Historic Photograph Collections

William J. Smith photographs, c. 1898-1983

Collection number: PH025

Extent: .5 linear ft. (3 containers)

Abstract

William J. Smith 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. Smith's early photographs document 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.

Preferred citation: [Identification of item], William J. Smith photographs, PH025-[item number], Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403-1299.

Image shown: The image shown is "Father's log team, about 1900, Detroit. Probably Fred Smith as driver." William J. Smith photograph collection, PH025-50, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403-1299.

Biographical Sketch

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.

Scope and Content Note

The William J. Smith collection consists 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:

Detroit, Oregon: Images of the vicinity of Detroit and its denizens, logging, and the Smith & Smith mill, c. 1898-1920.
People: Friends and family, c. 1898-1920
Landscapes: Scenery , c. 1920-1983

Ownership

Publication rights: Property rights reside with Special Collections and University Archives. Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs. All requests for permission to publish images must be submitted to the Photographs Curator of Special Collections and University Archives. The reader must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.

Access restrictions: None.

Provenance: Some of the negatives were acquired from an unknown source prior to 1970. The prints and 21 additional negatives were donated by Mrs. Grace Ruth Smith in 1991.

Processed by: Normandy S. Helmer

Date Completed: November 2004

Inventory

Image#, Title/Date. Place. Format

Box 1

PH025-001 Smith & Smith Mill, Detroit, about 1910 [Men posed on pile of materials in lumber camp.] /1910. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-002 Smith & Smith Mill, Detroit. [View down steep wooded hillside to shacks by train tracks. See print PH025-67.] /c.1910. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-003 Smith & Smith Mill, Detroit, looking east. [View of lumber mill in woods.] /c.1910. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-004 Home place, Smith & Smith Mill, Detroit, looking east. [View of lumber mill in woods.] /c.1910. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-005 Big timber, Detroit. [Two men at foot of old-growth tree.] /c.1910. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-006 Men on logs [Three men standing on floating logs], not Smith Mill /c.1910. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-007 Macky Place [View of railroad siding at backwoods lumber mill] /c.1910. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-008 Near Detroit [view of train track through hill cut in timber] /c.1910. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-009 W.A. Hoover of Detroit with fish. [Gentleman in suit stands in yard with rod, holding fish about two feet long.] /c.1910. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-010 Boarding house at Detroit? [Two women in uniforms working in kitchen, maybe Cascade House. See print PH025-66] /c.1910. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-011 Detroit [Two women in yard looking over towards mill. See print PH025-68.] /c.1910. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-012 Auntie Bob Hill looking down railroad, Detroit. [Man on cowcatcher of Engine 2, on tracks in downtown Detroit, by Cascade House] /c.1910. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-013 Jim Curry, conductor; Elmer D., mails [?]; Jack Simpson, engineer; Tom Riley, brakeman. [Train crew posing in front of Engine 2] /c.1910. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-014 Mr. & Mrs. Hoover, Detroit. [Man and woman seated on porch of house; another woman visible in doorway.] /c.1910. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-015 Macky Place, present site of Detroit. Moving donkey across river. [Men on bank by engine being barged over river.] /1911. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-016 Macky Place, Santiam. [Rear view of donkey engine being hauled up steep slope.] /1911. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-017 Macky Place, 1911-?. Donkey engine crossing river. Present site of Detroit. [Group standing on log bridge watches man barging engine across river.] /1911. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-018 Macky Place, 1911. Moving donkey engine, present Detroit. [Engine being barged on river] /1911. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-019 Macky Place, about 1910. Macky's timber claim, present site of Detroit. Moving 9x11 crackerjack donkey engine made by Willamette Iron & Steel Works, Portland. [Hauling engine up steep incline in woods.] /1911. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-020 Breitenbush (at Santiam). [Group of people at edge of pool in rocky landscape.] /c. 1898. Breitenbush, Oregon. GPN.

PH025-021 Breitenbush [Woman on bank of river] /c. 1898. Breitenbush, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-022 Breitenbush on Santiam River [Woman on bank of river] /c. 1898. Breitenbush, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-023 Breitenbush Springs, about 1898 [Group posed by stairway to hot springs pool; partial image] /1898. Breitenbush, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-024 Mock duel, Detroit, 1903. [Men dressed in Wild West costumes point guns at each other while women swoon.] /1903. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

Box 2

PH025-025 Man with three deer, William John Smith. [Posed among trees with three hanging carcasses. Formerly identified as Bill Heidecke.] /c. 1920?. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-026 Man with three deer, William John Smith. [Posed among trees with three hanging carcasses. Formerly identified as Bill Heidecke.] /c. 1920?. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-027 Bill Heidecke, U of O. Forest ranger. [Posed among trees with three hanging deer carcasses.] /c. 1920?. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-028 Harry Dunlop, 1903. [Man dressed in Wild West costumer with revolver and knife] /1903. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-029 Mr. & Mrs. Elroy Alexander and friends, Newport, Oregon, May 2, 1915 /1915. Newport, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-030 [Three people on rocky shore] maybe Detroit, maybe Ontario, Canada. /c.1910. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-031 [Two children in front of cabin] maybe Detroit, maybe Ontario, Canada /c.1910. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-032 [Three men by shack in woods] maybe Detroit, maybe Ontario, Canada /c.1910. Detroit, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-033 Ontario, Canada, perhaps. [Two men standing in orchard.] /c.1910. Ontario, Canada. GPN stereo.

