Bruce Cheever railroad photographs, 1890-1977

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Cheever, Bruce Bissell
Title
Bruce Cheever railroad photographs
Dates
1890-1977 (inclusive)
Quantity
3 Linear Ft.
Collection Number
XOE_CPNWS0028cheever (collection)
Summary
The Bruce Cheever railroad photographs depict railway systems in Washington state, Oregon, other states of the region, and also British Columbia from the late 19th century to the late 20th Century. The photographs depict railway cars, engines, and other rolling stock of railroads and railways throughout the Pacific Northwest as well as railway conductors, passengers, train stations, wharves and city scenes.
Repository
Western Washington University, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Goltz-Murray Archives Building
808 25th St.
Bellingham, WA
98225
Telephone: (360) 650-7534
cpnws@wwu.edu
Access Restrictions

The collection is open to the public.

Languages
English.
Sponsor
Funding for preparing this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Funding for encoding the finding aid was awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Bruce Bissell Cheever, an avid scholar of railroad history and lore, amassed an impressive collection of photographs relating to railroads and interurban railway systems in the Pacific Northwest in a lifetime of research on the subject. After earning his Master's Degree in Social Studies from the University of Washington, Mr. Cheever became an instructor in the Economics Department at Western Washington State College of Education in 1948.

In 1951, Bruce Cheever took a leave of absence from Western to pursue his personal academic interests. Instead of returning to teaching after his leave of absence, he began a career with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). This career change did not dilute his interest or research pursuits in railroads and interurban railway systems.

Cheever published works from the 1940s through the 1970s. His works include "Electric Railroads in Whatcom County" published in Trolley Sparks, three articles written for Traction and Models: "The Fairhaven and New Whatcom Street Railway Company," "The Bellingham-Skagit Interurban," and "The Bellingham Streetcar System" and a monograph titled "The Development of Railroads in the State of Washington: 1860 to 1948," published in 1949 by the Western Washington College of Education.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection comprises approximately three linear feet of material, consisting of photographs and a small amount of textual material, including correspondence, notes, maps, train schedules, and manuscripts and drafts of Cheever’s many publications pertaining to his railroad research.

The photographs, which comprise the bulk of the collection, depict railway cars, engines and other rolling stock of railroads and railways throughout the Pacific Northwest. Railway systems in the State of Washington are particularly well represented, and within the state, most notably Whatcom County and the Seattle area. There are also photographs of several railways in British Columbia, and others from Oregon and other states in the region, but these are few in number compared to Washington State railways, the emphasis of Cheever’s research interest.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

Bruce Cheever railroad photographs, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University, Bellingham WA 98225-9123.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The Bruce Cheever railroad photographs are organized in accordance with the following series and sub-series arrangement:

  • Series I: Photographs, circa 1890-1950
    • Sub-series 1: Washington State, 1890-1947
    • Sub-series 2: Other States and Provinces, 1898-1954
    • Sub-series 3: Unidentified Prints and Negatives, Undated
  • Series II: Textual Materials, undated; 1912-1977
    • Sub-series 1: Index, Undated
    • Sub-series 2: Research/Reference Materials, 1912-1974
    • Sub-series 3: Articles Written by Bruce Cheever, 1968-1975

Processing Note

Amber Raney re-engineered the Bruce Cheever railroad photographs for the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies in June 2004. Changes made to the initial arrangement of the collection included further preservation of the photographs. This involved re-housing them in acid-free folders, and buffering them with acid-free paper. In addition, the textual materials were divided up into three sub-series, including the card index of the photographs.

