National Archives at Seattle

Happy 4th of July!

This image shows Coast Guard members roasting hot dogs at the beach and the picture is located in the History of District Coast Guard Personnel Office, Military Morale and Chaplain’s Office (1945) from the Wartime Unit Histories series.

This series consists of narrative reports on the various activities and operations of Coast Guard offices in Oregon and Washington during World War II. The subjects covered in the narratives include district history, aids to navigation, communications, engineering, intelligence, marine inspection, medical matters, office services, personnel, port security, public relations, vessel operations, Volunteer Port Security Force (VPSF), and women's reserves (SPARS).

Enjoy the food, festivities, and fireworks thanks to the members of the US Armed Forces!

Catalog link: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4688305

Happy Pride Month!

The first self-identified Drag Queen in the United States was a formerly enslaved man by the name of William Dorsey Swann. In the late 1880’s William started hosting private balls known as “Drags” held in secret in Washington D.C.

Men and women performed at the Hamilton Lodge in Harlem in 1867 and by the turn of the 20th century drag was a common act for vaudeville in the US. Arthur Blake, a well known performer, dressed as Eleanor Roosevelt and performed in the East Room of the White House.

It was not until the 1920’s that the term drag became associated with the LGBT+ community and it wasn’t until the 1940-1950s that drag queens were being increasingly persecuted by government officials.

The image you see here is of a 1953 drag show being performed at the McNeil Island Penitentiary during an Athletic Banquet.

Catalog Link: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/299515

Happy International Archives Week!
To celebrate International Archives Week we would like to share the history of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

NARA was established in 1934 by the 73rd United States Congress to preserve, house, and grant access to government records. Prior to 1934 Federal records were housed in various basements, attics, abandoned buildings, and other structures that had no concern for security or environment controls.

The first records to be preserved by NARA were executive agency records that included many World War I era records and they were housed at the “White House Garage”. When the records were originally reviewed the surveyor found them to be in complete disorder and a large amount was damaged due to unstable environmental conditions.

The first transfer of material was 17,000 cubic feet and today, 90 years after we were established, NARA houses over 13 billion sheets of textual records alone.

The image you see is of the National Archives building here in Seattle, Washington when it was still an active military base.

Catalog link: National Archives History

Eighty years ago on this day, June 6, 1944, one of the largest allied forces known in military history landed on the beaches of Normandy, France. This operation became popularly known as D-Day. This force included 7,000 ships from eight different countries and five of those ships were destroyers that Todd Pacific Shipyards created. This shipyard was located on Harbor Island, Washington. Overall the Todd shipyards produced 35 destroyers during World War II.

The image you see here is of the original building plans for Todd Pacific Shipyard located on Harbor Island, Washington. It is housed in our Real Property Case Files in Record Group 71, Records of the Bureau of Yards and Docks.

The Real Property case files primarily document the transfer of surplus land and properties from the Federal government to private ownership. A typical case file may include a declaration of surplus property, general correspondence, disposal data, inventory lists, appraisals, and deeds. The case files contain primarily textual materials but may include photographs, maps, and architectural drawings. There are also some files which include leases to the Navy by private owners and by the Navy to other businesses and organizations.

Over 400,00 American service members died during World War II. We would like to take a minute to remember arguably the deadliest conflict in United States history.

Catalog Link: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/298518

Lin Huiyin; known as Phyllis Whei Yin Lin; (June 10, 1904 - April 1, 1955) was a Chinese architect, writer and poet. She was born in Hangzhou to a family from Minhou. She received tutoring from a great-aunt from the ages of 5-8 years old then attended primary school in Shanghai. She then lived with her father in Beijing before traveling to Europe together in 1920. While living in London, she was greatly influenced by their landlord, a female architect. Her interest in poetry was also ignited by her father’s disciple, romantic poet Xu Shimo. The following year, she returned to China and continued her studies. She later went on to study in both London and the United States. During her time at the University of Pennsylvania she worked as a part-time assistant in the architecture department but, being a woman, she was not admitted to the department. She married her fellow student and architect Liang Sicheng in 1928. Together they traveled across Europe to study architecture. They then returned to China where Phyllis taught various architecture courses and gained an interest in Theater Arts after designing a theater for her uncle, Lin Tianmin. After graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts in 1927 she studied stage art design for half a year at Yale University’s School of Drama. She spent her career designing buildings and monuments, teaching, and surveying and preserving a great number of historical sites across China. She was also on the team that designed the Emblem of the New China.
On October 15, 2023, the University of Pennsylvania announced that it would posthumously award Lin Huiyin a bachelor's degree in architecture at the Weitzman graduation ceremony on May 18, 2024. This decision was made almost a century later to correct the unfair treatment of Lin Huiyin in the past. Her granddaughter, Yu Kui, accepted the long-delayed degree certificate on behalf of Lin Huiyin from the dean of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design.
Lin Huiyin’s Chinese Exclusion Act case file is located here with us at the National Archives at Seattle. Her file is together in the same box with Anna May Wong’s file. We are extremely honored to preserve this piece of her legacy and share her story during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
Record Group 85, Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service
Chinese Exclusion Act Case Files, Seattle
Box 149, File Number 2085/1-5, Phyllis W.Y. Lin (Lin Huiyun)

