In addition to the photo I posted several days ago, I wanted to share another photo which appears to have been taken on the same day. I believe, but am not certain, that my Great Aunt Zetta Blacker is fourth from the right.
The note on the back of this photo reads:
Mt. Rainier July – 1913.
A Crevasse in Stevens Glacier –
We are over 7,000 feet up the Mountain.
And here’s the photo I posted two days ago.
Aren’t these images great?!? I feel fortunate to have so many wonderful photographs on both sides of my family. These particular photos really got me wondering about this event – and now I have a ton of questions!
First off, some observations. The climbing party in the photo above appears to be all female (16 to be exact) – with the exception of three men – and of course whoever took the photos.
Secondly, the questions. Was this an all-female climbing party? Were the men acting as climbing guides or were they part of the group? Was this an unusual situation or commonplace? Did Zetta know any of these women outside of this event?
And finally, some possible answers. It turns out that female climbers were not unusual in this time period. In fact, just one year earlier in the summer of 1912, a group of both men and women known as the “Mountaineers” explored the parks and glaciers on the north side. Due to severe weather conditions, only nine of the most experienced climbers actually made it all the way to the summit on August 3rd, the trip having begun on July 20th and ended on August 10th. A complete description of the outing is located here, as well as two photograph albums that are certainly worth a peek!
Also, I found some information about Stevens Glacier, indicating it was a popular main attraction in this time frame:
Paradise-Stevens Glacier
Nearly a century ago, one of the main attractions in the park was the Paradise-Stevens Glacier area. At that time, Paradise-Stevens Glacier was riddled with ice caves and crevasses and was within easy walking distance of major roads. [1]
As to whether Zetta knew any of the women in the climbing party, I started with some basic facts.
Zetta lived in Helena in 1913 but did travel to California on occasion to visit her sister Helen (although it is unknown whether Helen was living there as early as 1913). Also, Zetta had attended an all women’s college in Oakland – Mills College – so she may have travelled there to see friends. Perhaps the visit to Mr. Rainier was a pre-planned event that included some old college friends?
It also turns out my Mom had some information regarding the identity of the other two women in the photo I posted two days ago. She had a small piece of paper that appears to be an old photocopy of the back of the photo, and which contains the following names:
Miss Carter
Miss Shiack [or Shiach?]
Zetta B.
I did some searching in the 1910 U.S. Census records to see if I could locate a female living in Helena by the last name of “Shiack” of “Schiach” but came up empty-handed. A search of the last name “Carter”, without a first name, was also a dead-end. I decided to send an email to Mills College to see what information I can learn about Zetta’s time there. And maybe I can also find out whether she had any classmates by these names. I’ll let you know what I find out.
[1] National Park Service. “Mount Rainier Glaciers.” Nps.gov. National Park Service, n.d. [http://www.nps.gov/mora/learn/nature/mount-rainier-glaciers.htm#CP_JUMP_766195. : Accessed 6 Nov. 2015].
