Charles Browne Mount Rainier Park Ranger photographs and other material,

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1 Charles Browne Mount Rainier Park Ranger photographs and other material, Overview of the Collection Collector Browne, Charles, Title Charles Browne Mount Rainier Park Ranger photographs and other material Dates (inclusive) (bulk) Quantity 1 box, including 81 photographs, (.21 cubic feet) Collection Number (accession) Summary Photographs and other materials related to the work of a National Park Ranger, mostly in Mount Rainier National Park, including materials related to search and rescue operations Repository Museum of History & Industry, Sophie Frye Bass Library Sophie Frye Bass Library Museum of History & Industry P.O. Box Seattle, WA Telephone: Fax: library@mohai.org Access Restrictions The collection is open to the public by appointment. Languages English. Biographical Note Charles Browne was born in Tacoma, Washington on July 15, Browne was an avid mountain climber since his youth, climbing all the major peaks in the Northwest and leading parties of mountaineers to the summit of Mount Rainier. As a young man, Browne worked as a seaman and a logger before becoming a park ranger around 1927, first working summers before being hired as a full time ranger. Ranger Browne spent many years in Mount Rainier National Park, transferring to Olympic National Park sometime prior to Browne was also a champion skier and a longtime member of the Mountaineers Club. After 37 years of service, Browne retired from the National Park Service in He and his wife lived in Port Angeles, Washington until his death in January Charles Browne took part in several search and rescue operations as part of his Park Ranger duties. He led the team that helped rescue four climbers and recover the bodies of two others in the "Greathouse accident" on Mount Rainier in For his leadership in the rescue operation and the recovery of the bodies of Edwin Wetzel and Forrest Greathouse, Ranger Browne was awarded the first citation for heroism ever given by the Department of the Interior. 1

2 Content Description Photographs, writings, correspondence and clippings related to Charles Browne's work as a Park Ranger, mostly at Mount Rainier National Park, and also at Olympic National Park. Photographs include images of Browne alone and with other Park Rangers, tourist groups and others; of search and rescue parties; and of the Greathouse rescue operation in Writings include a handwritten autobiographical essay and short poems by Browne. Correspondence is related to Browne's role in the Greathouse party rescue and recovery operation in 1929, including a letter from National Park Service Superintendent O.A. Tomlinson notifying him of receipt of a special citation from the U.S. Department of the Interior, the first of its kind ever issued. Most of the clippings document search and rescue operations, particularly the 1929 Greathouse search and the 1931 search for climber Robert Zinn. Use of the Collection Alternative Forms Available View selections from the collection by clicking on the camera icons in the inventory below. Restrictions on Use The Museum of History & Industry is the owner of the materials in the Sophie Frye Bass Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from MOHAI before any reproduction use. The museum does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners. Preferred Citation Charles Browne Mount Rainier Park Ranger photographs and other material, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle Administrative Information Location of Collection 3a.4.6 Acquisition Information Gift of Deborah Reynolds (Charles Browne's great-niece), January 6, Processing Note Processed by Leila Martin and Jody Hendrickson,

3 Detailed Description of the Collection The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection. Photographs, photographs All of the photographs depict scenes in Mount Rainier National Park unless otherwise indicated. Container(s) Description Dates Charles Browne 11 photographs Mostly photographs of Charles Browne at work in Mount Rainier National Park ; /1 1: Charles Browne with ice axe in snow /2 2: Charles Browne in ranger uniform near car with Mount Rainier in background /3 3: Charles Browne with ice axe near crevasse[view] circa /4 4: Charles Browne in parka near skis circa /5 5: Charles Browne in front of Camp Muir building Paul A. Williams (photographer) 1/5 6-7: Man on skis, probably Charles Browne 2 photographs 1/5 8-9: Charles Browne in front of building in Paradise Valley 2 photographs 1/5 10: Charles Browne sitting near fireplace in living room of White River entrance ranger station 1/5 11: Charles Browne at New Year's Eve party Writing on verso: Golf Club, New Year's Eve, Ranger work circa 1930 circa 1930 circa 1931 circa circa early 1930s 3