George Herman “Babe” Ruth (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) is considered to be one of Major League Baseball's all-time greatest players. He was popularly known as "the Bambino" and “The Sultan of Swat”. After the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees in 1919, the Red Sox would not win another World Series for 86 years. He ended his career with a.342 batting average and held a record of 714 career home runs until 1974. He was famously part of the New York Yankees' “Murderers Row”.

Babe Ruth visited McNeil Island Penitentiary, Washington in or around 1920. He played on the prison’s baseball diamond. After the exhibition, Ruth was treated to dinner including a cake provided by the warden and a show from the prison's acrobat team.

Catalog entry: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/299515

This is a snapshot in the history of Oregon state and the changes that nature can bring.

Vanport was constructed in 1942 to house the workers at the Kaiser Shipyards in Portland and Vancouver. At the time, it was the second largest city in the state and home to more than 40,000 people, 40% of whom were African American. It wasn’t until 1926 that African Americans were allowed to move to Oregon, and with the rise of WWII many Black Americans started to move into the state due to labor shortages. Vanport is still considered one of the major centers for integration within the state of Oregon.

This is an image of soldiers filling sandbags after the Vanport Flood on June 3, 1948. This flooding of the Columbia River occurred when a 200-foot section of a d**e collapsed and left the community destroyed. The residents were never warned about the dangerous water levels and the city didn’t evacuate the area. Over 18,500 families were displaced and a little more than a third were African American.

Catalog entry: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/5585781

As we approach the end of Women’s History Month we wanted to share one more memorable moment not only for women, but in the history of the United States.

During World War I, millions of men were sent to fight and the women of the United States needed to fill manufacturing positions that helped facilitate that war effort. In this image you see two women working for Boeing Airplane Company constructing the hull of a HS-2L Flying Boat in October of 1918.

The HS was a single engine flying boat built for the United States Navy during World War I and the HS-1L and HS-2L entered into service in 1918 flying anti-submarine missions from different Naval Air Stations in the United States and France.

Catalog Link: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/298545

The Chinese Exclusion Act was placed into federal law in 1882 which prohibited immigration of Chinese laborers. This law stayed in effect until 1943 when Congress repealed the exclusion of Chinese laborers from immigrating to the US. The Exclusion Act made it almost impossible to come into the US without a blood connection to an individual or family that was born in the United States.

In the Chinese Exclusion Act case files held here in NARA at Seattle, you can find Hazel Ying Lee. In honor of Women's History Month we would like to tell you the story of a brave and fearless woman. Hazel was born to Chinese-American immigrant parents in Portland, Oregon, in 1912. At nineteen, Hazel watched a friend fly. That experience marked the beginning of her lifelong love. She saved money and, with the financial help of the Portland Chinese Benevolent Society, earned her pilot's license, making her the first Chinese-American woman to earn one.

Wanting to put her aviation skills to good use, Hazel accepted an invitation to become a Women Airforce Service Pilot for the U.S. during World War II. The program had been created to add more pilots for the U.S. in the war effort, though these female pilots were non-combat, focusing their efforts on testing and ferrying aircraft and training pilots. They were also not officially considered part of the military and thus received no military benefits. Hazel joined as the first Chinese-American pilot.

Sadly, however, on November 23rd, 1944, while flying in bad weather in North Dakota, she crashed with another plane upon landing. She suffered severe burns, and two days later, she passed away. Hazel was buried next to her brother, a U.S. soldier who was killed while fighting in France three days after Hazel's passing. Of the 38 female pilots to die during WWII, Hazel was the last one.