Processing Note

About Harmful Language and Content

To learn more about problematic content in our collections, collection description and teaching tools (including how to provide feedback or request dialogue on this topic), see the following Statement About Potentially Harmful Language and Content

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Series I:   Photographs, circa 1880-1955Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Sub-series 1 : Washington State
circa 1890-1947
Bellingham, Mt. Vernon, and Anacortes Area
circa 1890-1947
Box/Folder
1/1
General (BMA-A to BMA-C)
Undated
1/2
General (BMA-1 to BMA-15)
Undated
1/3
Bellingham Bay and British Columbia Railroad (BMA-16 to BMA-31)
Undated
1/4
Bellingham Bay and British Columbia Railroad (BMA-32 to BMA-46)
Undated
1/5
Bellingham Bay and Eastern Railroad (BMA-47 to BMA-52)
Undated
1/6
Bellingham Bay Electric Street Railway (BMA-53)
Undated
1/7
Bellingham and Northern Railroad (BMA-54 to BMA-57)
Undated
1/8
Fairhaven and New Whatcom Railway (BMA-58 to BMA-70)
Undated
1/9
Fairhaven and Southern Railroad Company (BMA-71 to BMA-72)
Undated
1/10
Fidalgo City and Anacortes Railway Company (BMA-73)
Undated
1/11
Great Northern Railroad (BMA-74 to BMA-81)
Undated
1/12
Lake Whatcom Line (BMA-82 to BMA-84)
Undated
1/13
Larson Lumber Company (BMA-85 to BMA-90)
Undated
1/14
Pacific Northwest Traction Company (BMA-91 to BMA-106)
Undated
1/15
Pacific Northwest Traction Company (BMA-107 to BMA-122)
Undated
2/1
Puget Sound Traction, Power and Light Company (BMA-123 to BMA-129)
Undated
2/2
Skagit River Railroad (BMA-130 to BMA-144; BMA-144A)
Undated
2/3
Whatcom County Railway and Light Company (BMA-145 to BMA-167;BMA-167A)
Undated
Centralia and Chehalis Area
Box/Folder
2/4
Centralia Electric and Traction Company (CC-168)
Undated
2/5
Skookum Bay Railroad (CC-169)
Undated
2/6
Twin City Railroad Company (CC-170)
Undated
2/7
Washington Electric Railway (CC-171 to CC-172)
Undated
Everett Area
Box/Folder
2/8
Everett Railway and Electric Company (E-173 to E-174)
Undated
2/9
Hall and Hall Railroad (E-175 and E-175A)
Undated
2/10
Northern Pacific Railroad (E-176)
Undated
Grays Harbor Area
Box/Folder
2/11
Grays Harbor Electric Company (GH-177 to GH-178)
Undated
2/12
Grays Harbor Railway and Light Company (GH-179 to GH-181)
Undated
Inland Empire Area
Box/Folder
2/13
General (IE-182 to IE-186)
Undated
2/14
Coeur d'Alene and Spokane Valley (IE-187 to IE-192)
Undated
2/15
Great Northern (IE-193 to IE-208)
Undated
2/16
Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, and Palouse Railway (IE-209 to IE-214)
Undated
2/17
Spokane and Inland Railway (IE-215 to IE-218)
Undated
2/18
Spokane United Railway (IE-219 to IE-221)
Undated
2/19
Washington Water and Power Company of Spokane (IE-222 to IE-227)
Undated
Seattle Area
Box/Folder
2/20
General (S-A to S-C; S-228 to S-244)
Undated
3/1
General (S-245 to S-260)
Undated
3/2
General (S-261 to S-277)
Undated
3/3
Columbia and Puget Sound Railroad (S-278 to S-294)
Undated
3/4
James Street Cable (S-295 to S-311)
Undated
3/5
Lake Washington Cable Railway Company (S-312 to S-317)
Undated
3/6
Madison Street Cable Railway Company (S-318 to S-320)
Undated
3/7
Pacific Coast Railroad Company (S-321 to S-338)
Undated
3/8
Pacific Coast Railroad Company (S-339 to S-355)
Undated
3/9
Pacific Coast Railroad Company (S-356 to S-371)
Undated
3/10
Puget Sound and Baker River Railroad (S-372)
Undated
3/11
Seattle City Railway Company (S-373 to S-374)
Undated
3/12
Seattle Electric Railway Company (S-375 to S-378)
Undated
3/13
Seattle and Municipal Street Railway Company (S-379 to S-396)
Undated
3/14
Seattle Traction Company (S-397 to S-398)
Undated
3/15
Seattle Union Trunk Line (S-399)
Undated
3/16
