William J. Smith photographs , 1900-1911

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Smith, William J.
Title
William J. Smith photographs
Dates
1900-1911 (inclusive)
Quantity
0.5 linear feet, (3 containers)
Collection Number
PH 025
Summary
William J. Smith (dates unknown) grew up in Detroit, Oregon, at the turn of the century, and went into the family timber business. The Smith & Smith Mill processed timber in the Macky Place area. The collection consists of 69 photographs documenting the mill, the original town of Detroit, and landscape, and include several shots of the transportation of a donkey engine across a river and up a steep slope in 1911.
Repository
University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
UO Libraries--SCUA
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR
97403-1299
Telephone: 5413463068
spcarref@uoregon.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open to the public.

Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room.

Additional Reference Guides

See the Current Collection Guide for detailed description and requesting options.

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Little is known about William J. Smith. He was a member of a family that ran the Smith & Smith Mill in the early days of Detroit, Oregon. Detroit was named by families who emigrated from Michigan, and the Smith family was probably one of them. Smith did business in Detroit as W.J. Smith, dealer in lumber, poles and piling, and timber lands, selling out eventually to Gareck [?]. (The original site of Detroit and Macky Place was drowned in 1955 by the construction of Detroit Dam and Detroit Lake.) Information about Smith is primarily derived from annotations provided by Mrs. Grace Ruth Smith in 1991.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The William J. Smith photographs consist of 47 glass-plate negatives and 20 prints, primarily in stereo format. The images were annotated in 1991 by a member of the family, Mrs. Grace Ruth Smith. The collection is arranged by format in three series: 1. Detroit, Oregon: Images of the vicinity of Detroit and its denizens, logging, and the Smith & Smith mill, c. 1898-1920, 2. People: Friends and family, c. 1898-1920, 3. Landscapes: Scenery, c. 1920-1983.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • City and town life--Oregon--Detroit--Photographs
  • Landscape photography--Oregon
  • Logging--Oregon--Detroit--Photographs
  • Photographers--Oregon--Detroit
  • Sawmills--Oregon--Detroit--Photographs

Personal Names

  • Smith, William J.

Geographical Names

  • Detroit (Or.)--Photographs

Form or Genre Terms

  • Glass negatives--Oregon--1898-1920
  • Photographic prints--Oregon--1920-1983
  • Stereographs--Oregon--1920-1983