(Photo courtesy of Washington State Library)

With November being Native American Heritage Month, the third and final “candidate” for our most recent “Library jewels” series is fittingly about a State Library collection related to Washington’s Native American history.

This amazing collection of papers and photos is from Alanson Wesley Smith.  The collection, which began in 1876, covers 1853 to 1935. It includes Bureau of Indian Affairs correspondence and records, mostly correspondence between Smith and the Indian agents at Neah Bay and the personal correspondence written by Native Americans to Smith. There are Native American censuses that include the Native American and English names, age, sex and relationships. The censuses included are Makah Indians on the Ozette Reservation taken Feb. 1881; Hoh Reservation taken 1892, 1895, 1896, 1903; Quileute Indians taken 1891-92, 1895-96, 1901-1903. The material covering the Bureau of Indian Affairs has been microfilmed.

In addition, there are about 125 photographs, most of which were taken between 1877 and 1910, including four glass negatives. There are scenes of Neah Bay, La Push and Mora, along with portraits of Native Americans, pioneer settlers and Smith and related family photographs. The photo above was taken in La Push in the 1890s. It features members of the Quileute tribe.  There are several cinetype photographs within the collection. The collection also includes a map titled “Quillayute Harbor and River, Washington” by John Zug, published in 1897. It is housed separately in the State Library’s rare map collection.

The personal correspondence includes letters among the Smith, Bright and Pullen families. The business correspondence includes records and correspondence connected with Mr. Smith’s public offices. There are journals and account books including a journal of A. W. Smith’s father. There are materials for: Glendale Creamery, 1914-1934; Forks Cooperative Creamery, 1922-1934 and the Brightside Dairy, 1907-1934. The collection includes information about the school attendance records of La Push, WA for 1884-1887.

We’ll launch an online poll of our three Library jewels later this week, so make sure to vote for your favorite. You’e not tired of voting, are you?