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.
-
Municipal Plans Commission of the City of Seattle map showing Ballard Waterfront District, 1911
Map showing proposed city improvements under the Plan of Seattle, commonly known as the Bogue Plan. Designed by Virgil Bogue, Seattle's municipal plans director, the Bogue Plan proposed a series of improvements aimed at beautifying the city and making it making it more cohesive after years of rapid growth and industrialization. The plan worked in tandem with the Olmsted Brothers new system of parks, begun in 1903, and proposed new government buildings, an improved city center and an interurban road connecting the city together. The plan was rejected by voters in 1912.
Identifier: spl_maps_2465533_11
Date: 1911
View this item -
Charles Odegaard Interview, 1984
Dr. Charles Odegaard (1911-1999) served as the president of the University of Washington from 1958 to 1973. Odegaard was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois. He attended Dartmouth College as an undergraduate and Harvard as a graduate student. After obtaining his PhD from Harvard, Odegaard worked as a history professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Odegaard served in the Navy during World War II. from scholar, educator and University president about his life and work. In 1953 he became dean of the University of Michigan’s College of Arts and Sciences. During his time as president at the University of Washington, the school saw unprecedented growth, going from 16,000 to 34,000 students and adding 35 new buildings to the campus.
Identifier: spl_ds_codegaard_01
Date: 1984
View this item -
View SE from 2nd Ave. and Bell St., ca. 1906
Photograph appears to be taken after the completion of regrade work on 2nd Avenue. The Moore Theatre and the New Washington Hotel are visible on the right side of the photo in the distance.
Identifier: spl_dr_038
Date: 1906
View this item -
Baist's Real Estate Atlas of Surveys of Seattle, Wash - Plate 10
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_341191.10
Date: 1905
View this item -
Denny Regrade, ca. 1906
Water jets and building being deconstructed at unidentified regrade location.
Identifier: spl_dr_009
Date: 1906
View this item -
View east from near 1st Ave. and Pine St. to regrade activity, ca. 1906
The Washington Hotel appears at the top of the hill. Although the regrade started in 1903, James Moore, the owner of the Washington Hotel, refused to clear the property until 1906 when regrading of Second and Third Avenues were well underway.
Identifier: spl_dr_027
Date: 1906
View this item -
Samuel McKinney Interview, August 17, 1987
Reverend Samuel McKinney (1926-2018) was pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church for 40 years and a major leader in Seattle’s civil rights movement. McKinney was born in Flint, Michigan and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He served in the Air Force during World War II and in 1949 graduated from Morehouse College where one of his classmates was Martin Luther King Jr. In 1952 he graduated from Colgate Rochester Divinity School and in 1953 married his wife Louise. Together the couple moved to Seattle in 1958 where McKinney became the pastor of Mt. Zion. McKinney was a tireless advocate for social and civil rights causes. He was one of the founders of the Seattle Opportunities Industrialization Center, an organization providing job training; helped start Seattle’s first black-owned bank to help community members obtain home loans after discirimation from other banks; advocated for Seattle’s fair housing act as a member of the Seattle Human Rights Commission and participated in civil rights marches and demonstrations nationwide.
Identifier: spl_ds_smckinney_01
Date: 1987-08-17
View this item -
Greg Falls Interview, 1987
Gregory Falls (1922-1997) was heavily involved in the Seattle theater scene, serving as chair of the University of Washington School of Drama and founding artistic director of A Contemporary Theatre (ACT). Originally from Russellville Arkansas, Falls came to Seattle in 1961 to become head of the University’s Drama School. He created ACT Theatre in 1965 provide a space for unique and progressive theater. Falls acted as the director of the theater until his 1987 retirement. Falls also served as the president of the Washington Association of Theater Artists and National Theater Conference. In 1994, Falls was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Theatre, an organization of distinguished professionals in the education and theater communities.
Identifier: spl_ds_gfalls_01
Date: 1987-07-09; 1987-11-04
View this item -
Baist's Real Estate Atlas of Surveys of Seattle, Wash - Title Page
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.i
Date: 1905
View this item -
Anne Gerber Interview, November 8, 1987
Anne Gerber (1910-2005) was a local art collector known for her patronage of unique artists. Gerber attended Garfield High School, Roosevelt High School and Edison Technical School. She studied painting and sculpture at the University of Washington and began collecting artwork after marrying her husband, Sidney Gerber (-1965). Together, the two acquired artwork by artists such as Marc Chagall, Paul Klee, Mark Tobey and Guy Anderson. They also built a large collection of Native American artwork which now resides at the Burke Museum. In 1965, Sidney was flying a plane carrying Seattle City Councilmember Wing Luke and his secretary Kay LaDue over the Cascade Mountains. They ran into bad weather conditions and the plane crashed, killing all those aboard. After his death, Anne continued her work the arts community. She was a member of the Contemporary Art Council of the Seattle Art Museum and of the Seattle Art Commission. In 1984 she received the Governor’s Art award. Anne was also active in civic causes, fighting against housing segregation in Seattle, working with the American Civil Liberties Union and serving as president of the Neighborhood House which provides assistance for low-income families.
Identifier: spl_ds_agerber_01
Date: 1987-11-09
View this item