Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Archie W. Shiels papers, 1790-1965
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Shiels, Archie W. (Archibald Williamson)
- Title
- Archie W. Shiels papers
- Dates
- 1790-1965 (inclusive)17901960
1850-1950 (bulk)18501950 - Quantity
- 9.5 linear ft.
- Collection Number
- XOE_CPNWS0232shiels (collection)
- Summary
- Archie W. Shiels was both a maker and a recorder of Alaskan history and folklore, and former president of Pacific American Fisheries. His papers consist of research material, publications, personal papers, maps and charts dating from around 1790 to 1965. The documents reference a number of topics primarily related to Russian America, the Alaskan Territory, and the State of Alaska, including boundary disputes and the Bering Sea controversy regarding fur seal fishing. Other topics include Alaska Natives’ fishing rights, maritime navigation, oil, geology, and transportation throughout Alaska, Canada, and the Pacific Northwest.
- 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.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Archie W. (Archibald Williamson) Shiels was born May 26, 1878, in Edinburgh, Scotland, son to Thomas and Mary Hannah Shiels. He came to the United States in 1893, originally working as a purser on a steamship. Between 1893 and 1916, Shiels became closely involved with early railroad construction in Alaska. As chief of staff to railroad contractor Michael James (M.J.) Heney, Shiels supervised the construction of a railroad line between Skagway, Alaska and White Horse in Canada’s Yukon Territory. He later became involved in the construction of the Copper River and North Western Railroad, which traveled nearly 200 miles from Cordova in Southeastern Alaska to the interior of the state. Shiels joined the Pacific American Fisheries in 1916, and served as President of the company from 1930-1946. He retired from business in 1950.
Shiels had an avid interest in Russian America and Alaska. He collected a vast amount of informational material, from which he researched and wrote many historical manuscripts, books, and speeches.
Shiels died in Bellingham in September of 1974. He was ninety-six years old.
Sources: Bellingham Herald, “Deaths and Funerals: Archie Shiels,” 1974 September 6. Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, original biographical note, circa 1957 (available in-house at the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies). Koert, Dorothy and Galen Biery. Looking Back – The Collectors Edition: Memories of Whatcom County/Bellingham. Bellingham, WA: Grandpa’s Attic (2003).
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Archie W. Shiels papers consist of research material, publications, personal papers, maps and charts dating from around 1790 to 1965. The bulk of the materials date from around 1850 to 1950.
Research materials date from circa 1797 to 1964, and represent the background sources Shiels used for writing his many manuscripts, books, and speeches. The documents reference a number of topics primarily related to Pacific Northwestern history and, in particular, Russian America, the Alaskan Territory, and the State of Alaska. Specific subjects include Alaska's annexation to the United States and its eventual statehood, subsequent boundary disputes, as well as the Bering Sea controversy regarding fur seal fishing. Other topics cover the fishing and fur industries in Russia and Alaska, Alaska Natives’ fishing rights, maritime and navigation, oil and geology, and transportation throughout Alaska, Canada, and the Pacific Northwest.
Publications date from around 1846 to 1965, and contain items authored by Shiels and other individuals that are related to Alaskan topics and the Pacific American Fisheries company. Some of the rarer books written by Shiels included Seward’s Ice Box: A Few Notes on the Development of Alaska, 1867-1931 (written in 1933), and The Early History of Canned Foods (written in 1940). Other authors’ works include Lieutenant L.A. Zagoskin’s Account of Pedestrian Journeys in the Russian Possessions in America (undated), and J.M. Shively’s “Route and Distances to Oregon and California with a Description of Watering Places, Crossing, Dangerous Indians, etc. (written in 1846).
Personal papers date from circa 1800 to 1962, and include documents belonging to Shiels, but generally unrelated to his research regarding Alaskan history. For example, these materials include a number of documents created by and/or retained by Shiels during his tenure at the Pacific American Fisheries. Cannery blueprints, canning industry publications, and a letter from Filipino cannery workers protesting their working conditions are a few examples of items located in Shiels’ personal papers. Additionally, there are photographs and negatives documenting Shiels’ career and personal life, and other Northwestern themes.