Western Street and North End Electric Railway (S-400)
Undated
Seattle-Everett Area
Box/Folder
4/1
North Coast Transportation Company (SE-401 to SE-417)
Undated
4/2
Pacific Northwest Traction Company (SE-418 to SE-435)
Undated
4/3
Pacific Northwest Traction Company (SE-436 to SE-453)
Undated
4/4
Pacific Northwest Traction Company (SE-454 to SE-471)
Undated
4/5
Seattle Electric Railway Company (SE-472)
Undated
4/6
Seattle-Everett Interurban Railway (SE-473 to SE-476)
Undated
4/7
Seattle-Everett Traction Company (SE-477)
Undated
Seattle-Renton Area
Box/Folder
4/8
Seattle, Renton, and Southern Railway (SR-478 to SR-480)
Undated
4/9
Seattle and Rainier Valley Railway (SR-481 to SR-486)
Undated
Seattle-Tacoma Area
Box/Folder
4/10
General (ST-487)
Undated
4/11
Puget Sound Electric Railway (ST-488 to ST-502)
Undated
4/12
Puget Sound Electric Railway (ST-503 to ST-517)
Undated
Seattle-Walla Walla Area
Box/Folder
4/13
Seattle-Walla Walla Railroad and Transportation Company (SW-518 to SW-519)
Undated
Tacoma Area
Box/Folder
4/14
General (T-520 to T-523)
Undated
4/15
Northern Pacific Railroad (T-524 to T-529)
Undated
4/16
Tacoma Municipal Belt Line (T-530 to T-531)
Undated
4/17
Tacoma Power and Light Company (T-532 to T-533)
Undated
4/18
Tacoma Railway and Power Company (T-534 to T-536)
Undated
4/19
Tacoma and Steilacoom Railway Company (T-537 and T-537A)
Undated
Vancouver Area
Box/Folder
4/20
Clark County Suburban Railway (V-538 to V-540)
Undated
4/21
Portland and Vancouver Railway Company (V-541 to V-542)
Undated
4/22
Vancouver Traction Company (V-543)
Undated
Walla Walla Area
Box/Folder
5/1
Walla Walla Valley Railway Company (WW-544 to WW-545)
Undated
Yakima Area
Box/Folder
5/2
Cascade Lumber Company (Y-546 to Y-549)
Undated
5/3
Yakima Valley Transportation Company (Y-550 to Y-563)
Undated
5/4
Yakima Valley Transportation Company (Y-564 to Y-576)
Undated
Sub-series 2 : Other States and Provinces
1898-1954
Alaska
Box/Folder
5/5
Skagway (A-577)
1898 September 10
Colorado
Box/Folder
5/6
General (C-578 to C-579)
Undated
5/7
Denver and Rio Grande (C-580)
Undated
5/8
Denver, South Park, and Pacific Railroad (C-581)
Undated
Connecticut
Box/Folder
5/9
General (CO-582)
Undated
Illinois
Box/Folder
5/10
Chicago and Grand Railroad (I-583)
Undated
5/11
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (I-584 to I-585)
Undated
Indiana
Box/Folder
5/12
Chicago, South Shore and South Bend Railroad (IN-586)
1954 October 24
Maryland
Box/Folder
5/13
General (M-587)
Undated
Missouri
Box/Folder
5/14
St. Louis Water Works Railway (MI-588)
Undated
Oregon
Box/Folder
5/15
Forest Grove Transportation Company (O-589)
1909 July 19
5/16
Oregon Electric Company (O-590 to O-596)
Undated
5/17
Oregon Lumber Company (O-597 to O-604)
Undated
5/18
Pacific Electric Company (O-605 to O-606)
Undated
5/19
Portland Electric Power Company (O-607 to O-613)
Undated
5/20
Portland Traction Company (O-614)
Undated
5/21
Red River Valley Railway (O-615)
Undated
5/22
Sumpter Valley Railway (O-616 to O-632)
Undated
5/23
Sumpter Valley Railway (O-633 to O-650)
Undated
5/24
Willamette Valley Railroad (O-651)
Undated
Pennsylvania
Box/Folder
5/25
Lehigh Valley Railroad (P-652)
Undated
Utah
Box/Folder
5/26
Rio Grande Railroad (U-653)
Undated
5/27
Salt Lake and Utah Railroad (U-654 to U-655)
Undated
British Columbia
Box/Folder
5/28
British Columbia Electric Railway (BC-656 to BC-659)
Undated
Ontario
Box/Folder
5/29
Cornwall Street Railway (ON-660)
Undated
5/30
Hamilton Street Railway (ON-661)
Undated
Sub-series 3 : Unidentified Prints and Negatives
Undated
Prints
Box/Folder
6/1
General (MISC-662 to MISC-679)
Undated
Negatives
Box/Folder
6/2
General (NEG-1 to NEG-22)
Undated
6/3
General (NEG-23 to NEG-45)
Undated
6/4
General (NEG-46 to NEG-69)
Undated

