon annually, and 650,000 cases on peak years. Cans were largely distributed to the A & P (Atlantic & Pacific) national grocery store chain. Eigil Buschmann continued as Nakat Packing Corporation's general superintendent for the remainder of his career until retiring in 1954, at age 68.
Eigil Buschmann married Nora (Tilda E. N.) Trogstad of Tacoma, Washington in 1912. Together they raised 5 children, Robert Eigil, b. 1913, Ruth Dorothy, b. 1914, Frederick Peter, b. 1916, Richard Christie, b. 1919, and Norman Edward, b. 1924. Eigil’s family spent canning seasons at Waterfall, Alaska in the general superintendant's home. His sons learned to run seine boats and trap tenders for the cannery. Frederick Buschmann was in a boating accident in August of 1938 and lost at sea at age 22. The family residence, a palatial home, farm, and stables in Zenith, Washington, faced the western sky above Puget Sound near Des Moines. Daughter Ruth Buschmann attended St. Nicholas on Capitol Hill, an all girl high school in Seattle.
Eigil Buschmann's daughter Ruth married Robert McKee and raised their children in Vancouver, B.C.. At the time of Eigil's passing on August 4, 1963, he was survived by his wife Nora, sons Robert E. and Richard C. of Seattle, daughter Ruth McKee of Vancouver, B.C., brothers August and Dr. T. W. Buschmann, and sisters Sophie Kielland and Ruth Buschmann, and 11 grandchildren. Eigil Buschmann was a member of the Immanuel Lutheran Church, Elks Club, Nile Temple of the Mason, Seattle Historical Society, Norwegian Commercial Club and the Alaska-Yukon Pioneers.
Eigil Buschmann's son Robert Eigil Buschmann attended Highline High School and settled in the Capitol Hill neighborhood at Interlaken in Seattle after graduating from the Hill Military Academy and the University of Washington. At age 17, Robert became one of the youngest pilots to fly solo at Boeing Field. He married Helen Hewitt, also a graduate from the University of Washington in 1938. In 1940, Robert was an assistant bookkeeper in the fishing industry. Later, he was a partner in the West Coast Salmon Co. of Seattle and Alaska. Robert had daughters Christie Helen Hammond and Mary Lee Dennison with wife Helen Agnes Hewitt, and daughters Karen Udlock and Catherine Hartwell with his second wife Louise Helen Edmunds. He was an expert skier and mountaineer. Robert passed on April 18, 2013.
Home movies made by Eigil and Robert Buschmann in southeast Alaska documention business, vacation, and at home. The Alaska Fishing Seasons film reels depict commercial salmon fishing and cannery operations, voyages to and from Alaska via Puget Sound, fish weir construction, landscapes, glaciers, waterfalls, wildlife, totems, and aerial views of seaplane travel enroute to various cannery locations. The Eigil Buschmann Master Reels 19 and 20 are film clips from reels 1-18. The Family Vacations and Home reels depict sightseeing locations in Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Arizona and Alaska and family events at home in Zenith, Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia. The Alaska Fishing Seasons and Family Vacations and Home film reels dated 1927-1941 were created by Eigil Buschmann (1886-1963) and Family Vacations and Home film reels dated 1947-1954 were created by Eigil's son Robert E. Buschmann (1913-2013). The donor provided two videocassettes in addition to 47 film reels. The VHS tape titled "Buschmann Family History," contains clips copied from the film reels and the VHS tape titled "Saga of Canned Salmon," depicts the construction of a fish trap.
The films and videocassettes are arranged in chronological order within three series: Alaska Fishing Seasons, Eigil Buschmann Master Reels, and Family Vacations and Home.
The original films are not accessible due to preservation concerns. Viewing copies are available and arrangements can be made to view the film by contacting the Visual Materials Curator. Please contact Special Collections for more information.
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact the Special Collections division of the University of Washington Libraries for details.
The Buschmann home movies were loaned to the Clausen Museum in Petersburg, Alaska, prior to the University of Wahsington Special Collection's acquisition of the collection. The film leader notes, "John Sabella & Assoc. Alaska Vintage Film" and the film tail notes, "Clausen Museum," were found on several Alaska Fishing Seasons reels. A DVD documentary on the history of Petersburg titled "The Town that Fish Built" in the Special Collection's library contains clips from the Buschmann home movies. It is unknown whether or not the original home movies have been duplicated and inventoried for the Clausen Museum.