Catalog Entry: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/298951

CORRECTION:

We have received a correction to this post from Sadie Thayer, Director for the Kittitas County Historical Museum. Sadie informs us that:

"Hazel was not the last WASP to die of the 38 women who gave their lives during wartime service. Instead, another WASP from our state was – Mary Louise Webster from Ellensburg. Mary Louise Webster died on December 9, 1944. The program was decommissioned on December 20, 1944. Her story is often overlooked as much as any other. If you have the opportunity to visit the Kittitas County Historical Museum, you will learn about Mary Louise Webster through items gifted by her family, including letters, newspaper clippings, photos, and other mementos as well as items from the day of the tragedy."

We are so grateful to Sadie for this correction. It is very important to all of us at NARA Seattle that we share accurate and complete accounts of the past to the best of our ability. We are also incredibly grateful for the opportunity to honor and remember Mary Louise Webster along with Hazel Ying Lee. Their sacrifice was remarkable and we are proud to share their stories with you.

Happy Chinese New Year! We have entered the year of the Dragon!

The Chinese Exclusion Act was placed into federal law in 1882 which prohibited immigration of Chinese laborers. This law stayed in effect until 1943 Congress repealed the exclusion of Chinese laborers from immigrating to the US. The exclusion act made it almost impossible to come into the US without a blood connection to an individual or family that was born in the United States.

People born in the year of the Dragon are said to have confidence, intelligence, charisma, and they are naturally lucky and gifted. Lee Yuk Sang [George Lee] was born in San Francisco in the year of the Dragon 1904. He was asked a number of questions about his early life when Yuk Sang was interviewed by the Immigration and Naturalization office at Seattle, WA in 1934.

Young Yuk Sang was just a toddler when his parents passed away and he was left on his own in the city of San Francisco. According to the federal census, San Francisco was home to a population of 416, 912 people in 1910.

Yuk Sang had no memory of his parents and couldn’t remember their names at the time of the interview. Yuk Sang lived and worked in a laundry until he was about 11 years old. He then started selling newspapers and shining shoes to support himself. Yuk Sang started staying at different $.25 cent hotel rooms in San Francisco till he was 23 years old.

He not only survived, he thrived! By 1934 he was working full time on a fishing boat that traveled all over the world.

Linked below is the Chinese Exclusion Act Case Files Blog written by the wonderful volunteers here at the National Archives at Seattle.

Link: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/298951
Link: https://chineseexclusionfiles.com/about/

Title:
Virtual Conversation on Reparative Description hosted by the NWA Native American Collections Roundtable

Date and Time:
February 12 at 11:00am-12:30pm Pacific

This free virtual event hosted by the Northwest Archivists Native American Collections Roundtable will be a space for conversation about reparative description. Working in isolation can be challenging for us as individuals and institutions. In this virtual conversation series, we emphasize that guest speakers are not experts, and that we can all learn together.

We hope these types of open conversations can be a small step towards collectively addressing how we can reconcile entrenched archival practices with ethical description of materials. Together, we hope to consider: What has worked for others? What can you adapt in your own work? Where are the roadblocks we commonly face, and how can we develop best practices for overcoming them?

We seek to provide a space for conversation and community during this virtual conversation. We recognize that, as archivists and professionals who work with archives, we are all figuring it out and doing our best with the tools we have available. We encourage engagement at NACR virtual conversations and remind participants that this is not a passive informational webinar experience, but a space where attendees are expected to actively listen, share, and participate.

This event will not be recorded.

Register here: https://whitman.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcoduChqT4sGNOXGacbRoD4y-WUQko8LYQD

January 21st is National Squirrel Day. Squirrels belong to the family of Sciuridae, which includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squirrels are ingenious to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The Arctic ground squirrel is found in northern, eastern, and southwestern Alaska, found in the tundra, meadows, riverbanks, as well as lakeshores. Arctic ground squirrels are opportunistic feeders, with a diet that includes vegetation, eggs, invertebrates, and small vertebrates.

Ground squirrels typically live on the ground or in burrows. The Arctic ground squirrel has short, strong forearms and hind legs making them built for burrowing and digging. They can be found in open areas such as rocky outcrops, fields, pastures, and sparsely wooded hillsides, as well as grassy areas like pastures, golf courses, cemeteries, and parks. They can stand on their hind legs for prolonged periods. Ground squirrels can hibernate for up to 9 months out of the year.