Maps and charts date from around 1910 to 1944, and comprise early representations of Alaskan, Canadian, and Pacific Northwestern territories, cities, and surrounding areas. Some of the maps relate to early transportation in these regions, including maritime, railroad, and highway routes.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
Archie W. Shiels papers, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University, Bellingham WA 98225-9123.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The Archie W. Shiels papers are organized according to the following series arrangement:
-
Series I. Research Material, circa
1797-1964
- Subseries 1: Alaska, Canada, and Pacific Northwest reference material, 1797-1947
- Subseries 2: Alaska Natives reference material, 1930-1950
- Subseries 3: Alaska Purchase, Boundary disputes, and statehood reference material, 1860-1950
- Subseries 4: Bering Sea Arbitration reference material, 1890-1896
- Subseries 5: Fishing and Fur Industries reference material, 1901-1944
- Subseries6: Maritime Navigation reference material, 1931-1943
- Subseries 7: Oil and Geology reference material, 1930-1935
- Subseries 8: Transportation reference material, 1930-1965
-
Series II. Publications and Writings, circa
1846-1965
- Subseries 1: Publications and Writings by Shiels, 1920-1965
- Subseries 2: Publications and writings by other authors, 1846-1934
-
Series III. Personal Papers, circa 1800-1962
- Subseries 1: Pacific American Fisheries material, 1930-1962
- Subseries 2: Photographs and Negatives, 1910-1933
- Series IV. Maps and Charts, circa 1910-1944
Acquisition Information
Most of the research material, including maps, charts, and some original manuscript material, was donated (presumably to Western Washington University) in 1957 by Archie W. Shiels. He donated additional materials to the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies in 1971. A few of Shiels' rarer books were donated in 1995 by Dr. Robert L. Monahan. Previously, these books belonged to James Scott who was Shiels' secretary at one time. In 2009, additional rare books were donated by the archives of the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Elmer E. Rasmuson Library.
Processing Note
Duplicates and non-archival materials were removed from the collection.
Processing Note
About Harmful Language and ContentTo 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
Appraisal Notes
Acquisition records indicate that some materials were removed from the collection.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Series I : Research Material , circa 1797-1964 Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Subseries
1
:
Alaska,
Canada, and Pacific Northwest reference material
|
1797-1947 | |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/1-1/2 | General reference material - Alaska |
circa 1850s-1940s |
| 1/3 | General reference material - Canada |
circa 1930s |
| 1/4 | General reference material - Pacific
Northwest |
circa 1920s-1940s |
| 1/5 | Alaska and Northwest biographies |
circa 1797-1947 |
| 1/6 | Census of Sitka, Alaska (photostat copy) |
1870 |
| 2/1-2/2 | Exploration of Alaska and Canada reference
material |
circa 1790s-1930s |
| 2/3 | National Resources Committee, Alaska Resources
Committee - "Alaska: Its Resources and Development" |
1937 December |
| oversize-box | ||
| OV/1 |
Preston Times - re-prints
of "Off to... Alaska" |
circa 1939 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2/4 |
Rampart Miner
(publication from Rampart City, Alaska |
1901-1902 |
Subseries
2
:
Alaska
Natives reference material
|
1930-1950 | |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2/5 | General reference material |
circa 1930s-1940s |
| 2/6-2/7 | Alaska Natives fishing rights reference
material |
circa 1930s-1940s |
| 3/1 | Arnold, W.C. - "The Hydaburg Indian Reservation - Its
Background, Validity, and Effect" |
1950 December 21 |
| 3/2 | Gsovski, V. - "Russian Material Available in the
Library of Congress on the Tlingit and Haida Indians of Alaska" |
1940 |
| 3/3 | "Indians at Work" |
1944 September-October |
| 3/4 | Kerry, McCord, & Carey - "Opinion Relative to
Indian Fishing Rights in Alaska" |
1942 October |
| 3/5 | Paul, William L. - "Historical and Legal Materials
Relative to the Tlingit and Haida Claims Act of 1935" |
1939 May |
Subseries
3
:
Alaska
Purchase, boundary disputes, and statehood reference
material
|
1860-1950 | |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3/6 | General reference material |
circa 1860s-1950s |
| 4/1 | "Alaska Statehood - Hearings Before the Committee on
Interior and Insular Affairs, United States Senate" |
1950 |
| 4/2 |
Congressional Globe -
"Speeches and Debates Pertaining to the Purchase of Alaska (First, Second, and
Third Sessions of the 40th Congress, 1867-1869) |
1867-1869 |
| oversize-box | ||
| OV/2 | National Archives and Records Administration -
