Donald Schmechel Oral History Collection
Watch oral histories with prominent figures in the Pacific Northwest including artists Jacob Lawrence and Kenneth Callahan; Governors Albert Rosellini and Dixy Lee Ray and Reverends David Colwell and Samuel McKinney.
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Queen Anne from West Seattle, August 27, 1976
Taken from West Seattle, this image shows Queen Anne with the Space Needle visible, and part of downtown Seattle in the distance across Elliott Bay.
Identifier: spl_dor_00003
Date: 1976-08-27
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Portage Bay, Montlake with Laurelhurst in distance, May 15, 1925
Montlake Bridge and Portage Bay from Shelby Street, May 15, 1925 cropped from original photograph taken by photographer Asahel Curtis.
Identifier: spl_dor_00010
Date: 1925-05-15
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Richard Gilkey Interview, June 14, 1986
Richard Gilkey (1925-1997) was a painter and sculptor who was part of the Northwest School of Artists. Gilkey was born in Bellingham, Washington. His family moved to Seattle when he was 12 and he attended Ballard High School. During World War II, Gilkey served with the Marine Corps and was discharged because of injuries in August 1944. Following the war, he began to develop an interest in artwork and was particularly inspired by the work of fellow Pacific Northwest artists Mark Tobey and Guy Anderson. His work was featured in the 1948 Northwest Annual Exhibition and in 1958 Gilkey was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, allowing him to travel through Europe and further develop his skills. In 1975, he purchased a Skagit Valley home and developed an art studio where his work was increasingly inspired by the surrounding environment. His painting came to a sudden halt when he was in a car accident in 1984, which left him unable to paint for three years due to crushed vertebrae. He slowly made his way back into the art world and was awarded the Washington State Governor’s Art Award in 1990. The same year he was awarded the grand prize in the Osaka Triennale 1990 exhibit. Notice of the award came on the same day that a Skagit River levee broke and flooded his home and studio. Following a severe lung cancer diagnosis in 1997, Gilkey drove from Seattle to Jackson Hole, Wyoming with his revolver and committed suicide near Togwatee Pass. Gilkey’s works have been featured internationally and included in collections of institutions such as the Seattle Art Museum.
Identifier: spl_ds_rgilkey_01
Date: 1986-06-14
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Baist's Real Estate Atlas of Surveys of Seattle, Wash - Plate 4
Baist Real Estate atlases of Seattle were published in 1905, 1908, and 1912. The atlases show property ownership (for large tracts), plats, block and lot numbers, streets, buildings, sewers, water mains, electric railways, and steam railroads.
Identifier: spl_maps_341191.4
Date: 1905
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Atlantic Neighborhood, ca. 1975
Map of of the Atlantic neighborhood showing significant landmarks, businesses and residences.
Identifier: spl_maps_2485335
Date: 1975?
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Baist's Real Estate Atlas of Surveys of Seattle, Wash - Plate 17
Baist Real Estate atlases of Seattle were published in 1905, 1908, and 1912. The atlases show property ownership (for large tracts), plats, block and lot numbers, streets, buildings, sewers, water mains, electric railways, and steam railroads.
Identifier: spl_maps_341191.17
Date: 1905
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Nome flats from near Anvil Creek, ca. 1899
Gold was first discovered at Anvil Creek in the summer of 1898 setting off the Nome Gold Rush. Prospectors hurried to stake claims and Nome's population quickly ballooned to 10,000 people. In 1899, more gold was discovered on beaches near the town and spurred an even greater rush of visitors. By 1900, an estimated 1,000 people a day were arriving in Nome. Pillsbury took some of the first available photographs of the Nome. Following his departure, the winter conditions made it too difficult for others to reach the area.
Identifier: spl_ap_00013
Date: 1899?
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Karl William Edmark Interview, January 7, 1986
Dr. Karl William Edmark (1924-1994) was a cardiovascular surgeon responsible for the invention of the heart defibrillator.
Identifier: spl_ds_wedmark_01
Date: 1986-01-07
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Samuel McKinney Interview, August 17, 1987
Reverend Samuel McKinney (1926-2018) was pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church for 40 years and a major leader in Seattle’s civil rights movement. McKinney was born in Flint, Michigan and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He served in the Air Force during World War II and in 1949 graduated from Morehouse College where one of his classmates was Martin Luther King Jr. In 1952 he graduated from Colgate Rochester Divinity School and in 1953 married his wife Louise. Together the couple moved to Seattle in 1958 where McKinney became the pastor of Mt. Zion. McKinney was a tireless advocate for social and civil rights causes. He was one of the founders of the Seattle Opportunities Industrialization Center, an organization providing job training; helped start Seattle’s first black-owned bank to help community members obtain home loans after discirimation from other banks; advocated for Seattle’s fair housing act as a member of the Seattle Human Rights Commission and participated in civil rights marches and demonstrations nationwide.
Identifier: spl_ds_smckinney_01
Date: 1987-08-17
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Hugo Eppich Interview, April 15, 1987
Hugo Eppich (1933-) was born in Yugoslavia. Together with his twin brother, Helmut, Hugo moved to Canada in 1953. They founded Ebco Industries Ltd in 1956 which specializes in metal fabrication. In 1990, the brothers received the BC Business Entrepreneurs of the Year award.
Identifier: spl_ds_hueppich_01
Date: 1987-04-15
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