These photographs of ground squirrels are from our Alaska Task Force Photographs taken by the U.S. Parks Service. These photos were taken to document the native wildlife within Alaska’s National Parks.

Link: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/42197283
Link: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/42203159

For New Year’s Eve, let’s talk about Prohibition here in Seattle, Washington. One of the most well known and largest bootlegger’s in the Pacific Northwest was Lieutenant Roy Olmstead of the Seattle Police. He was caught in 1924 where he pleaded guilty, paid a $500.00 fine and was dismissed from the Police Force. This was a great opportunity for Roy because he was able to focus all his attention on bootlegging. You are looking at the Criminal Court Docket for case No. 9165 where Roy Olmstead and 89 other people were arrested for violations against the Prohibition Act.

Happy New Year!
Drink Responsibly

Link: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/572692

Listen Kansas City, listen… listen… you can’t just dance your way out of trouble with Santa. Now behave!

“The kids in girl and boy land,
Will have a jubilee.
They're gonna build a toyland town
All around the Christmas tree.

Santa Claus is coming...
Santa Claus is coming to town!”

Item: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/5585777

Yo Ho Ho Merry Christmas! Swab yer decks because Santa is coming!

“And curly-haired dolls,
That toddle and coo,
Elephants, boats,
And kiddie cars too.
Santa Claus is coming to town!”

Item: FAA Boat https://catalog.archives.gov/id/222051144

Don’t toy with us like Mr. Christianson…

“With little tin horns,
And little toy drums.
Rooty-toot-toots,
And rummy tum tums.
Santa Claus is coming town!”

Item: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/299307

Riverside, you otter be good or Santa is going to see you!

“He sees you when you're sleeping,
He knows when you're awake.
He knows if you've been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake!
Santa Claus is coming to town!”

Link: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/42212762

Texas, are you getting coal this year?

“He's making a list,
And checking it twice,
Gonna find out,
Who's naughty or nice.
Santa Claus is coming to town!”

Link: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/23853937

Denver Santa has his eyes on you!

"You better watch out,
You better not cry,
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why…
Santa Claus is coming to town!”

Santa Claus is coming…
Santa Claus is coming to town!”

Link: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/299515

In celebration of Native American Heritage Day we would like to recognize Chief Black Thunder, also known as Willam Bagley, and his wife from the Tulalip Reservation in 1936.

The Tulalip Agency was established in 1861 for indigenous peoples agreeing to the Treaty of Point Elliot. The Tulalip peoples reside on Tulalip, Port Madison, Swinomish and Perry’s Island. They are South and Central Coast Salish peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast.

Happy Thanksgiving!


We would like to introduce you to Lucy Johnson, a turkey farmer working with the Extension and Credit Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1937. The purpose of this agency was to work with reservation to build up their agricultural and animal husbandry programs.

We hope you enjoy your holiday with friends and family!

Catalog entry: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/298560

The staff at the National Archives at Seattle want to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season!

We hope you are all as excited to spend time with family and friends as these cute pups are to win the Iditarod!

Here is a list of dates and times our research rooms will close early or all day. Link: https://www.archives.gov/news/federal-holidays

Winner, St. Patrick’s Day Race, Iditarod, Alaska. National Archives Identifier: 3890883

The staff at the National Archives at Seattle want to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season! We hope you are all as excited to spend time with family and friends as these cute pups are to win the Iditarod!
Here is a list of dates and times our research rooms will close early or all day:

https://www.archives.gov/news/federal-holidays

Photo: Winner, St. Patrick’s Day Race, Iditarod, Alaska. National Archives Identifier: 3890883

November 5 is Tsunami Awareness Day. Tsunamis are created from large earthquakes occurring on the ocean floor. Along the Pacific Coast, which is located on the Pacific Rim of Fire and on the Cascadia subjugation zone, tsunamis are a constant threat.
On Friday, March 27, 1964, an earthquake off the coast of Alaska caused a tsunami that resulted in the deaths of 131 individuals. The tsunami became known as the Great Alaskan Earthquake and/or the Good Friday Earthquake. The quake occurred at 5:36pm and measured 9.2 on the Richter scale, the most powerful quake ever recorded in North America and the second most powerful quake ever recorded in the world. In comparison, it released twice the amount of energy as the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

A tectonic tsunami was created as well as 20 smaller local tsunamis. The smaller, local tsunamis caused the most damage. Many local structures were not earthquake safe causing significant damage. Most of the damage was localized in Anchorage, Alaska however, damage to boats was reported as far away as Los Angeles, California. In Alaska, landmasses were pushed up as high as 82 feet on the eastern side of the state and on the western side, land sunk as much as 8 feet. Tsunamis were reported from over 20 countries, as far away as New Zealand and Antarctica. The picture below is of Seward, Alaska after being struck by the tsunami.