photostate copies of original documents dealing with the transfer of Russian
America to the United States |
circa 1867-1869 |
| Volume | ||
| Volume 1 | National Archives and Records Adminsitration -
photostat copies of original maps dealing with the transfer of Russian America
to the United States |
circa 1867-1869 |
| Volume 2 | Photostat copies of original maps of Sitka during the
transfer of Russian America to the United States |
circa 1867-1869 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4/3 | Seward, W.H., et. al. - "Complete Correspondence
Regarding the Purchase of Russian Alaska: Early History, Topography, Climate,
Indians, Value, etc." |
1897 |
| 4/4 | U.S. Embassy and Russia - "Papers Relating to the
Cession of Alaska, 1956-1964" (microfilm) |
undated |
| oversize-box | ||
| OV/3 | Washburn, C.C. - "Speech on the Treaty with Russia for
the Purchase of Russian America" |
1867 December 11 |
Subseries
4
:
Bering Sea
Arbitration reference material
|
1890-1896 | |
Publications from Her and His Majesty's Stationary
Office (Great Britain) |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 5/1 | "Award of the Tribunal of Arbitration" |
1893 August |
| 5/2 | "Correspondence Respecting Claims for Compensation
on Account of British Vessels Seized in Behring Sea by United States'
Cruisers" |
1895 September |
| 5/3 | "Correspondence Respecting the Alaska
Boundary" |
1904 January |
| 5/4 | "Correspondence Respecting the Behring Sea Seal
Fisheries, 1886-1890" |
1890 August |
| 5/5 | "Correspondence Respecting the Seizures of British
Sealing Vessels by Russian Cruizers in the North Pacific Ocean" |
1893 June |
| 5/6 | "Map of the Northern Portion of the North Pacific
Ocean" |
1893 March |
| 5/7 | "Papers Relating to the Proceedings of the Tribunal
of Arbitration" |
1893 September |
| 5/8 | "Report by Professor D'Arcy Thompson on His Mission
to Behring Sea in 1896" |
1897 March 4 |
| 5/9 | "Report of the Behring Sea Commission, and Report of
British Commissioners of June 21, 1892, with five maps and diagrams, and
appendices" |
1892 March |
| 5/10 | "Telegraphic Correspondence Respecting Seal Fishing
in Behring's Sea during the Season of 1892" |
1892 March |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 5/11 | Morse, William H. - "The Bering Sea
Controversy" |
undated |
Subseries
5
:
Fishing and
Fur Industries reference material
|
1901-1944 | |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6/1-6/2 | General reference material |
circa 1930s-1940s |
| 6/3-6/5 | Department of Commerce: Bureau of Fisheries - reports
on the salmon, fish, and fur industries in Alaska |
1901-1913 |
| 7/1-7/6 | Department of Commerce: Bureau of Fisheries - reports
on the salmon, fish, and fur industries in Alaska |
1914-1937 |
| 8/1 | Department of Commerce: Bureau of Fisheries - reports
on the salmon, fish, and fur industries in Alaska |
1938-1944 |
| 8/2 | Howay, F.W. (Royal Society of Canada) - "List of
Trading Vessels in the Maritime Fur Trade, 1795-1804;" and "List of Trading
Vessels in the Maritime Fur Trade, 1815-1819" |
1931; ; 1933 |
Subseries
6
:
Maritime
Navigation reference material
|
1931-1943 | |
| oversize-box | ||
| OV/4 | Dall, William H. - "Bering's First Expedition,
1725-1730 - A Critical Review and a Translation of His Original
Report" |
undated |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 8/3 | Royal Canadian Mounted Police - "Reports and other
papers relating to the Two Voyages of the R.C.M. Police Schooner 'St.
Roch'" |
1945 |
| 8/4 | U.S. Coast Guard - "Nautical Rules of the
Road" |
1943 |
| 8/5 | U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Navigation -
"Steam Vessels Built in the United States, 1807-1856" |
1931 |
| 8/6 | U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings |
1931 July |
Subseries
7
:
Oil and
Geology reference material
|
1930-1935 | |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 8/7 | Kindle, E.M. - "The Geological Story of Jasper
National Park, Canada" |
circa 1930s |
| 8/8 | Maillot, E.E. - "Geologic History of the Gravel, Muck
and Ice Deposits in the Fairbanks District" |
1935 March 21 |
| 8/9 |
Standard Oil
Bulletin
|
1931 December |
| 8/10 | Vesper, H.G., President of Standard Oil Company of
California - remarks to the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce: "Alaska's Promise
of Oil" |
1931 October 31 |
Subseries
8
:
Transportation reference material
|
1930s-1965 | |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 8/11-8/13 | General reference material |
circa 1930s-1960s |
Series II : Publications and Writings , circa 1846-1965 Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Subseries
1
:
Publications and Writings by Shiels
|
1920-1965 | |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 9/1-9/3 | General reference material for and including stories,
manuscripts, and historical addresses |
circa 1920s-1940s |
| 9/4 | "Alaska's First Ten Years Under the Stars and Stripes
(1867-1877)" |