Donor: Christie Hammond, granddaughter of Eigil Buschmann, November 13, 2002
Processing by Ryan McKenna, 2006; completed by Karen O'Brien, 2013
The Buschmann home movies contain extensive original notation and intertitles documenting locations, activities, and individuals. These original intertitles and content notes are italicized in the scope and content section of each reel. Film titles were created by the processor based on this information.
The 16mm films were assessed, viewed, inventoried, cleaned, compiled onto new cores and stored in vented archival containers. Two 16mm reels and one VHS tape have been transferred to DVD and can be found on viewing copies VC28, VC71, and VC72.
Scene of snow capped mountains and men walking along wooded
trail and across footbridge. Tenders in Hood Bay at fish trap and view of
waterfront town. Man walks along yacht wreck. View from boat of rough seas and
break water against large rocks. Title:
View of Hydaburg from boat. Commissioner's Motorship at Klawock,
also brailing, and wooden fish trap. Fishermen transfer salmon from trap to
holding area, boat motors through inlet. Men stand over rail at Loring Bay
Cannery and watch jumping dog fish. Eigil Buschmann and men walk along wooden
pier. View of rushing rapids, fish trap and docked boat. Title:
Nora Buschmann, Eigil's wife is noted on ship.
Title:
View of seascape from boat, man hikes to top of cliff. Four young men watch baby seal swim in shallow water. Men make attempts to lasso seal. Seal swims to shore and man grabs its tail and drags seal across sand. Deer gets gutted by young man and gun is cleaned by two men. Fish trap is set at Cape Fox. Diver is lowered in water for inspection of fish trap. Men and women on salmon cannery production line. Boat pulls away from Hidden Inlet Cannery.
Note inside film cannister: "Memo: shows Bob working on Tuckahoe - cleaning deer with dad also rifles. Friele at about age 28-30, Otto close to the Tuckahoe cook. Divers inspecting Cape Fox trap, Borrow alongside trap. Al Wyberg, boiler room foreman and fish cook."
Title:
Salmon ascending the Nutkwa Falls and Ketchikan Falls. Salmon ascending Keets and Hydaburg Streams, West Coast Prince of Wales Island. Haakon Friele and Eigil Buschmann fly over Chichagof and Baranoff Islands from Port Althrop to Waterfall, Alaska. Aerial views of snowcapped mountains, and seaplane taxiing in water. Inspection of salmon swimming upstream, view of cabins along bay¸ men wash down wooden pier outside cannery. Man wearing chef hat stands on boat deck smiling.
View of snowcapped mountains, boat crossing the Zamovia Straits
to Wrangell,
Title:
Steamer
Nakat Packing Corporation, owned and operated by Eigil Buschmann.
Aerial view of mountain range and glacier from Waterfall to the
Stikine River along the coast range to Juneau, September 1933. Three men stand
next to Mendenhall Glacier. Title:
Aerial view from seaplane of wooded shoreline, inlets, and towns. Aerial view of snow covered mountains, glacier and bay. Aerial view of Cordova and Kodiak, snow covered mountains, and bay. Two men stand next to seaplane parked in shallow water. Men walk to seaplane and board plane from sandy shore; seaplane takes off. Aerial view of fjords, glacier, lake, town and cabins along shoreline. Fowl run in tall grass. Aerial view of cannery. Men stand on pier. Aerial view of brown bear herd running along grassland at Yakapaga Beach. Black bear cub plays with Robert Buschmann outside home on porch. Eigil and Robert Buschmann stand on plywood platform pulled by tractor going through large field alongside a pipeline.
1 film reel (350 feet) : silent, black and white, 16mm
View of Seymour Narrows narrows from
Aerial views of various canneries, waterfall, glacier, towns, and bay. Also, views of Craig, Klawach, Petersburg, Glacier Union Bay, reconstruction of bridge, and Hidden Inlet.
Fishing boats moored at pier, men on dock straighten fishing
net. Man inside power plant rotates machinery; view of boiler room, and
carpenter shop. Title:
Title:
Aerial view of red cannery buildings and shoreline. View of
large totem. Inscription on totem base:
1 film reel (275 feet) : silent, color, 16mm
Aerial trip to Nakeen Cannery, view of waterfront towns
Waterfall, Juneau, and Fairbanks and view of mountain range, glacier, and
Summit emergency airstrip on a clear sunny day. View of docked trollers. Sign:
Step by step construction of a fishtrap. Workmen build a wood fish trap frame. Wire fish nets rolled and stored on trap. Simulation of fish being trapped in frame. Men attach netting to fish trap.
