Museum of History & Industry
Sophie Frye Bass Library
2700 24th Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98112
Phone: 206-324-1126
URL: http://www.seattlehistory.org



Guide to the H.W. McCurdy Collection on the Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging Co., 1900-1945


1955.970.500





Finding aid prepared by Julie Kerssen

Finding aid encoded by, 2006
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.


Overview of the Collection

 
Repository Name:
 

Museum of History & Industry
Sophie Frye Bass Library

2700 24th Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98112
Phone: 206-324-1126
URL: http://www.seattlehistory.org

 
Collection Number:
 

1955.970.500

 
Creator:
 

McCurdy, H. W. (Horace Winslow), 1899-

 
Title:
 

H.W. McCurdy Collection on the Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging Co.

 
Dates:
 

1900-1945 (inclusive)

 
Quantity:
 

7 boxes
5 linear feet

 
Languages:
 

Collection materials are in English. 

 
Summary:
 

Photographs of various projects undertaken by the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company, including shipbuilding, bridges, dams, and buildings.

 
Location of Collection:
 

13b.3.4-5

 

Historical Note

Founded in 1889, the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company was destined to become one of Seattle's most important companies. Whether under the title Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company or Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company, their hand can be seen in most major construction sites in the Pacific Northwest including Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Idaho, Oregon and California. In addition, they are responsible for many ships, including some of the Washington State ferries and many naval vessels during and after World War II.

Some of the highlights in the history of this company include:

1909-1910
Hydraulic Dredges construct Harbor Island, the largest man-made island for thirty-five years--second now only to Treasure Island in San Francisco. Harbor Island was the site of the company since the thirties.
1924
The Dexter Horton Building was constructed in Seattle. At fourteen stories, it was the largest reinforced concrete building in the United States west of Chicago.
1927
A steel cantilever bridge was constructed over the Snake River at Twin Falls, Idaho.
1939
Construction began on the Lake Washington Floating Bridge.
WWII
WWII provided a boom in contracts for the company with the Navy. In conjunction with their Canadian affiliate, the British Columbia Bridge and Dredging Company, they constructed Naval bases in Alaska at Sitka, Dutch Harbor and Kodiak. In addition the BCB & D built a Point of Embarkation at Prince Rupert for the Army.
Eighty-two ships were constructed for the Navy as well, with a record fifteen (five of three different types) ships being delivered in one day.
1959
Company purchased by Lockheed.

More recent projects include the Grand Coulee Dam, much of the Interstate 5 bridges and roadways through Seattle, and the San Fernando Tunnel in California. They have continued to build ships ranging from dredges, tugs and ferries to mine sweepers, ice breakers and guided missile frigates, mostly for the Navy, Coast Guard and the states of Washington and Alaska.

Biographical Note

The collection was assembled by Horace Winslow ("H.W.") McCurdy (1899-1989). McCurdy was an engineer who began working for the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company in about 1922. He became president and general manager of the company in 1931.

Content Description

This collection consists almost entirely of photographs taken to document various construction and shipbuilding projects undertaken by the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company in the Pacific Northwest, including bridges, dams, dredging, and building construction. Some notable projects represented in the collection include the Lake Washington floating bridge, the University of Washington stadium, and the Dexter Horton Building, all in Seattle. There are also two albums of photos documenting warships built during World War II. Box 6 contains two scrapbooks of relevant newspaper clippings.

Arrangement

Photographs are arranged by project, and many contract numbers are noted. Project files are roughly chronological.

Administrative Information

Custodial History 

The collection was assembled and maintained by H.W. McCurdy before it was donated to MOHAI.

Acquisition Information 

The collection was donated by H.W. McCurdy in 1955.

Separated Materials 

These materials are part of a large donation by H.W. McCurdy that also includes a large number of maritime artifacts, family photographs (1986.27), and Native American photographs, mainly of Makah Indians (1955.970.470). The artifacts are cataloged and stored separately by MOHAI's Collections Department.

Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Access 

The collection is open to the public by appointment.

Restrictions on Use 

The Museum of History & Industry is the owner of the materials in the Sophie Frye Bass Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from MOHAI before any reproduction use. The museum does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation 

H.W. McCurdy Collection on the Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging Co., Museum of History & Industry, Seattle

Related Information

Related Materials 

The Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company Photographs and Publications (text/html)  (1988.13) and the James G. McCurdy II Photographs and Other Material  (text/html) (1995.37) contain additional materials about this company.

