Guide to the Charles S. Harvard papers
1912-1973
Collection number: HMC-0425.
Creator: Harvard, Charles S.
Title: Charles S. Harvard papers.
Dates: 1912-1973.
Volume of collection: 2.9 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Materials in this collection are in English.
Collection summary: Papers of an engineer for the Alaska Railroad.
Biographical note:
Charles Seaton Harvard was born on October 28, 1892, in Medway Station, Hamilton County, Kansas to Daniel Earl Harvard and Emma Thompson Hughes. Between 1911 and 1912, he worked as a computer for Bixby and White in Los Angeles. His railroad career began in 1912 when he was employed by the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company as an engineer where he worked until joining the Merchant Marine. Mr. Harvard served on the Crissfield, the Valdez, the Alice Cooke, the Explorer, the Burnside and other ships sailing to various ports in the Pacific. He became a certified lifeboat man and able seaman. By 1928, Mr. Harvard moved from his home in Seattle, Washington to Anchorage, Alaska. From 1934 to 1945 he was employed as engineer on construction for the Alaska Railroad where he achieved the rank of Resident Engineer in Alaska. After retiring from the railroad, Harvard pursued his interests in elevations and tides in the Anchorage area. During the late 1950s through the early 1970s, Harvard attended classes at Anchorage Community College where he earned his high school equivalency in 1962 at the age of 69. He continued to live in Alaska until his death in the Anchorage Extended Care Facility on November 16, 1979.
Collection description:
This collection contains personal papers, which include employment records and class notes from Harvard’s time at Anchorage Community College, correspondence, engineering records, and committee and convention papers. The engineering records consist of ledgers, field books, notebooks, and maps used by Harvard during his employment for the Alaska Railroad. The committee and convention papers contain records pertaining to Harvard’s involvement in the Anchorage Platting Board, as well as conventions he attended relating to his interests in engineering, surveying, math, science, and tides.
Arrangement: The collection is arranged in the following series:
Series 1. Personal papers; 1912-1961
Series 2. Correspondence; 1912-1961
Series 3. Engineering records; 1912-1973
Series 4. Committee and convention papers; 1960-1971
Digitized copies: This collection has not been digitized. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: Archives does not hold copyright to materials in this collection.
Preferred citation: Charles S. Harvard papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Separated materials: Publications were removed from the collection and added to Rare Books. The Marilynn S. Barks papers, HMC-0478, which arrived with the collection were removed and made into its own collection.
Custodial history: A portion of this collection was originally given to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Alaska and Polar Regions Archives and Special Collections by Joe Hayes in 1981.
Acquisition note: Some of the collection was donated to Archives and Special Collections by Joe L. Hayes in 1994. Additional materials were added by Alice Chase, trustee of the Marilynn S. Barks Estate, in 2005. Further materials were transferred from University of Alaska Fairbanks Alaska and Polar Regions Archives and Special Collections in 2007.
Processing information: This collection was described by Jeffrey Sinnott in 2005. The guide to the collection was converted to current standard and series combined by Veronica Denison in 2015, with additional material described by Veronica Denison in 2018. In 2019, Dennis Pena provided the alternative family name of Hogbin for Charles Harvard’s birth name and his parents’ names.
Container list:
Series 1: Personal papers; 1912-1961. 0.85 cubic feet.
