[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].

[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).