Capt. H.W. Johnson of the Invincible

From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library:

Last week we asked if any Between the Lines readers could help us in identifying the first of two ships that brought the Territorial Library collection from New York to San Francisco in 1853. The story of the second ship, the Tarquinia, which delivered the books in the final leg of the journey is well known, but the first ship has been a mystery to us.

Until now.

Rich Edwards, a retired WSL Program Manager for Technical Services and now serving as the Historian for the South Thurston County Historical Society, dove into the mystery and surfaced with the identity of the ship, the Invincible! Considering the history of WSL, that’s a very fitting name for the clipper that carried the embryonic library around the Horn.

The ship left New York on May 21, 1853 and arrived in San Francisco 110 days later.

According to Rich:

“I have undertaken this research and believe I have found an answer for you. Happy Birthday!

Daily Alta California, 26 September 1853, Page 2, column 5, Consignee Notices:

Consignees of the following goods, per ship Invincible, from New York, are hereby notified that if not called for on or before Monday, the 26th inst, sufficient of the same will be sold to pay freight and charges.

 Thirty-two cases books, marked Gen. J. J. Stevens, Olympia, Washington Territory, shipped by C.B. Norton, consigned to Major R.P. Hammond.

 Alsop & Co.

The same entry appears in the 24-25 September 1853 newspaper.

In the 12 September 1853 newspaper, there is this announcement:

Ship Invincible, from New York will commence discharging this day, Saturday, Sept 10th at Cunningham’s wharf. Consignees are requested to call at our office, pay freight, and receive orders or their goods. All merchandise left on the wharf after 5 o’clock P M, will be stored at the expense and risk of the owners thereof. Alsop & Co.

The same entry appears in the 23 September 1853 newspaper.

The Maritime Heritage Virtual Archives has an entry:

Invincible

 1853 May 21 – September 9

 Sailed from New York to San Francisco in 110 days.

The Daily Alta California for September 10, 1853, page 2, column 5, section “Shipping Intelligence”:

Sept 9-Clipper ship Invincible, Johnson, 110 days fm New York, mdse to Alsop & Co; 4 pass.

 This confirms the ship left New York May 21st.

There is also a notice in the Daily Alta California on 17 August 1853, page 2, column 4, section “Spoken”:

June 1, lat 29 13, long 39 56, ship Invincible, from New York, (May 21).

 And here is a brief history: The Invincible was designed by William H. Webb (1816-1899) and built in his prolific New York shipyard in 1851. The 221 ft. clipper was owned by J. W. Phillips, and others, of New York and commanded by Captain H.W. Johnson for several years. Built for speed she was an ideal vessel for trade conducted with China at that time. She was lost by fire in New York Harbor in 1867. (Arthur Hamilton Clark The Clipper Ship Era: An Epitome of Famous American and British Clipper Ships, Their Owners, Builders, Commanders, and Crews, 1843-1869, New York and London 1910).”

Thank you, Rich! Looks like our 160 celebration is off to a great start!

Governor Isaac Stevens

From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library:

160 years! And our flame continues to illuminate the world around us.

The Washington State Library is celebrating its 160th birthday in 2013. Why is this an important number? First, no other public cultural or educational institution in Washington can make this claim. And second, not only are we are still here but WSL staff continue to provide excellent access to the information needs of the people and libraries of The Evergreen State. And third, our story is the story of Washington Territory and State. We were here from the very start and have evolved with the times, consistently reflecting the history taking place around us.

So as we kick off a series of blogposts covering this event let us go back to the Organic Act of 1853, which created Washington Territory and included:

SEC. 17. And be it further enacted, That the sum of five thousand dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to be expended, by and under the direction of the Governor of Washington, in the purchase of a library, to be kept at the seat of government for the use of the Governor, legislative assembly, Judges of the Supreme Court, secretary, marshal, and Attorney of said Territory, and such other persons, and under such regulations, as shall be prescribed by law.

Millard FIllmore

The name of President Millard Fillmore usually evokes a snicker, but he was actually an important figure in our history since it was his signature that created Washington Territory. And yet, from what I can find, not one single political or geographic area is named in his honor here in Washington.

When Isaac Stevens was appointed the first territorial governor, among the many tasks he was charged with included the selection of the library. As our webpage states: “… Stevens purchased books from H. Bailliere of London and C.B. Norton and Co. of New York City; collected archival documents from all the states of the union; acquired the still unpublished Wilkes Expedition charts, having them printed by George F. Lewis of Philadelphia; and made arrangements for the casing and portage of these materials through vendors in New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. The first 2,000 books travelled by an unknown steamer.”

There’s more, but I’ll stop at the “unknown steamer” mention in order to present the first of many historical mysteries in the WSL story as we enlist the help of you readers and historians out there to participate in enriching our narrative.