Subjects

Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Co.
Photographic prints
Bridges -- Design and Construction -- Photographs
Dams -- Design and Construction -- Photographs
Shipbuilding -- Washington (State) -- Photographs

Detailed Description of the Collection

 
Container(s)
Description
 
box
1
folder
1

Headquarters, offices and yards / McCurdy portrait
 
 
2
People
 
 
3
"How We Did It," album
 
 
4
Carson City office
 
 
5
Empress Hotel, Victoria, BC
 
 
6
Puyallup River Bridge
 
 
7
King County Courthouse
Frank Nowell
 
 
8
University of Washington Naval Air Station
Frank Nowell
 
 
9
University of Washington stadium
Asahel Curtis
 
 
10
University of Washington stadium
Asahel Curtis
 
 
11
University of Washington stadium
Asahel Curtis
 
 
12
University of Washington stadium
Asahel Curtis
 
 
13
University of Washington stadium Washington vs. Dartmouth
Asahel Curtis
 
 
14
Dredge PUGET SOUND
 
 
15
Garza Dam, Texas
 
 
16
Garza Dam, Texas
 
 
17
North Coast Railroad -- Columbia River Bridge
 
 
18
Estacada Dam (album)
 
 
19
Lilly's Cont. (album)
 
 
2 20
Washington Iron Works (album)
 
 
21
Jordan River Dam (album)
 
 
22
Jordan River Dam
 
 
23
Temple of Justice
 
 
24
Temple of Justice (album)
 
 
25
Seattle School District No. 1 warehouse & shop building (album)
 
 
26
Pasco-Kennewick Bridge Gravenslund
 
 
27
Texas dam
 
 
28
Diversion dam, Texas
 
 
29
Panoramas
 
 
30
Falls Creek Dam, (album)
 
 
31
Clinton Court Apartments, Walla Walla
Arnold McFaden
 
 
32
Washington Iron Works
 
 
33
Dexter Horton Building
 
 
34
Dexter Horton Building (album)
 
 
3 35
Dexter Horton Building
 
 
36
Wilsonian Apartment Hotel
 
 
37
High Bridge, PNW Traction, Bellingham
 
 
38
Pacific S.S. Terminal
 
 
39
Wishkah River Bridge, Aberdeen
Anderson
 
 
40
Garza Dam, Dallas, Texas
 
 
41
Meridian Avenue Bridge, Puyallup
 
 
42
Transmission towers, Henderson Bay, Tacoma
 
 
43
Chehalis River Bridge, Aberdeen
Anderson
 
 
44
Bridge of the Gods, Wauna toll bridge near Hood River, OR
 
 
45
Little Hoquiam Bascule
 
 
46
Dredge GENERAL WOLFE, Quebec
Edwards
 
 
47
San Juan Pulp Mill, Bellingham
 
 
48
Georgia Hotel, Vancouver, BC
Bullen
 
 
49
Pacific Coast Paper Mills, Bellingham
Sandison
Jukes
 
 
50
Twin Lakes Bridge, Idaho
 
 
51
Gateway Bridge, Brownsville, Texas,
 
 
52
Simpson Avenue Bridge, Hoquiam
 
 
53
Brewster Toll Bridge, Okanogan Co.
Simmer
 
 
54
Fisher Body Co. Seawall, Duwamish Waterway
 
 
55
14th Avenue South Bridge, Seattle
 
 
56
Centralia Power Plant, Yelm (album)
 
 
57
Centralia Power Plant, Yelm
 
 
58
Pennock Island
Alask Fisher Studio
 
 
59
Seward, Alaska dredging
 
 
60
Wenatchee River Bridge
 
 
61
Christmas dinner on VICTORIA at Sitka
 
 
62
Santa Monica breakwater
 
 
63
San Joaquin River dredging
 
 
64
SS NORTHWESTERN
 
 
65
Columbia River rock renewal
 
 
4 66
Lake Washington pontoon bridge
Simmer
 
 
67
Lake Washington pontoon bridge (album)
 
 
68
Alaskan air bases
 
 
69
Longview, Wash.
 
 
70
Misc. bridges -- statewide
 
 
71
Misc. bridges
 
 
72
Burned dredge SEATTLE, OLYMPIAN
 
 
73
Dredges -- misc.
 
 
74
Dredge TACOMA
 
 
75
Dredge PORTLAND
 
 
76
Chuckanut Bay fill
Sandison
 
 
77
Mausoleums and cemeteries
 
 
78
Columbia River Bridge (negatives)
 
 
79
Misc. negatives
 
 
5 NA
Scrapbook of newspaper clippings -- waterways
 
 

Scrapbook of newspaper clippings -- bridges & canals
 
 
6
Warship launches/christenings (album)
 
 
7
Warship launches/christenings (album)