Washington State University Libraries
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Holland and Terrell Libraries
Pullman, WA 99164-5610 USA
(509) 335-6691
http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/holland/masc/masc.htm

Bill Walter Studio Photographs, circa 1890-1978


PC 120





Randy Smith processed the collection in 2003.

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:
 

Washington State University Libraries
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections

Holland and Terrell Libraries
Pullman, WA 99164-5610 USA
(509) 335-6691
http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/holland/masc/masc.htm
 
Collection Number:
 

PC 120
 
Title:
 

Bill Walter Studio Photographs

 
Dates:
 

circa 1890-1978 (inclusive)
 
Quantity:
 

38 containers
39 linear feet
 
Summary:
 

Collection of photographs from the Bill Walters Studio, Colfax, Washington. The bulk of the collection is safety film negatives, but it also contains many photographs, some oversize and panoramic. Highlights include photographs of the construction of the Boundary Hydroelectric Dam (1967), the 12th World Jamboree of the Boy Scouts (1967), a large number of images of agriculture in addition to images of activities and historical events of the Palouse region of Washington State.
 

Historical Note

Bill Walter was born on November 4, 1915 in Pullman, WA. He lived in a number of locations in Washington State, graduating from Ballard High School in Seattle. He attended the State College of Washington shortly before WWII, where he met and married Mary Sands. Mr. Walter joined the National Guard in 1940, and was assigned to one of the first units to be nationalized.

In the National Guard, he served in the medical core, rising to the rank of Colonel by the time the war ended. After the war, he located his family in Colfax, Washington and started a sporting goods and photography business. As the years went by, he shifted more and more toward photography. On several occasions, he attended photography school in Winona, Indiana.

Mr. Walter advertised himself as the "Photography on the Palouse". Many of his photographs appeared in the local newspaper, the Colfax Gazette, and at one time a large display of his work was exhibited in Colfax City Hall. Mr. Walter retired in 1979 but continued his photography until the early 1990's. He passed away on November 15, 1999.

Content Description

Highlights of the collection include a glass plate negative of the former Colfax Courthouse (torn down in the 1950's), a plethora of images depicting Palouse agriculture, both early and early modern farm machinery, local businesses, and calamities such as the Oakesdale Grain Growers Elevator Fire in 1970 and the Colfax Floods of 1910 and 1948.

Of a more regional interest are theConstruction of the Boundary Dam for Seattle City Light Company in 1967 and the 12th World Jamboree of the Boy Scouts of America held in Farragut State Park in 1967.

The collection is arranged primarily by format, either photographs or negatives. Where possible, the original order used by Mr. Walter is preserved. The major exceptions to this are Series 1, Photograph Subject Files and Series 2, Photograph Negative Subject Files. These two series reflect a subject arrangement designed to make the collection more easily accessible.

Series 1 contains photographs, mostly 8x10, depicting various scenes and subjects, mostly of regional interest. Series 2 is also a series of subject files, b&w, most of which are of a local history nature. Researchers of local and regional history will find these two series of special interest. Series 3, almost entirely portraits of individuals, familes, weddings, etc., forms the bulk of the collection. This series may be of special interest to genealogists, and researchers of family history. Series 4 contains oversize photographs, panoramic photographs and some photographs that could not be identified by subject or place. Many of these photographs are copies made by Walter from other photographers and reinforce the value of the collection in researching the history of the Palouse region.

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information 

Oliver Walter donated the Bill Walter Studio Collection (UPC-0014) to Washington State University Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections in 2000. Oliver Walter also donated the miscellaneous photographs in Series 4 in 2001.

Subjects

Boundary Hydroelectric Project -- History -- Photographs.
Colfax (Wash.) -- History -- Photographs.
Combines (Agricultural machinery) -- History -- Photographs.
Floods -- Washington (State) -- Whitman County -- History -- Photographs.
Harvesting machinery -- Washington (State) -- History -- Photographs.
Ranches -- Washington (State) -- Whitman County -- Photographs.
St. Ignatius Hospital (Colfax, Wash.) -- History -- Photographs.
Steamboats -- History -- Photographs.
Wheat -- Harvesting -- History -- Photographs.
Whitman County (Wash.) -- History -- Photographs.