1 videocassette (10 minutes) : silent, black and white : VHS
It is unclear whether Eigil Buschmann created this tape.
Views of Seattle, Washington, Seymour Narrows, Alert Bay,
Butedale, Ketchikan, Waterfall and Alaska Fishing Operations. Title:
Master Reel 19 contains a collection of clips taken from Alaska Fishing Seasons reels spliced and created by Eigil Buschmann.
View of Puget Sound, Seymour Narrows, Ketchikan, loaded boats,
scows, Waterfall and Cape Edward, Alaska, unloading fish, and Cannery
Operations. Ship leaves Seattle's waterfront, views of downtown Seattle, and
Queen Anne, Magnolia, and Alki neighborhoods. Men stand in front of large
preserver ring on deck of
Master Reel 20 contains a collection of clips taken from Alaska Fishing Seasons reels spliced and created by Eigil Buschmann.
Selections copied from the Eigil and Robert Buschmann home movies of trips to southeast Alaska, vacations in Oregon and California, and at home.
1 Video Cassette (1 hour, 27 minutes) : silent, black and white, color, VHS
Family takes ride on dog sleds at Mt. Rainier. Eigil Buschmann's children play in snow and have a snowball fight at home. Buschmann young adults ride horseback and children feed chicks. View of the barn, a cow, children holding a pig, snow on the farm, children sledding and playing with the family dog in snow.
Title:
View of crew race, goose walking in grass, children petting a deer, Auburn Game Farm, plane flying over Zenith, people in yard, and a man swimming in Puget Sound. Visit to Snoqualmie Falls and Boy Scouts camp at Camp Parsons, Washington. Ruth Buschmann's high school graduation from St. Nicholas School, Seattle, 1933. Girls in white caps and gowns process outside of church along sidewalk.
Man on roof watching crew race and crowd watching from shoreline. Boy Scout troop at Mt. Rainier skiing and swimming at Camp Parsons, Washington. Visit to A&P Food Market, Zenith, and Oregon Coast. Boys swim in indoor Crystal Pool. Boy Scouts and troop leaders play outdoor games at Camp Parsons. Tractor ride at Zenith home.
1 film reel (450 feet) : silent, black and white, 16mm
The Boulder Dam, completed in 1935 was later named Hoover Dam in honor of President Hoover. The Boulder Dam was one of the largest public works projects funded by the federal government during the Great Depression.
Buschmann family at home: baby taking a bath, baby playing indoors, family at candle light meal, and family sitting around fireplace. Springtime, tulips in garden and aerial view of Zenith home. Volunteer rescue flight over Mt. Rainier for missing climber Delmar Fadden, January 1936.
Delmar Fadden's body was found following a nine day volunteer search and rescue party. Fadden was the first American to reach Mt. Rainier's summit in winter. He fell to his death on the descent.
View of deer crossing a road and of mountains in Yosemite. Two
people paddling a boat and crossing a foot bridge at Lake Crescent. Sign:
Views of Hill Military Academy, blazing hill fire, Oregon Coast,
Crescent City, California Coast, Golden Gate Bridge, ship on rocks, Amundsen's
boat, Fisherman's Wharf, Oakland. View of sign:
Visit to Huntington Home & Library in San Marino, view of
palatial grounds, gardens, rows of statues, observatory, towers, and mansion.
Visit to Mt. Wilson in Sierra Madre, vista along coast. Visit to Samarkand
Hotel in Santa Barbara, view of pool and grounds. Title:
Title:
View of elaborate home garden in Zenith, Washington. Group of people sit in chairs around the pond, and view of Puget Sound.
Aerial view of Ketchikan, shoreline and homes. Title:
Christie’s birthday party in backyard at Robert
Buschmann's home. Boat trip travels south from Ketchikan. Family stands on the
porch at 3820 49th NE, Seattle. Title:
Aerial views of Hidden Inlet Cannery, Carlson, and Nakat traps. View of Hydaburg Cannery, Norman helping with sift and trap. Seine boats at Waterfall Cannery. Two men in canoe near wooded shoreline and cabin. Fish trap operations. Sea lions jump off large rock into water. View of a golden sunset.