4 1/ : Charles Browne and others in deep snow on and near park buildings 6 photographs Photographs, probably taken after blizzards which covered park buildings deeply in snow, depict Charles Browne and others near buildings, digging out buildings, standing on roofs, and skiing down a roof. Bears 3 photographs circa early 1930s /7 19: Four men, including Charles Browne, near Park automobile with bear trap on trailer [view] /7 20: Bear exiting from trap /7 21: Charles Browne and bear facing each other Writing on verso: C.R. Browne at Paradise, Mt. Rainier National Park circa /8 22: Four man survey team on Tatoosh trail Identifications on verso: left to right--charles Browne, O.A. Tomlinson (Superintendent), Ed Davidson, landscape architect, and Asahel Curtis, Chairmen of the Rainier National Park Advisory Board Other writing on verso: Surveying choice of routes for Stevens Canyon road or 1931 (probably '31) 1/ : Charles Browne and another man climbing near crevasses 4 photographs Photographs depict the two men in shirt sleeves carrying ice axes and backpacks near crevasses. 1/ : Ranger groups 11 photographs These photographs depict posed groups of rangers, mostly near park buildings. Charles Browne appears in most of the circa circa 1930s 4

5 photographs. Some of the photographs include men who appear to be National Park Service officers. Charles Browne and others 1/11 38: Charles Browne with man and women circa 1920s 1/11 39: Charles Browne and three men on skis circa /11 40: Charles Browne with four men on skis, Browne shaking hands with one of them 1/ : Charles Browne and climbing party, possibly other rangers These two photographs depict a group of climbers resting on rocks, and outside the Camp Muir building. As they appear to be the same individuals and are numbered consecutively by the photographer, they were probably taken on the same climb. 1/ : Charles Browne and climbing party, possibly other rangers[view] These two photographs depict a group of climbers posed on flat ground with ice axes and in snow outside the Camp Muir building. circa /14 45: Charles Browne leading five women on hike in snow circa /14 46: Charles Browne and Ellsworth Lumley in front of building Written on verso: "Lumley." circa /15 47: Charles Browne with eight men on snowshoes circa /16 48: Charles Browne in ranger uniform with group of men, women and children on path near grassy field Written on verso: C.B. Browne - Paradise Ranger leading a nature walk, /17 49: Port Angeles Ski Patrol members and Charles Browne on skis in Deer Park, Olympic National Park Neil Mortiboy (photographer) Left to right: Charles Browne, junior patrol member Gary Kish, and Port Angeles Ski Patrol members Hans Culland, Curtis Barnard and Wilfred Bower January 5

6 Search and rescue operations 1929; rescue operation Often referred to as "the Greathouse accident," the most highly publicized tragedy in Mount Rainier climbing history occurred on July 2, 1929 when six climbers slid into a deep crevasse on upper Ingraham Glacier. On the first summit attempt of the 1929 season, apprentice guide and Lincoln High School football coach, Forrest Greathouse, and climber Edwin A. Wetzel were killed and the other four climbers badly injured. The search and rescue operation spanned six days, with the body of Forrest Greathouse recovered on July 7th, chopped from the snow and ice by Charles Browne, who had been lowered into the crevasse Greathouse search parties /18 50: First search party This photograph depicts the group of men who conducted the first, futile search for the Forrest Greathouse's body, returning July 6. Standing left to right: Charles Browne, Thomas Hermans, Waldo Chamberlain, John Day, Monty Snider, Kenneth Olson, Frank Willard, Orville Pound, Ben Smith, Nulson Widman, John M. Davis, Harold Lancourt. Kneeling: Ellsworth Lumley and Lewis Buckmaster. 1/18 51: Second search party[view] This photograph depicts the group of men who conducted the second, successful search for Forrest Greathouse's body, leaving July 6, many of them the same men who had just returned from the first search. Standing left to right: Dr. Otto Strezik, Walter Best, Otto Geise, Lewis Buckmaster, Charles Browne, Harry Hale, Kenneth Olson, John Day, Monty Snider, Nulson Widman and Ben Thompson. Caption attached to verso: Rescue Climber's Body. Led by Charles Browne, ranger in Rainier National Park, eleven volunteers recovered the body of Forrest Greathouse from a crevasse on Mount Rainier. Greathouse was one of two men killed when a group of six men fell into the crevasse while making their way down the mountain after climbing to the summit. The body lay in the crevasse for five days before it could be reached July 1929 July 6