Series II:   Textual Materials, 1912-1977 Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Sub-series 1 : Index
Undated
Box
7
Card Index of Photographs and Negatives
Undated
Sub-series 2 : Research/Reference Materials
1912-1974
Research Notes and Correspondence
Box/Folder
8/1
Correspondence and Notes from Bruce Cheever about Railroad Studies
circa 1949-1951
Maps, Drawings, and Train Schedules
Box/Folder
8/2
Maps and Schedules of the City of Bellingham and Street Car Lines
circa 1940
8/3
Map of the Northwest Division of the Pacific Northwest Traction Company
circa 1940
8/4
Diagrams of the Coeur d'Alene and Spokane Railway "Observation and Parlor Trail" Car
circa 1940
Reference articles
Box/Folder
8/5
B.C. Electric Employees Magazine: Jubilee Issue
1947 May
Electric Railroads
Box/Folder
8/6
“Yakima Valley Transportation Company,”
1942 May
8/7
“Vancouver Memories,”
1943 February
8/8
“Seattle and Rainier Valley Railway,”
1943 June
8/9
“Puget Sound Electric,”
1943 July
8/10
“North Coast Lines,”
1943 August
8/11
“The Trolleys of Tacoma,”
1943 October
8/12
“Tacoma’s Other Interurbans,”
1948 January
8/13
“British Columbia Electric Railway,”
1949 April
Box/Folder
8/14
Information re. Yakima Valley Transportation Company
1965 September - 1977 November
8/15
Interurban Magazine- "Outstanding Interurban Cars"
1948 August
8/16
Interurban News Letter, Special No.2: Puget Sound Electric Railway
1945 June
8/17
Journal of Electricity- "Puget Sound Traction, Light, and Power Company's System,"
1912 June
Pacific News
Box/Folder
8/18
“Simpson Timber Co. (Shelton, Washington),”
1974 August
8/19
“The Fort Worden Engine (Port Townsend, Washington),”
1974 September
Sub-series 3 : Articles written by Bruce Cheever
1968-1975
Traction and Models
Box/Folder
8/20
“The Fairhaven and New Whatcom Street Railway Co., Bellingham, Washington – 1891-1898,”
1968 June
8/21
“Bellingham and Skagit Railway,”
1972 January
8/22
“Bellingham Streetcar System,”
1975 September

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Railroads--British Columbia--History--Photographs.
  • Railroads--Colorado--History--Photographs.
  • Railroads--Northwest, Pacific--History--Photographs.
  • Railroads--Utah--History--Photographs.
  • Railroads--Washington (State)--History--Photographs.
  • Railroads--Washington (State)--Seattle--History--Photographs.
  • Railroads--Washington (State)--Whatcom County--History--Photographs.

Personal Names

  • Cheever, Bruce Bissell--Archives. (creator)

Form or Genre Terms

  • Photographs.