undated |
| 9/5 | "Alaskan History Prior to 1897" |
undated |
| 9/6 |
History of Christmas in Many
Lands
|
1956 |
| 9/7 | "Pax Vobiscum Tillicum, Johnnie O'Brien - Dean of
Shipmasters of the Pacific" |
undated |
| 9/8 |
Russian America and the
Purchase of Alaska
|
1949 |
| 10/1 |
Seward's Icebox: A Few Notes
on the Development of Alaska, 1867-1931
|
1933 |
| 10/2 | "Short History of Transportation to and within the
Territory of Alaska, 1897-1908" |
1950 |
| 10/3 |
Tell Me A
Stowry
|
1948 |
| 10/4 |
Tell Me A
Stowry
|
undated |
| 10/5 |
The Early History of Canned
Foods
|
1940 |
| 10/6 |
The Purchase of
Alaska
|
1965 |
| 11/1 | "Work of the Bureau of Education in
Alaska" |
undated |
Subseries
2
:
Publications and Writings by other authors
|
1946-1934 | |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 11/2 | Donham, Wallace B. and R.S. Meriam - "Notes on
recovery" |
1934 |
| 11/3 | Gray, A.A., Francis Farquhar, and William S. Lewis -
"Camels in Western America" |
1930 |
| oversize-box | ||
| OV/5 | "Launch of the Queen Mary
in the presence of Their Majesties the King & Queen, Wednesday, September
26, 1934 at Clydebank" (commemorative book) |
1934 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 11/4 | "Phillippine Maps from the Time of
Magellan" |
undated |
| 11/5 |
Second Wuxtra -
publication from the Seattle Press Club (includes President Taft's message to
the newspaper men of Seattle) |
1911 November 1-2 |
| oversize-box | ||
| OV/6 | Shively, J.M. - "Route and Distances to Oregon and
California with a Description of Watering Places, Crossings, Dangerous Indians,
etc." |
1846 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 12/1 | Zagoskin, Lieutenant L.A. - Account of Pedestrian Journeys in the Russian Possessions in
America
|
undated |
Series III : Personal Papers , circa 1800-1962 Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Subseries
1
:
Pacific
American Fisheries material
|
1930-1962 | |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 12/2 | Blueprints - S.S. North King
|
1930 |
| Folder | ||
| M/1 | Cannery blueprints of Ikaton, Port Moller, and Squaw
Harbor, AK |
1932 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 12/3 | Cannery blueprint - unidentified |
undated |
| 12/4 | 16mm film reels - 16mm |
undated |
| 12/5 | Letter from Filipino cannery workers protesting the
conditions at the Pacific American Fisheries cannery in Nushagak,
AK |
1933 June |
| 12/6 |
Pafishco News
|
1962 |
Subseries
2
:
Photographs
and Negatives
|
1910-1933 | |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 12/7-12/9 | Miscellaneous photographs and negatives |
circa 1910s-1940s |
| 13/1 | Negatives depicting scenic and family portraits, and
images by photographer Bert Huntoon |
circa 1930s |
| 13/2 | Photograph album depicting scenes from Alaskan
canneries and other sites, mostly idenitified |
circa 1930 |
| 13/3-13/4 | Photograph album with duplicates of images depicting
Washington and Alaskan scenes from circa 1800s-1880s, including early Seattle
photographs, and corresponding negatives |
undated |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 13/5 | Old books - Christian diary; unidentified |
1650; ; undated |
| 13/6 | Scrip from the Tenino Chamber of Commerce for the amount
of twenty-five cents |
1933 April |
Series IV : Maps and Charts , circa 1910-1944 Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Folder | ||
| M/2 | British Columbia and Southeast Alaska map |
undated |
| M/3 | British Columbia Highway Travel map |
1930 |
| M/4 | Fairbanks Great Circle map showing proposed location of
the Pacific-Yukon Highway, and accompanying documents |
1930 |
| M/5 | Northern British Columbia |
1933 |
| M/6 | Orcas Island and surrounding islands |
1941 |
| M/7 | Pacific Coast funnel chart showing the funnel designs
for many ships frequenting the Pacific |
1928 |
| M/8 | Pacific-Yukon international highway-airway
map |
undated |
| M/9 | Puget Sound Country and Vicinity map from the Inland
Navigation Company |
1910 |
| M/10 | Queen Charlotte Island map |
1927 |
| M/11 | Southeastern Alaska map |
1944 |
| M/12 | United States - routes of principle explorers
(1498-1699; 1700-1852) |
undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Alaska Annexation to the United States--History--Sources.
- Bering Sea controversy--History--Sources.
- Fisheries--Alaska--History--Sources.
- Fisheries--Russia--History--Sources.
- Fur trade--Alaska--History--Sources.
- Fur trade--Russia--History--Sources.
- Pacific American Fisheries--History--Sources.
- Statehood (American politics)--Alaska--History--Sources.
- Transportation--Alaska--History--Sources.
Personal Names
- Shiels, Archie W. (Archibald Williamson)--Archives.
Geographical Names
- Alaska--History--Sources.
- Canada--History--Sources.
- Northwest, Pacific--History--Sources.
- Russia--History--Sources.
Rozlind Koester
2009
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