7 1/ : Greathouse rescue[view] 20 photographs 3.5 x 5.5 inches All of the photographs are marked with photographer's number plus a letter suffix. Some of these photographs appeared in the Seattle Times and were possibly taken by a Times staff photographer. The photographs depict the area of the crevasse, rescuers climbing to the crevasse, men inside the crevasse, and Greathouse's body being recovered. Robert Zinn rescue 1929 July 1931 July 1/20 72: Rescue team on horseback[view] Identifications written on verso. Left to right: Pony Guide Paul Anderson, Chief Ranger John Davis, Ranger L.E. Devlin, District Ranger Charles Browne, Ranger Don Loehrke, Guide Frank Willard, Guide Bill Butler, Robert Mace, Pony Guide "Stub" Bennett. 1/20 73: Rescue team seated with ice axes Identifications attached on verso. Left to right: Chief Ranger John Davis, George McCormick, Bob Hogan, Guide Doug Ward, Ranger Howard Coombs, Guide Bill Butler, Ranger Don Loehrke, Ranger Robinson, Orville Pound, James Pryde, Ranger L.E. Devlin, Guide Frank Willard, Ranger Frank Greer, District Ranger Charles Browne July July 7 Miscellaneous photographs 1/21 74: Charles Browne and woman in snow holding trophies Written on verso: Winners of Mountaineers Club ski races at Snoqualmie Pass. Mrs. Costello - Chas. B. Browne - Harper Cup - Snoqualmie Lodge /21 75: Mountaineers Annual Banquet at Chamber of Commerce Banquet Hall, Seattle Harry A. Kirwin Charles Browne is seated at long table at left Panoramas of Mount Rainier National Park 5 photographs 5 x 13 inches February 7 undated 7

8 1/22 76: Anvil Rock lookout undated 1/22 77: Mount Rainier from Fremont lookout undated 1/22 78: Mount Rainier view undated 1/22 79: View south from Anvil Rock, showing heavy fog undated 1/22 80: Little Tahoma Rock and Cowlitz Glacier undated 1/22 81: Panorama of the survey camp at Moose Lake, Olympic National Park 1 photograph 5 x 12 inches undated Writings and correspondence Container(s) Description Dates 1/23 82: Biography Three page handwritten biographical outline, probably written by Charles Browne, 1/24 83: Letter from Charles Browne to O.A. Tomlinson, Mount Rainier Park Superintendent 5 pages Letter consists of a detailed report of the 1929 Greathouse rescue operation. after July 8 1/25 84: Letter from Arthur Wetzel 1929 July 26 1/ : U.S. Department of the Interior press releases Four press releases which mention Charles Browne: one reporting on an inspection by Superintendent Tomlinson on a climb to the summit; one announcing upcoming training session in fire fighting, led by Browne and others; and two announcing Charles Browne's citation for "heroism and exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service," the first such citation circa s 8

9 ever issued by the department, for his leading role in the 1929 rescue operation on Mount Rainier. 1/ : U.S. Department of Interior correspondence regarding Browne's citation for heroism and subsequent promotion 4 letters Three letters are addressed to Charles Browne, and one to Mount Rainier National Park Superintendent O.A. Tomlinson 1/ : Miscellaneous correspondence 5 items Includes a letter from the Seattle Chamber of Commerce citing Browne's heroism in recovering the body of his colleague on Mount Rainier (1936); a letter from the Department of the Interior regarding rules for cross country skiing at Olympic National Park (1941); and letters regarding his retirement in / : Poems by Charles Browne 2 poems 1929 July- August undated Clippings, folders Container(s) Description Dates 1/ : Mount Rainier accident and rescue 2 folders Folder 30 includes articles accounting the climb, accident search and aftermath (survivors); folder 31 contains articles in praise of Charles Browne's leading role in the rescue, including his receipt of the first citation for heroism issued by the Department of the Interior July 1/32 102: Robert K. Zinn accident and rescue operation 1931 July 1/33 103: Charles Brown--miscellaneous /34 104: Mount Rainier National Park--miscellaneous Includes a clipping about the recovery of the body of Richard J. Pearce from an avalanche and an ascent of Mount Rainier by Park superintendent O.A. Tomlinson

10 Names and Subjects Subject Terms : Mountaineering--Washington (State)--Mount Rainier National Park National parks and reserves--search and rescue operations--washington (State)--Mount Rainier National Park Park rangers--washington (State)--Mount Rainier National Park Personal Names : Browne, Charles, Geographical Names : Mount Rainier National Park (Wash.) Form or Genre Terms : Ephemera Photographic prints Finding aid prepared by Jody Hendrickson 2009 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License: Creative Commons Licenses in Archives West: