Guide to the Harbor Department Annual Reports 1894-1950

Overview of the Collection

	Repository Name:		Seattle Municipal Archives PO Box 94728 600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 3 Seattle, WA 98124-4728 Phone: 206/233-7807 Email: archives@seattle.gov http://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives
	Collection Number:		1802-G5
	Creator:		Seattle (Wash.). City Clerk
	Title:		Harbor Department Annual Reports
	Dates:		1894-1950 (inclusive)
	Quantity:		.6 cubic foot 2 boxes
	Languages:		Collection materials are in English.
	Summary:		Annual reports for the Harbor Department, 1894 to 1958. Reports include statistics, recommendations, and information on imports and exports.

Historical Note

The Harbor Department was created by the City Charter of 1890. The Charter authorized the City Council to regulate wharfage and dockage tolls, regulate landings and berths for water craft, and provide general control of wharves and docks. The City Council could also order construction of wharves, docks, and other "landing places." The Port Warden was appointed by the mayor as the head of the Harbor Department.

In 1962, the charter article creating the Harbor Department and office of the Port Warden was repealed by charter amendment; the functions of the department were assigned to other city departments by ordinance.

Content Description

Annual reports for the Harbor Department, sometimes called Port Warden reports, date from 1894 to 1958; there are gaps between 1922 and 1944. The early reports contains statistics on steam and sail departures and arrivals, foreign imports and exports, and inbound and outbound passengers. They also contain reports on waterfront activity; some contain detailed information on type and quantity of imports and exports. Recommendations for the waterfront are also included, such as the need for a harbor patrol, the necessity of a seawall and the replacement of wood buoys with steel ones. The 1922 report is in the “Official Port Book” and contains photographs and other information about the harbor. The reports dating from 1944 to 1958 are brief and contain brief information on the operations of the department.

Arrangement

Annual reports are arranged chronologically by year.

Administrative Information

Custodial History

Records were originally filed with the City Clerk in the Comptroller/Clerk's Files (CFs) and were removed to create this record series.

Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Access

Records are open to the public.

Preferred Citation

[Item and date], Harbor Department Annual Reports, Record Series 1802-G5. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

Subjects

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Port of Seattle

Seattle (Wash.)--Politics and government

Exports--Washington (State)--Seattle

Harbor police--Washington (State)--Seattle

Harbors--Washington (State)--Seattle

Imports--Washington (State)--Seattle

Sea-walls--Washington (State)--Seattle

Shipping--Washington (State)--Seattle

Waterfronts--Washington (State)--Seattle

Annual reports

Other Creators :

Seattle (Wash.). Harbor Dept.

Detailed Description of the Collection

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

Harbor Department Annual Reports, 1894-1950