PH025-034 [Portrait of young girl with dolls] /c. 1900. Detroit, Oregon. GPN.

PH025-035 Coffin Mountain, North Santiam [View of peak through trees] /. Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-036 Near Liberty River, big spruce trees. Allen Smith, Inez C. (cousin), Grace S. [Two women and boy pose in woods.] /c. 1918. Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-037 Mount Hood or Mt. Jefferson [view of snowy peak up slope.] /. Mt. Jefferson, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-038 Mt. Jefferson [View of peak across timber] /. Mt. Jefferson, Oregon. GPN.

PH025-039 Mt. Jefferson [View of peak across timber, possibly from Hunt's Cave] /. Mt. Jefferson, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-040 Rogue River Gorge, upper gorge. [View of cascades] /. Rogue River, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-041 Rogue River Gorge, upper gorge. [View of cascades] /. Rogue River, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-042 Marion Lake [View across lake. Image spliced from three pieces of glass] /. Marion Lake, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-043 Lithia Park, Ashland, Oregon, 1918. Grover Smith, Inez C. (cousin), Allen Smith. [Three people in pavilion. See print PH025-60] /1918. Ashland, Oregon. GPN stereo.

PH025-044 State Capitol, Sacramento, California. [View of palm tree with dome in background.] /. Sacramento, California. GPN stereo.

PH025-045 [Large group of people posed on hill near boat ramp] near Interlocken, Michigan? /c. 1900. Michigan. GPN.

PH025-046 [Large group of people posed on hill near boat ramp] near Interlocken, Michigan? /c. 1900. Michigan. GPN stereo.

PH025-047 Patients at State Hospital (mental) at Traverse City, Michigan. [Group of women on steps of large building.] /c. 1900. Michigan. GPN.

Box 3

PH025-049 "Father, William John Smith, with oxen, on skid road, ten years later "the Lane." [Young man with double yoke of oxen on logging road.] c. 1900. /c. 1900. Detroit, Oregon. GSP stereo."

PH025-050 Father's log team, about 1900, Detroit. Probably Fred Smith as driver. [Four yokes hauling logs on skid road. W. J. Smith letter head on back] /c. 1900. Detroit, Oregon. GSP stereo.

PH025-051 Jack, from log team about 1900. [Portrait of an ox.] /. Detroit, Oregon. GSP stereo.

PH025-052 Mt. Jeff in a storm. [View across timber to peak. Possibly Hunt's Cove. See neg, PH025-39] /. Mt. Jefferson, Oregon. GSP stereo.

PH025-053 Crater Lake, Oregon, about 1960. [View from rim to island, amid snow] /1960. Crater Lake National Park, Oregon. GSP stereo.

PH025-054 Turntable, Detroit, Oregon, before 1920. [View of town and turntable under heavy snow] /c.1910. Detroit, Oregon. GSP stereo.

PH025-055 Smith Rock, about 1960. [View of rocks jutting from dry landscape; river at center.] /1960. Smith Rock, Oregon. GSP stereo.

PH025-056 Crooked River Gorge, Highway 97, about 1968. /1968. Crooked River, Oregon. GSP stereo.

PH025-057 Broken Top, Fall 1983. [View across meadow to crags, with some snow by peaks.] /1983. Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, Oregon. GSP stereo.

PH025-058 Macky Creek, present site of Detroit. (A man named Best drowned here.) [View of suspension bridge across river.] /c. 1900. Detroit, Oregon. GSP stereo.

PH025-059 Detroit, about 1900. [Group of men worked with derailed train.] /1900. Detroit, Oregon. GSP stereo.

PH025-060 Lithia Park, Ashland, Oregon, 1918. Grover Smith, Inez C. (cousin), Allen Smith. [Three people in pavilion. See neg PH025-43] /1918. Ashland, Oregon. GSP stereo.

PH025-061 Yoncalla, about 1980. [View of a large two-storey wooden structure, probably old coach stop.] /1980. Yoncalla, Oregon. GSP stereo.

PH025-062 Seattle Exposition, 1962 [View of buildings and Space Needle.] /1962. Seattle, Washington. GSP stereo.

PH025-063 "Detroit, ""The Lane.' Grace, doll Hattie, Grandfather, and Allen, about 1911. [Elderly man holds toddler; small girl stands next to him. Former site of the Smith skid road; site of John Smith and oxen photo from 1900.] /1911. Detroit, Oregon. GSP stereo."

PH025-064 Medford, Oregon, about 1912. William John Smith (father); Allen 3rd Alexander Smith; Allen 2nd (Grandfather) Smith; Grace Ruth Smith. [Two young children pose in orchard with father and grandfather.] /1912. Medford, Oregon. GSP stereo.

PH025-065 Allen Smith, a Dolly Varden, Detroit 1910. [Elderly man holding large fish.] /1910. Detroit, Oregon. GSP stereo.

PH025-066 Boarding house at Detroit? [Two women in uniforms working in kitchen, maybe Cascade House. See neg PH025-10. Unmounted stereo prints.] /c.1910. Detroit, Oregon. GSP stereo, unmounted.

PH025-067 Smith & Smith Mill, Detroit. [View down steep wooded hillside to shacks by train tracks. See neg PH025-02] /c.1910. Detroit, Oregon. GSP stereo, unmounted.

PH025-068 Detroit [Two women in yard looking over towards mill. See neg PH025-11.] /c.1910. Detroit, Oregon. GSP stereo, unmounted.

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Maintained by: N. Helmer, spcarref@uoregon.edu

Last Modified: 08/09/2006