People looking at flowers at Pasadena flower show. Two women,
Nora Buschmann and Thea look over flower show program. View of labeled flowers
on display. Billboard reads:
Scene at Robert Buschmann's home in Laurelhurst. Family scene at Ruth Buschmann's home in Vancouver, B.C.; Eigil and Nora, Barbara and Karel, Christie and Mary Lee in attendance. Scenes of Ruth, Ross, Barbara and Karel, and Ross mowing the lawn. Children Barbara and Karel feed ducks at Lake Washington. Visit to Long Beach with Louise, Helen, Stan and a girl. Summer scene of sailboats in Lake Washington. Family in motor boat enjoy ride. Scene at Waterfall Cannery of Margaret feeding black bears behind China Hall. Children play in yard. Two girls play in yard. Ross mows lawn while girls play around him. Ross spins girl around in yard. Girls ride tricycles down sidewalk of home. Eigil and Nora Buschmann at Waterfall Cannery, fish weir, and men retrieve salmon from fish trap. View of glowing red sunset.
View of Hotel Del Mar swimming pool. View of Mt. Palomar and sunset. Visit to San Luis Obispo Mission with view of ruins. Visit to Borrego Springs, Eigil and Robert Buschmann walk among flower garden. View of Borrego Hotel grounds and swimming pool. Family stops at side of road to look at orange grove. View of boats in Marina, breakwater on Oregon Coast, breakwater on Monterey 17 mile drive,and boats anchored at Monterey Bay. View of Bullocks, large department store in Pasadena.
View of Waterfall Cannery including homes on bluff, and flowers
in garden. Title:
View of Waterfall Cannery and home on bluff with elaborate
flower garden in Alaska. Scene of woman feeding and playing with black bear
behind China House at Waterfall Cannery. View of fish escapement (section of
trap allowing fish to escape) at Klawock, fishmen brail, (a small net for
drawing fish from trap), and view of Sawyer fish trap. View of fishermen on
board
Men stand aboard a boat as it sails to Hood Canal via the Hiram Chittenden Ballard locks. View of wooded shoreline along various locations en route to Hood Canal. Group gathers at waterfront home, man walks down boat launch and swims, women and children gather around. Family visits Ventura friend's home. Three young girls and small boy pose for photograph. Woman holding child in arms bids farewell to friends. Family stops at roadside chimpanzee attraction where young girls play with chimp and watches chimp play with a Collie dog. Chimp jumps over Collie, rides the dog's back, and pulls the dog's tail. Sign on ticket booth: "Cindy the Chimpanzee $1000.00 to any other chimp smarter than Cindy."
Typed note on film cannister lid: "The first shots are of a trip Bob made on a cruiser with several other men up to Hoods Canal. I was already there with the children and we spent the weekend with the Milners who own the summer cottage or I should say estate as you can see it is pretty nice. The Milners are the ones we spent Easter week with in their Monterey Bay home which is now for sale for they prefer Hoods Canal, just two hours from Seattle by car. (There are several other couples there, too). The following pictures were taken as we were leaving our friends in Ventura. They are former Seattle people and very close friends. We spent a week with them. Isn't their young son Skipp a cute one. I would like to have taken him with us. As you can see the Chimpanzee is last. We are real proud of these. These were taken just outside of Visalla and just a roadside attraction."
View of Mt. Rainier from the south. Robert hand feeds a deer
and raccoon. View of horses walking the track before a race at Longacres in
Tukwila, Washington. Horses race around track. Group of four adults walk toward
parked seaplane on dock with
Man stands in front of sign posted on red cannery building:
View of salmon jumping in water. Robert Buschmann in motor boat points at salmon. View of remote wooded shoreline.
View of landscape and shoreline, and sea lions. Man, Slim Balloons, stands in yard with pet poodles. View of Monarch butterfiles in natural habitat. Visit to desert scenic location with view of large rock formations in background.
Title:
View of oceanfront homes built below cliff. Family plays volleyball on white sandy beach. Children pose for a photograph. Man and woman play tennis and pickle ball on oceanfront courts. Six Milner and Buschmann children walk toward beach.
Typed note taped outside film cannister lid: "We thought you might enjoy the pictures we took at Monterey Bay when we were with the Milners and their four children. As you know we spent a whole week there and had beautiful weather all the time. It is truly a beautiful place with a very nice Badminton Court together with a separate bath house and playhouse as they call it (we lived there for the Bar B Q was there and other accomodations making for a glorious time). The house itself had six bedrooms with bath and was lovely. We will be a long time forgetting that experience. In case you want to buy the place they are asking $60,000 which believe it or not is a steal."
Title:
Hand held movie camera and black leather camera case with "E. Buschmann" monogrammed in gold letters belonged to Eigil Buschmann. A 16mm film cartridge is inside the camera with 50 ft. of advanced film.