Detailed Description of the Collection

 

1:  Photographs Subject Files , circa 1920-1978
 
 
Container(s)
Description
 
box/folder
1/1

Early Colfax , circa 1900-1922
 
1/2

Palouse Region Small Towns:
   
Early Elberton, Wash
   
St. John, Wash
   
Winona, Wash
   
Oakesdale, Wash
   
Moscow, Idaho
   
Potlatch, Idaho
   
Thornton, Wash
 
box/folder
1/3

Boundary Dam Construction, 1967 (Part I) (28 photos and negatives)
 
1/4

Boundary Dam Construction, 1967 (Part II) (44 photos, some duplicates)
 
1/5

12th Boy Scout World Jamboree, Farragut State Park, Idaho , 1967
 
1/6

Palouse Empire Fair: Exhibits , 1966
 
1/7

Palouse Empire Fair: Rodeo , undated
 
1/8

Fire, Oakesdale Grain Growers Elevator, 1970 (12 photos, includes negatives)
 
1/9

Palouse Highway (US 195) Aerial Views, n.d
 
1/10

Tanker Truck Accident on the Palouse , undated
 
1/11

Rock Creek Park, 1976 (color photographs, includes negatives)
 
1/12

Central Ferry Barge Loading - Part I , circa 1973-1978
 
1/13

Central Ferry Barge Loading - Part II , circa 1973-1978
 

2:  Photograph Negatives Subject Files , 1948-1988
 
 
Container(s)
Description
   
Agriculture
 
Miscellaneous Agriculture Negatives
 
box/folder
2/1

Steiger Farm Cattle , undated
 
2/2

Ensley Children & Cattle , undated
 
2/3

Ensley Bull , 1952
 
2/4

Immler (sp?), G., Cattle
 
2/5

Sauer, Horse, 1961 (color negatives) (5) Ranches & Harvest
 
2/6

McGregor Ranch , 1958
 
2/7

Harry Sandeen Farm, Harvest , 1953
 
2/8

Mykelbust Ranch, Harvest, 1955 (6) and Harvest, 1954 (16)
 
2/9

Oscar Steiger Farm , 1954
 
2/10

Marlo Ochs Ranch, Harvest, 1954 (11), color slides, n.d
 
2/11

Dave White Ranch , 1955
 
2/12

Townsend Harvest , 1954
 
2/13

Heusle Ranch, Harvest , 1951
 
2/14

R. Farr Ranch , 1959
 
2/15

John Divine Ranch , 1953
 
2/16

Russell Looney Ranch , 1953
 
2/17

Colyar Ranch , 1969
 
2/18

Jeffries Farm Harvest, 1953 (Dean Upshaw)
 
2/19

Koenig Harvest , 1960
 
2/20

Otto Camp Harvest, 1953 (7), 1957 (5)
 
2/21

Del Flewring(sp?) Ranch, Harvest, n.d. (Case farm machinery)
 
2/22

Moore Farm , 1962
 
2/23

Hensle Farm, Harvest , 1951
 
2/24

Lloyd Och Ranch , 1952
 
2/25

Other Miscellaneous Harvest Negatives
 
2/26

Harvest and Harvest Machines (slides) , circa 1920
   
Palouse Region Events
 
3/1

Colfax (Whitman County) Courthouse, n.d. (glass plate)
 
3/2

City view of Colfax , circa 1952
 
3/3

Colfax Flood, 1948 (40; roll film negatives)
 
3/4

Elberton Flood , 1963
 
3/5

"Mud in Front of Studio" , 1969
 
3/6

"Negro Demonstration" , 1965
 
3/7

Palouse Empire Fair , 1951-1952
 
3/8

Bill Walter Studio, fish and game catches , 1950-1951
 
3/9

"Planting" fish (Palouse River?) , 1951
 
3/10

Fire, Endsley Flowers & Gifts , 1967
 
3/11

Fire, Henry Building (Colfax?) , 1958
 
3/12

Palouse Countryside, Aerial and Ground Views, 1968 (64) Macguire, 1968 (7 color negatives), Meyers, 1970 (23)
 
3/13

Colfax Aerial Views , 1968
 
3/14

Palouse Region Aviation
 
3/15

Palouse Region Small Towns:
   
