Pacifique

This extraordinary archive of eight photo albums filled with over 1700 photographs documents the engineering and military career of Col. Boyd Yaden. The albums begin with his service in the 55th Coastal Artillery in Hawaii from 1926-1928 followed by his work as an engineer for the Federal Public Works Administration in Wrangell Petersburg Sitka Juneau Anchorage and Seward Alaska on construction projects in the 1930s including laying public sewers building power plants railroad trestles and logging camps. Two of the most significant albums document his Executive Officer Commands and post as Division Engineer for the Air Transport Command while building and surveying airfields in California Canada and Alaska during World War II filled with 100s of well-documented construction and aerial photographs. In addition Yaden prepared a career resume album filled with commendation documents work reference information and photographs documenting his many projects.

1920 · 52937 — Klamath Falls OR: Colonel Boyd Yaden & Myrtle Madison Yaden Public Works Administration United States Army Corps of Engineers ca. 1920-1960. Eight albums. 1st - Oblong 14 x 9.25 in. 80 pp unpaginated. With 244 photos sized from 1 x 1 in. up to 7 x 10 in. many hand-coloured as well as a few Real Photo Postcards. Limp calf stamped & decorated in colour on front & back covers sewn w/ rawhide tie at gutter margin; 2nd - Oblong 4to. 11.25 x 7.25 in. 100 pp unpaginated. With 249 original photos many w/ annotations some w/ markings within the negative sized 2.75 x 3.5 in. up to 6.75 x 10 in. Limp black simulated leather post-binder sewn at gutter margin w/ black silk braid silver lettering stamped on front cover. 3rd - 4to. 96 pp unpaginated on thick toned paper stock w/ 154 original photos tipped-in taped and mounted with corners into album some with ink annotations below or beside images. Black boards post-binder sewn at gutter margin w/ black silk braid scuffing edgwear some rubbing occasional tears. 4th - Thick folio. 12.25 x 14.25 in. 70 pp unpaginated. on thick toned paper stock. With 104 photos sized from 4 x5 in. up to 8 x 10 in. most 7 x 10 in. nearly all with text in lower fore-edge of negative or printed in blank below image on lower fore-edge all mounted either with tape or glue. Tan padded boards post-binder sewn at gutter margin w/ brown silk braid some scuffing edgewear rubbing. 5th - Thick folio. 154 pp unpaginated. With 239 photographs sized 3.75 x 5.75 up to 8 x 10 in. many of them are 9 x 9 in. most with text in lower fore-edge of negative or printed in blank below lower fore-edge all mounted either with tape or glue. Embossed & decorated padded dark brown boards post-binder nickel-plated screwposts rear hinge repaired in black tape scuffing rubbing. 6th - 4to. 32 pp unpaginated. typed sheets attached to portfolio leaves with 17 original photos mounted 1 large folding colour map 4 pp. TLS signed by Governor Paul Fannin on Arizona State letterhead 2 TLS from Harry Wildnauer Federal Works Agency and Guy Kirksey Air Corps tipped-in. contained with padded leather portfolio gilt decorations silk endpapers minor scuffing. 7th - Oblong 4to. 12 x 7.5 in. 96 pp unpaginated. thick black paper stock. With 228 original photos sized 7 x 11 in. with two 4 pp. programs for Pig’n Whistle Evening Concerts in Seattle WA. Limp embossed Arts & Crafts brown cloth post-binder black silk braid rounded corners front inner hinge starting. 8th - Oblong folio. 13 x 10.5 in. 100 pp unpaginated. on thick black paper stock. With 484 original photographs many with annotations on versos some mounted with glue others with corners some loose a few missing sized from 1 x 2 in. up to 8 x 10 in. Limp textured brown calf post-binder rounded corners sewn at gutter margin with brown silk braid some edgewear rubbing weakening to many leaves at gutter margin an excellent archive filled with bright images strong contrast. This immense photo album archive assembled by Lt. Colonel Boyd Yaden 1906-1980 incorporates eight albums. The first of these albums document his career serving with the Provisional Co. No. 2 1st Battalion 55th Coastal Artillery of the U.S. Army serving the batteries at Fort Kamehameha Fort Kam. The 55th CA was equipped with 155 mm. Grande Puissance Filloux guns typically mounted atop concrete Panama Mounts which enabled the pieces to traverse 360 degrees as well as 75 mm. field pieces. These remarkable images show the artillery gun crews test firing the 155 mm. guns loading shells night firing camp drills inspections athletics expanding the tracks for the 41st Coast Artillery Locomotive at Fort Kamehameha and more. Of special interest are three photos documenting the first Navy Pacific Flight by Commander John Rodgers in the PN-9 Seaplane from San