Located in the Mt. Hood National Forest, Timberline lodge is at an elevation of 6,000 feet. Nestled on the side of Mount Hood in Clackamas County Oregon. Construction of the lodge began in 1936 by the Worker Progress Administration (WPA) with help from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Constructed with local material, the entirety of the lodge and all furnishings was completed by hand by the WPA. The CCC worked on the excavation, road building, and laying the terraces. The 40,000 sq ft lodge includes a 92ft six-sided fireplace with six separate openings 3 on the first floor and three on the ground floor, each measuring 5ft wide and 7ft tall.

The lodge was dedicated on September 28, 1937, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The lodge still is in use year-round, with snow activities in the winter and hiking and biking during the warmer months. If the building looks familiar, the Lodge was featured in Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 iconic film the Shining.

Catalog Entry: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/299094

Happy Halloween from the inmates at McNeil Island Penitentiary!

The prisoners at McNeil Island Penitentiary published a journal beginning in 1924 and stopping in 1980 when the prison ceased operations as a federal facility. The Island Lantern focused on using materials created by inmate writers and artists.

Catalog Link: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/655019

Today, September 19, 2023, is National Talk like a Pirate Day and we have the Significant Case File for one of the most famous air piracy cases of the 20th century in our U.S. Attorney’s records for the Western District of Washington. The case against D. B. Cooper.

On flight 305 bound for Seattle from Portland, Cooper handed a stewardess a note indicating that he had an explosive device. He demanded $200,000 for the safe return of the passengers on board. After D.B. Cooper exchanged the 36 flight’s passengers for $200,000; he had the crew set a course for Mexico City. Cooper then jumped from the back of the plane with a parachute somewhere between Seattle and Reno.

In order to understand how the theft was pulled off, the U.S. Air Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation worked together for the purpose of conducting an experiment in which they would drop a 230 pound package from a Boeing 727. These images show the experiment in three different stages. If you would like to learn more about the investigation into D.B. Cooper came to visit us at the National Archives at Seattle.

Catalog Link: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/573478

During World War II, the Army Air Force in Adak, Alaska took a series of reconnaissance photographs of Attu Island which is off the coast of Alaska. These images are used today by researchers and government agencies alike to see how the landscape around the area has changed. Did you know that the preservation of items such as aerial photographs help show where things like erosion or fires have impacted both urban and rural settings?

RG 18, Records of the Army Air Forces, took aerial reconnaissance photographs of Attu Island, off the coast of Alaska, September 18-28, 1942.

Catalog entry: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4707527

National Hispanic Heritage Month is a celebration that recognizes the contributions and accomplishments of Hispanic Americans. This celebration began in 1968 with a week to observe those Hispanic Americans that inspired others to success. It was expanded to 30 days (September 15 - October 15) in 1988 under President Ronald Reagan.

The Century 21 Exposition in Seattle, Washington, known as the Seattle World’s Fair, showcased each participating nation’s scientific expertise to the rest of the world. This postcard is of the United Mexican States Pavilion from 1962. Mexico focused not on science but on handicrafts from different locations throughout the country.

Mexico featured the Ballet Folkorico de Mexico from August 27 - September 2, 1962 at the Seattle Opera House. The Folkorico dances in costumes that reflect the traditional aspects of Mexican culture and its various regions.

Catalog entry: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/572771

Today, August 14, is the 90-year anniversary of the largest of four devastating fires known as the Tillamook Fire of 1933. Oliver Matthews photographed the Tillamook Fire as seen from Lee Creek at Observation Point 1. These fires burned 355,000 acres (554 square miles) along the Oregon Coast Range before they were all extinguished in 1951.

To learn more about these fires you can view the Forest Fire Behavior Records, Forest Service housed here at the National Archives at Seattle.

Catalog Entry: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4129812