Eastern Wash. Natural Gas Co.-Map of Endicott, Wash , undated
   
Garfield Elevator , undated
   
Thornton panorama , 1954
   
Palouse Region Churches/Church Buildings
 
box/folder
3/16

Colfax Lutheran Choir
 


St. John Lutheran Church
 


Endicott Adventist Church , 1959
 


St. John Christian Church , 1953
 


St. John Catholic Church , 1961
 


Garfield Nazarene Church , 1954
 


Ewan Nazarene Church , undated
 


St. John Catholic Church , 1961
   
Palouse Region Schools
 
3/17

Joint Picnic , undated
 


8th Grade Graduation (school unidentified), group photo , 1962
 


5th Grade, St. John , 1963
 


4th Grade, Endicott , 1956
 


4th Grade, St. John , 1956
 


3rd Grade, Palouse , 1956
 


4th Grade, Oakesdale , 1956
 


2nd Grade, Garfield , 1956
 


1st Grade, Garfield , 1956
 


2nd. Grade, Rosalia , 1956
 


3rd Grade Field Trip, Endicott , 1961
   
Palouse Region Businesses
 
3/18

Swanson Spray Company , 1966
 
3/19

Palouse Ammonia , 1952
 
3/20

McGregor Chemical, Steptoe Pea Plant , 1965
 
3/21

Rogers Bros. Seed Co , 1952
 
3/22

Monsanto Co , 1962
 
3/23

Richfield Oil Co/Brown & Holter (Pullman?) , 1963
 
3/24

R.A. Hanson Co., Palouse, WA , 1959
 
3/25

"Les" Mills Aircraft , 1970
 
3/26

LaCrosse Grain Growers, Dusty Elevator , circa 1988
   
Colfax Businesses/Bldgs
 
3/27

Russell Bartlett Trucking Co , 1970
 
3/28

195 Café/ B.P.O.E , undated
 
3/29

LaVerne Bakery , 1961
 
3/30

Colfax Welding , 1959
 
3/31

Colfax City Shop , 1961
 
3/32

Gr. Grow Building, construction , 1959
 
3/33

Stueckle-Franz Bldg , 1959
 
3/34

Seattle 1st Nat'l Bank, 1956 & negs)
 
3/35

Brown & Holter (car dealership), opening , 1957
 
3/36

Burgunder Bldg , 1953
 
3/37

Disposal Plant, concreting , 1953
 
3/38

Tom Gallagher Garage , 1958
 
3/39

Wheatland Marina, Grand Opening , 1975
 
3/40

Telephone Bldg construction , 1955
 
3/41

Port of Whitman, Central Ferry Barge Loading , circa 1960's
 
3/42

Port of Whitman, Central Ferry Elevator , circa 1960's
 
3/43

Port of Whitman, Central Ferry , 1970
 
3/44

Western Grain Exchange, Central Ferry , 1973
   
Historic Structures/Buildings
 
4/1

Old National Bank, Interior , 1955
 
4/2

Elberton Bridge , 1969
 
4/3

St. Ignatius Hospital & Catholic Chapel, 1960-1966 (29; includes photographs)
 
4/4

Whitman Hotel, 1977 (4 color photos and negatives)
   
Community Services Organizations
 
4/5

Whitman County Sheriff & Crew , 1957-1964
 
4/6

Colfax Police Dept , 1963, 1988
 
4/7

Colfax Fire Dept , 1922, 1967-1969
 
4/8

Pullman Fire Dept , 1967
 
4/9

Port of Whitman, Lower Granite Lock and Dam Project Map , undated
 
4/10

Helena Duncan Crime Scene, Nov , 1969
   
Miscellaneous Palouse Region Negatives
 
4/11

Elks Style Show, 1974 (color negatives)
 
4/12

State Class D Basketball Tournament (St. John vs. Davenport), 1962 St. John Basketball Team, 1966-1969
 
4/13

Colfax Junior Miss, n.d. (color photos & negatives)
 
4/14

Whitman County Bar Assn , 1973
 
4/15

Jenetta Morris, Easter Seals , 1960
 
4/16

Ed Curtis poster on Post Office billboard , 1958
 
4/17

Carol Steuckle, lentil products , 1967
 
4/18

Washington Water Power-new truck with Ed Stone , 1954
 
4/19

Pinski singing , 1949
 
4/20

Baumiter (sp?) figurines , 1955
 
4/21

Solar eclipse , 1960
 
4/22

"New Hiway" , 1956
 
4/23

"Historical Society" , 1973
 
4/24

Empire Title Co., Pullman - College Hill Map
 

3:  Portraits , 1950-1978
 
 
Container(s)
Description
 
box
5

Miscellaneous Portraits: weddings, "photos never picked up", portraits, 1950's-1961, C-L
 
6

Miscellaneous Portraits, 1950's-1961, L-Z
 
7

Miscellaneous Portraits, 1958-1961; more weddings, 1950-61
 
8

Miscellaneous Portraits, 1958-1961; servicemen's portraits
 
9

Portraits, 1960-1961, A-M
 
10

Portraits, 1962, A-R
 
11

Portraits, 1962, R-Z; 1963 A-E
 
12

Portraits, 1963, F-S
 
13

Portraits, 1963, S-Z; Miscellaneous Portraits, 1960-1970
 
14

Portraits, 1964, A-H
 
15

Portraits, 1964, H-S
 
16

Portraits, 1964, S-Z; 1965, A-K
 
17

Portraits, 1965, K-Z; 1966, A
 
18

Portraits, 1966, B-O
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