Seattle-King County Department of Health and Department of Health Annual Reports, 1896-2009

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Seattle-King County Dept. of Public Health
Title
Seattle-King County Department of Health and Department of Health Annual Reports
Dates
1896-2009 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.6 cubic feet
Collection Number
1802-G6
Repository
Seattle Municipal Archives
Seattle Municipal Archives
Office of the City Clerk
City of Seattle
PO Box 94728
98124-4728
Seattle, WA
Telephone: 2062337807
Fax: 2063869025
archives@seattle.gov
Access Restrictions

Records are open to the public.

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Seattle's public health agency was established in 1900 as the Department of Sanitation. In 1951 the department merged with the King County Department of Health. Prior to 1981, the City of Seattle administered the department with the two jurisdictions providing funding in proportion to their populations. Reorganization in 1981 placed administrative control in the hands of the County while the City retained direct policy and funding control over the Seattle Services Division. Departmental records are managed by King County. The Board of Health was created by the 1890 City Charter with authority to supervise the health and sanitation of the City; it was abolished in 1908.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Department of Health or Sanitation and Health Officer Reports date from 1896 to 1947; Seattle-King County Department of Public Health Annual Reports date from 1950 forward. Early reports include information on sewer and solid waste in the City as these were issues closely related to health conditions. There are two reports for 1896. One is the annual report of the Department of Sanitation for the first and second districts recording complaints, nuisances, inspections, and condemnations. The second 1896 report is by J. H. Swyney, Sanitary Inspector in the Department of Sanitation of public schools and kindergartens; the report discusses plumbing and sewer systems. The 1899 report as a lengthy narrative preceding the statistical report which includes a list of health related legislation passed during the year, reasons why the Health Officer should not also act as city physician as specified in the Charter, and a discussion of unsanitary localities and mortality statistics. Also included is a report by the quarantine inspector and a report on slaughterhouses. Market Inspectors reports are included in the series and date from 1896 to 1909. Reports from 1905 to 1910 do not contain detailed statistics but include information on contagious disease, food and plumbing inspections, care of the sick poor, and, in the 1910 report, expectoration. Reports for the years 1912 to 1916 are very detailed in both the narrative and statistical sections. The 1932 to 1935 report traces most statistics from 1901 to 1935. The 1939 to 1943 report is a 433-page history and survey of public health in Seattle and includes a brief history of the City and agency histories for the City. Reports in the 1940s and 1950s include information on venereal disease, dog bites, and statistics on the County as well as the City. In 1942, a separate report exists for Firland Sanatorium. Combined reports for King County and Seattle exist beginning in 1947. Beginning in 1983, reports are less detailed.

Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top

CF Project. A Comptroller or Clerk File (CF) can consist of correspondence, reports, petitions, contracts, agreements, etc. from elected officials, City departments, other government agencies, or the general public, which have been placed "on file" with the Office of the City Clerk (OCC). They are primarily permanent records, but also include routine material which is periodically purged. Beginning in 1987, certain archival records identified in the CF have been removed, arranged into records series, and incorporated into the collection of the Seattle Municipal Archives, a program of the OCC. A single accession number, 1987-048, was assigned to the transfer of the CF to the Archives. The initial transfer included records dating from 1895. These records remain in the CF series until approximately 15 years after they were filed with the OCC, at which point they are removed to the Archives. The transfer of CF records to the Archives is routine and regular. New accession numbers are not created when these transfers are made.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

[Item and date], Seattle-King County Department of Health and Department of Health Annual Reports, Record Series 1802-G6 Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1 Health Department Annual Report 1894
1 1 Health Officer Annual Report 1894
1 2 Health Officer Annual Report 1895
1 3 Health Department, Plumbing and Market Inspectors Annual Report 1896
1 4 Health Department, Annual Report on Public Schools and Kindergartens 1896
1 4 Health Department Annual Report 1899
1 4 Health Department, Milk, Meat, Food, and Sanitation Annual Report 1896
1 5 Health, Board of Annual Report 1905
1 5 Health and Sanitation Annual Report 1908
1 5 Health and Sanitation Annual Report 1909
1 5 Health and Sanitation Annual Report 1910
1 6 Health Department, Public Market Inspector Annual Report 1908
1 6 Health Department Market Inspector Annual Report 1909
1 7 Health and Sanitation Annual Report 1912-1914
1 8 Health and Sanitation Annual Report 1913
1 8 Health and Sanitation Annual Report 1914
1 9 Health and Sanitation Annual Report 1915
1 9 Health and Sanitation, Department of, Annual Report (published) 1915
2 1 Health and Sanitation Annual Report 1916
2 2 Health and Sanitation Annual Report 1916
2 3 Health and Sanitation Annual Report 1917
2 4 Health and Sanitation Annual Report 1918
2 5 Health and Sanitation Annual Report 1918-1919
2 6 Health and Sanitation Annual Report 1920
2 7 Health and Sanitation Annual Report (published and unpublished) 1921
3 1 Health and Sanitation Annual Report 1922
1 3 Health and Sanitation, Department of, Annual Report (unpublished) 1923
3 1 Health and Sanitation, Department of, Annual Report (published) 1923
1 4 Health and Sanitation, Department of, Annual Report 1924
1 4 Health and Sanitation, Department of, Annual Report 1925
3 2 Health and Sanitation Annual Report 1929
3 2 Health and Sanitation Annual Report 1930
3 3 Health and Sanitation Annual Report 1931
3 4 Health and Sanitation Annual Report 1932-1935
3 5 Health and Sanitation Annual Report 1935
3 6 Health and Sanitation Annual Report 1936-1938
3 7 Health and Sanitation Annual Report 1939-1943
3 7 Health Commissioner--Firland Sanatorium Annual Report 1943
3 8 Health and Sanitation Annual Report 1944
3 9 Public Health Department Annual Report 1945
4 1 Public Health Department Annual Report 1946
4 2 Public Health Department Annual Report 1947
4 2 Public Health Department Annual Report 1947
4 3 Public Health Department Annual Report 1948
4 4 Public Health Department Annual Report (Preliminary) 1949
4 4 Public Health Department Annual Report 1949-1951
4 4 Public Health Department Annual Report (Preliminary) 1950
4 4 Public Health Annual Report 1950
4 5 Public Health Department Annual Report 1952-1955
4 5 Public Health Department Annual Report 1953
4 5 Public Health Department Annual Report (Preliminary) 1953
4 5 Public Health Department Annual Report (Preliminary) 1956
4 6 Public Health Department Annual Report 1962
4 6 Public Health Department Annual Report 1963
4 7 Public Health Department Annual Report 1969
4 7 Public Health Department Annual Report 1971
4 7 Public Health Department Annual Report 1972
4 7 Public Health Department Annual Report 1973
4 7 Public Health Department Annual Report 1974
4 7 Seattle King County Department of Public Health Annual Report 1975
4 7 Public Health Department Annual Report 1984
4 8 Public Health Department - Youth Health Services Annual Report 2000-2001
4 8 Public Health Department - Youth Health Services Annual Report 2001-2002
4 9 Environmental Health Services 2009

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Food Handling
  • Public health
  • Sewers--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Solid Waste

Corporate Names

  • Seattle (Wash.). Dept. of Health and Sanitation
  • Seattle-King County Dept. of Public Health

Geographical Names

  • Seattle
  • Seattle (Wash.)