Pablo CA non-stop to Honolulu HI which ran out of gas and landed in the Pacific Ocean. The crew fashioned sails from wing fabric and later leeboards to steer the flying boat and finally came within 15 miles of Kauai where it was discovered by the USS R-4 submarine. The second & third albums chronicle Boyd Yaden’s life with his wife Myrtle Yaden 1901-1988 moving from Klamath Falls OR to Alaskan Resident Engineer and Inspector for the Public Works Administration overseeing the installation of the sewer system in Petersburg Alaska with several photos showing street scenes digging up of streets to lay pipe earthmoving equipment steam shovels and finally the finished streets with bustling economic activity. In addition there are photos of building railroad trestles bridges and logging operations on Wrangell Island Alaska with photos showing the construction logging sites totem poles and then his work as supervising engineer for the Public Works Administration during the Depression building a power plant near Anchorage AK followed by the project of rebuilding the power plant in Seward AK with photos showing the phases of construction. The third album includes photos of the couple on the steamship SS Hazel B No. 2 hunting & fishing in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest the Pioneers Home in Sitka as well as documenting trips to visit relatives in Seattle North Dakota and New York. Two very large photo albums are devoted to Colonel Yaden’s activities as Division Engineer for United States Army Corps of Engineers and later for the Air Transport Command in Alaska and Western Canada. The albums open with an extensive group of photos of Hammer Field near Fresno California now Fresno Yosemite International Airport with images showing the laying of foundations training crash of a B-24 Bomber June 27 1942 the theaters bowling alley Sub Exchange NCO Club tennis courts recreational facilities swimming pool sandstorms and more. In addition Yaden oversaw the mineral and strategic materials facilities in Trona CA with images of the nearby Ruth Mine loading operations onto trucks and railcars. In 1943 Yaden began an engineering and photographic survey of the Western Canadian air bases for the ATC and has included large photos of Calgary Air Base aerial views of Edmonton Air Base and the Edmonton Air Base Edmonton Airport Wing Hangars under construction the Edmonton Satellite Airport aerial views and detailed photos of the Namao Airbase Alberta along with others such as the Grand Prairie Airbase Dawson Creek Fort Neslon Airbase Watson Lake Y.T. Whitehorse Y.T. and the ATC engineering post including the sawmill lumber racks and construction equipment in Canada. The last half of the fifth album is devoted to airfields and airbases in Alaska including the Northway Airfield showing aircraft landing hangars under construction engineering and structural detail photos Tanacross Airport AK Ladd Field and a whole series of large aerial views of the Galena Flood. Yaden also oversaw Airfield site surveys in Port Clarence Nome Point Spencer Imuruk Basin even including a dog sled team and Native American guide in the depths of winter. In addition The final two albums are devoted to the life and activities of Myrtle A. “Madison†Yaden 1901-1988 who taught school in Whitefish Montana then moved to Mullan Idaho the Puget Sound region during the 1920s and later Klamath Falls where she would meet Boyd Yaden. This album includes photos of the gold dredges in Mullan Idaho near Wallace North Dakota Agricultural College band members Montana High School basketball champions football teams hijinks with fellow students and teachers the YWCA Camp on Bainbridge Island treks to Seattle Poulsbo and other areas around the Sound. Boyd Yaden was the nephew of Oregon Pioneer George Nurse who founded Linkville attended the Univ. of Oregon served with the 55th Coast Artillery in Hawaii joined Battery D 249th Coast Artillery of the Oregon National Guard was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant became a licensed civil engineer in Klamath Falls worked in Alaska Canada California and Oregon where he became an engineering expert on building and working on permafrost in the Arctic and later worked with the Flood Control Agency in Phoenix AZ before returning to Klamath Falls OR as basin engineer. See: Laisa Leao Remembering Hammer Field U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 2015; William Gaines Coast Artillery Organizational History 1917-1950. Part I Coast Artillery Regiments The Coast Defense Journal Vol. 23 Issue 2 pp. 29-31; Siemon Muller Frozen in Time: Permafrost and Engineering Problems 2008. Colonel Boyd Yaden & Myrtle Madison Yaden, Public Works Administration, United States Army Corps of Engineers, hardcover