The couple thousand or so volumes of the original Territorial Collection were loaded on the East Coast and made the journey around the tip of South America to San Francisco, where they changed ships. The Brig Tarquina, with the literary cargo, left the Bay Area and arrived in Olympia in October 23, 1853, a month before Stevens himself arrived via an overland route.

William Robertson

WSL librarian Hazel Mills back in the 1950s was the first to really start digging into the identity of the first ship, but the name of the craft has continually eluded researchers. We do have data on the second ship, the Tarquina. It was built in Perth Amboy, NJ in 1844, a 90 ft. long two mast squarerigger and at the time of the Library transfer was skippered by William Robertson (1809-1888), a native of Norfolk, Virginia, who later became the first lighthouse keeper on Whidbey Island. I find it fitting that the ship’s captain who delivered the first library collection to Washington later became someone who provided illumination for safe passage.

The Tarquina was under consideration, as it turned out needlessly, by Olympia residents as a place of refuge during the conflicts with the Native Americans in 1856. Later that same year the ship went down in the Sea of Okhotsk while stuck in ice.

WSL still holds 400 titles (800 volumes) of the original Territorial Collection, as well as two globes that made the journey in 1853. Other additional Territorial volumes followed the State Law Library when they split from WSL a little over a century ago. So, hopefully I have presented a worthy research challenge to you marine historians out there. Anyone who can provide evidence of the name of the first ship would be giving WSL a great 160th birthday present!

From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library:

This week’s random article comes from the Jan. 5, 1901 issue of The Ballard News, published at a time when Ballard was an independent incorporated city. But the news itself is actually about Seattle, and the almost total destruction of the Seattle Public Library by fire on the evening where 1900 turned into 1901.

According to John Douglas Marshall’s book, Place of Learning, Place of Dreams (2004), SPL had struggled in the early years to find funding and a permanent home. On Jan. 12, 1899 the Library opened in the posh quarters of the Yesler mansion, and patron usage soared. But City Librarian Charles Wesley Smith expressed concern the enormous Victorian wooden structure was a fire hazard. The memories of Seattle’s great 1889 inferno were still fresh.

Smith’s fears were well founded. Practically the whole collection went up in smoke on the cusp of 1900/1901. Andrew Carnegie came to the rescue and in short order a fine new library was constructed. The cause of the fire was never fully explained. There was some feeling it was sparked by someone who wanted to force the issue of finding a secure home for SPL. One prominent Seattle educator even declared, “All glory to the man who applied the torch.”

This article was apparently originally published in the Seattle Mail and Herald. It is interesting how many of the points made in promoting the local library in 1901 remain valid over a century later:

 $35,000 WORTH OF BOOKS

 That Was Seattle’s Loss in Tuesday Night’s Fire

 “Ever since Seattle’s great fire the city has been learning to turn apparent evil into good and to make the most of her calamities. The same spirit which prompted her to rise up in the ashes of 1889 and build on new foundations the basis of a greater city than could ever have sprung from the old, will not desert her now, as she stands and looks in the ashes of what was, a few days since, the pride of every man, woman and child on Puget Sound,– the Seattle Public Library.”

“All are by this time acquainted with the fact that on New Year’s night the library, consisting of $35,000 worth of books and  paraphernalia, was destroyed by fire.”

“Until this calamity few people had known in just what an exalted position they held this institution; but the calamity has appealed more directly to the people than would the destruction of any other institution, public or private, in the city, with the possible exception of the University.”

“A public library such as this, is of incalculable value to any city in which it is located. A public library operated in such a satisfactory way as was this one is, we believe, of as much value to the city as the churches combined.”

“The Seattle Library had 8,200 patrons, and it may be safely calculated on the basis of five readers for every card– more than 40,000 readers.”

“It had an average of 2,500 visitors daily. The number going in and out of the library building on last Thanksgiving day, aggregated 3,000.”

“There is another fact– and it is important– that hundreds and even thousands of men and girls, who had not decent rooms or apartments, spent all their leisure time in the library. Now that the establishment is destroyed and temporarily inaccessible, they are seen walking listlessly about the streets or lounging in clubs or saloons– for they are out of a home. These, and the further fact that education and high ideals are the acknowledged solution to the problem of crime, are some of the reasons urged why the Seattle Public Library was of such vital importance to the city. Outside of all other argument there is the fact that no other city of Seattle’s size could afford to be without a well equipped complete library.”

“We desire to commend the Library committee of the city council upon their prompt and decisive action. It seems that they have no other thought in mind than that the city must at once proceed, not only to place the library back in even a better state than before, but more important than all else, to purchase a site, forthwith, and construct a fireproof library building that will answer for all time.”

