The Alaska Steamship Company was formed in 1894, initially to ship passengers and fishing products between Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. The company was able to quickly expand service to the Yukon during the 1896-1899 gold rush, and the company prospered until World War II, when the government took over the company's ships.
The brochure pictured here is in the shape of a Totem Pole and was intended for the Alaskan tourist market, enticing passengers to see the "Northern Wonderland while it is still primeval." Potential travelers were advised to contact the General Freight and Passenger Agent, L. W. Baker. Leslie William Baker (1892-1971) moved to Seattle with his parents about 1905 from Minnesota. He got his first job with Alaska Steamship Company about ten years later and in 1920 was a Traffic Manager. In 1947 Mr. Baker retired as vice president and general manager of the company.
Caption information source: "Now & Then - Seattle Waterfront at Northern Pacific Railroad Piers (Pier 56)" by Paul Dorpat, HistoryLink.org Essay 2578.
Physical Description: 1 folded leaflet ; 2 x 8.25 in.
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant. Metadata updated as part of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Library Services and Technology Act, through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.
