Donald Schmechel Oral History Collection
Watch oral histories with prominent figures in the Pacific Northwest including artists Jacob Lawrence and Kenneth Callahan; Governors Albert Rosellini and Dixy Lee Ray and Reverends David Colwell and Samuel McKinney.
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Queen Anne from West Seattle, August 27, 1976
Taken from West Seattle, this image shows Queen Anne with the Space Needle visible, and part of downtown Seattle in the distance across Elliott Bay.
Identifier: spl_dor_00003
Date: 1976-08-27
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Portage Bay, Montlake with Laurelhurst in distance, May 15, 1925
Montlake Bridge and Portage Bay from Shelby Street, May 15, 1925 cropped from original photograph taken by photographer Asahel Curtis.
Identifier: spl_dor_00010
Date: 1925-05-15
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Aerial view of Dyea and Skagway, Alaska from across Chilkoot Inlet, ca. 1899
Dyea and Skagway served as the two main starting points for overland routes to the Klondike gold fields. Dyea was a short-lived town used by prospectors as an entrance to the Chilkoot Trail. It became less popular after a large avalanche blocked much of the trail on April 3, 1898 killing over 70 prospectors. Skagway served as the starting point for the White Pass Trail. In May 1898 White Pass & Yukon Route railroad route opened in Skagway, offering a faster, safer way for prospectors and their gear to reach the gold fields.
Identifier: spl_ap_00042
Date: 1899?
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Eulalie Merrill Wagner Interview, July 14, 1986
Eulalie Merrill Wagner (1904-1991) was a philanthropist well known for the gardens of her 10 acre Tacoma estate, Lakewold. She was born in Seattle and attended St. Nicholas School and the Masters School, a preparatory school in Dobbs Ferry, NY. She married George Corydon Wagner (1895-1979) in the 1920s. They moved to Lakewold in 1938. Both Wagner and her husband had family ties to the local lumber industries; through her husband’s side with the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company and through her side with the Merrill & Ring Lumber Company. She was an avid golfer and served as president of many organizations such as the Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma Garden Club and Tacoma Junior League. She also supported the University of Washington Arboretum, helped to develop the native plant garden at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma and created the Wagner Endowment for Nursing Education at Tacoma General Hospital.
Identifier: spl_ds_ewagner_01
Date: 1986-07-14
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Baist's Real Estate Atlas of Surveys of Seattle, Wash - Plate 4
Baist Real Estate atlases of Seattle were published in 1905, 1908, and 1912. The atlases show property ownership (for large tracts), plats, block and lot numbers, streets, buildings, sewers, water mains, electric railways, and steam railroads.
Identifier: spl_maps_341191.4
Date: 1905
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Baist's Real Estate Atlas of Surveys of Seattle, Wash - Plate 17
Baist Real Estate atlases of Seattle were published in 1905, 1908, and 1912. The atlases show property ownership (for large tracts), plats, block and lot numbers, streets, buildings, sewers, water mains, electric railways, and steam railroads.
Identifier: spl_maps_341191.17
Date: 1905
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Letter from Edward S. Curtis to Harriet Leitch, August 16, 1949
Letter from Edward Curtis to Harriet Leitch describing his further work on "The Lure of Gold." He writes about the overwhelming nature of covering 200 years of history, describing the notebooks he has filled with his research. Curtis states "Why any one of my age should attempt such a task is beyond my understanding."
Identifier: spl_esc_013
Date: 1949-08-16
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Pietro Belluschi Interview, November 24, 1986
Pietro Belluschi (1889-1994) was an architect based for many years out of Portland, Oregon. Belluschi was born in Ancona, Italy and came to the United States in 1923 as an exchange student at Cornell University. Belluschi was known for his modern approach to architecture and the design of buildings such as the Equitable Building in Portland and the Pan Am Building in New York City. Over the course of his career, Belluschi designed over 1,000 buildings. He also served as the dean of the MIT School of Architecture and Planning from 1951 until 1965. The American Institute of Architects awarded him their Gold Medal in 1972.
Identifier: spl_ds_pbelluschi_02
Date: 1986-11-24
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Karl William Edmark Interview, January 7, 1986
Dr. Karl William Edmark (1924-1994) was a cardiovascular surgeon responsible for the invention of the heart defibrillator.
Identifier: spl_ds_wedmark_01
Date: 1986-01-07
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Regrade railway and steam shovel, ca. 1906
Possible location is near the site of the Washington Hotel. Although the regrade started in 1903, James Moore, the owner of the hotel, refused to clear the property until 1906 when regrading of Second and Third Avenues were well underway.
Identifier: spl_dr_034
Date: 1906
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