“This is as it should be. Seattle is not a city of ephemeral hopes and iridescent booms. She is building for all time. Mr. Smith, the man who has conducted to such perfect satisfaction, the affairs of the City Library for so many years, has been working for two years past to this one end– a permanent library building for Seattle. The city can afford to take up the matter at once,– rather, it can not afford not to, and we are glad to be able to inform our readers that the committee will report to this effect to the city council.”

“The locations being considered as most desirable are, we are informed, the present site and the old University grounds. It is not known that either of these is available at reasonable figures, but they, together with others, are under contemplation of the committee.”

The American Library Association (ALA) celebrates Banned Books Week from September 30th to October 6th.  Banned Books Week celebrates its 30th year raising awareness about censorship and intellectual freedom by highlighting each state (including Washington) and its history of intellectual freedom.  ALA has also created a YouTube site that features book lovers reading passages from their favorite banned books.

The Washington State Library celebrates Banned Books Week by informing everyone that many Washington libraries have policies on intellectual freedom, and all should have a collection development policy that guides what books the library will purchase.  In addition, most libraries also have policies and procedures for patrons to voice their complaints regarding materials present in the library’s collection.  These complaints are then normally presented to the library director or library board to determine the appropriateness of the complaint based on the collection development policy.  If you are curious about what your libraries policies are, give them a call or visit their website; libraries freely offer this information to all that ask.

The most commonly banned books may not be items one would normally guess.  Many of them are considered classics, or are books written primarily for children or young adults.  ALA publishes a list every year of the most frequently banned books.  The top ten for 2011 are as follows:

1. ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
2. The Color of Earth (series), by Kim Dong Hwa
3. The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins
4. My Mom’s Having A Baby! A Kid’s Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy, by Dori Hillestad Butler
5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
6. Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
7. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
8. What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones
9. Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily Von Ziegesar
10. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

ALA Banned Books websites:

http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/bannedbooksweek?fref=ts

Today, August 9, is said to be Book Lovers Day. I can’t find out much about the origins or history of this “holiday,” but it’s all over the web, so it must be true, right?! ☺ Also, I heard it on my local NPR station this morning.

I thought I’d celebrate the occasion by posting this picture I took in the Ft. Vancouver High School Library Media Center a while back. The picture features one of my favorite book quotes, which happens to be from poet Emily Dickinson:

There is no frigate like a book to take us lands away.

I love books, and I love reading, so this is definitely MY day. I hope it’s your day, too!

If anyone knows anything more about Book Lovers Day, please feel free to post a comment.

Happy Book Lovers Day, everyone!

Dancing through the stacks

This  prize winning tap dancing video was filmed at the Mill Creek branch of the Sno-Isle libraries. Enjoy!

Did you ever wonder what that symbol on great granddad’s tombstone meant? Stories in Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography is just what you need. 

This is an outstanding resource for deciphering cemetery symbolism. It includes hundreds of beautiful color photographs from cemeteries around the world.

The chapter on fraternal organizations and secret societies is especially fascinating.  If you can identify one of these symbols on an ancestor’s grave, it may lead you down a new path of research!

Ever wonder what an anaplerotic is?

How about a faldstool or a knockknobbier?

If you’ve ever run across strange words in historical records, Ancestry’s Concise Genealogical Dictionary can help. It defines a wide range of obscure legal and colloquial words and phrases that you may find when researching your family history.

In case you’re wondering:

Anaplerotic: “Medicine which promoted the healing process and helps renew flesh or wasted parts—often found in medical records.”

Faldstool: “A portable folding seat used by a bishop when visiting other churches; a portable stool or desk used in praying.”

Knockknobbier: “The person whose duty it was to chase dogs out of church if they became a nuisance.”

Volume 6, December 9, 2010 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) FREE BOOKS FOR DISCUSSION KITS OR COMMUNITY READS

2) WALNET RFQ RELEASED

3) WCOG EVENT HONORS BALLARD AND THOMPSON

4) IMLS NATIONAL LEADERSHIP GRANTS

5) NANCY PEARL PRESENTS – BOOKS THAT MAKE GREAT GIFTS

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Read the rest of this entry »

Volume 6, October 7, 2010 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) NEW DIGITAL COLLECTION – SKAMANIA COUNTY HERITAGE

2) WORKPLACE BULLYING SURVEY

3) EXCEPTIONAL FAMILY LITERACY PROGRAMS RECOGNIZED

4) FREE BOOKS FOR DISCUSSION KITS OR COMMUNITY READS

5) PLA AWARD AND GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

6) ALCTS LIBRARY METADATA POLICY E-FORUM

7) EVALUATING MEDICAL INFORMATION ON THE WEB

8) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Read the rest of this entry »