This series contains Charles Harvard’s employment records, request for a copy of his birth certificate, education records, class notes from his time at Anchorage Community College, and papers relating to his hobbies and interests.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 1/1 | Employment records | 1912-1923 |
| 1/2 | Request for certified copy of birth certificate | 1940 November 30 |
| 1/3 | Alaska Railroad overtime claim for overtime worked | 1934-1945 |
| 1/4 | Alaska Railroad seniority lists | 1935-1954 |
| 1/5 | Notes for calculating coordinates | undated |
| 1/6-7 | Tide table books to be bound and instructions for book bindings including titles | undated |
| 1/8 | Covers from self-bound book collections including titles and tables of content | undated |
| 1/9 | Temperature conversion charts | undated |
| 1/10 | Time conversion chart | 1934 |
| 1/11 | News clippings; Mean places of Stars chart; Department of Commerce computing forms | undated, 1921, 1949 |
| 1/12 | “Problems in Navigation” chart | 1917 |
| 1/13 | Compass chart including degrees, minutes, and points | 1922 |
| 1/14 | Elevations of various Anchorage locations | 1922, 1940 |
| 1/15 | List from the International Hydrographic Bureau and National Bureau of Standards | 1938, 1943 |
| 1/16 | Seward, Alaska elevation data, correspondence with U.S.C.&G.S. regarding error in Seward Bench Mark elevation | 1940-1942, 1950-1951 |
| 1/17 | List of Recreational Areas in the Unites States | 1949 |
| 1/18-19 | Math problems and solutions | 1958-1959 |
| 1/20 | Statistics and College Algebra, problems and solutions | 1959-1961 |
| 1/21 | Math 109: Analytic Geometry, notes, problems and solutions | 1961 |
| 1/22 | Trigonometry, problems and solutions | 1962-1963 |
| 1/23 | Math 111: Calculus 1, notes, problems and solutions | 1963 |
| 1/24 | Calculus II and III, notes, problems and solutions | 1963-1964 |
| 1/25-26 | Math 110: Finance, notes, problems and solutions | 1964 |
| 1/27 | Calculus II and III, notes, problems and solutions | 1965 |
| 1/28-29 | Math 121: Introduction to Modern Algebra and Analysis, notes, problems and solutions | 1968 |
| 1/30 | Math 109: Analytic Geometry, notes, problems and solutions | 1969 |
| 4/1 | Photographs of Charles Harvard [Note: Some were separated from the collection for preservation purposes] | undated |
| 4/17 | U.S. Department of the Interior Honor Award Convocation, Charles Harvard’s retirement | 1955 |
| 4/18 | Harvard’s application for registered engineer; Application of employment for Morrison-Knudsen Co. | circa 1957 |
Series 2: Correspondence; 1912-1961. 0.15 cubic feet.
This series contains correspondence produced and received by Harvard, a majority of which was produced during his residency in Anchorage, Alaska. Major correspondents include book sellers and publishers, employers (including the Alaska Railroad) and the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. Correspondence with the latter two organizations concerns positions of Mile Posts and Bench Marks and tidal data for Anchorage and surrounding areas.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 1/31-35 | Correspondence | 1912-1961 |
| 1/36 | Other correspondence | undated |
Series 3: Engineering records; 1912-1973. 1.30 cubic feet.
This series contains ledgers, field books, notebooks, and maps. Some of the field and notebooks were acquired by Harvard while he was employed by the Alaska Railroad. Entries include data and hand drawn maps of the Alaska Railroad right of ways, lease holders and plat information on properties adjacent to rail lines, locations of utilities and public services, plans for redirecting and refurbishing rail lines, descriptions of mile post and bench marks, arc, curve and angle calculations for theoretical and practical applications, and temperature conversion calculations. The maps in the series were either created by Harvard or used by him while employed by the Alaska Railroad and for his personal research of the tides. The majority of the maps depict top-rail profiles and grade changes of Alaska Railroad lines. Other maps include Anchorage street and plat maps, and tide levels along Cook Inlet including Knik Harbor. Where possible, original titles were retained.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 1/37 | “City Work. Misc. Transit Notes G.H.M.” | 1916 August |
| 1/38 | “Miscell. Main Line. Mostly Anchorage, Yards & Office. Top Rail Levels Ocean Dock.” | 1921-1922 |
| 1/39 | “Department of the Interior I-970” note book: notes, lists of names and amount of supplies (paper for maps and blue prints) used in given year, additional material (poetry) copied on other pages | 1922-1925 |
| 1/40 | Alaska Railroad Millage Table | 1923 |
| 2/1 | “Curve and sounding measurements for various M.P. markers and Bench marks” | 1937 |
| 2/2 | Calculations of curves at various M.P. markers along the Alaska Railroad Main Line | 1940 |
| 2/3 | “The Paragon” composition book: notes and figures, notes on insurance policies and locations (entered by Mrs. Marilyn Barks) | 1957 |
| 2/4 | Notes and calculations | 1958 May 14 |
| 2/5 | Field book for trip to Alaska from Washington: list of supplies and equipment needed, soundings from Portage Bay and descriptions of Mile Posts 24-102 | 1939, 1950, 1962 |
| 2/6 | “The Paragon” composition book: notes, figures and calculations | undated |
| 2/7 | “Department of the Interior I-970”: Information on men sent to Healy Mine, supplies at the mine and men entered in a betting pool, erotic poetry | 1925 |
| 2/8 | Maps and calculations relating to Bootlegger’s Cove, the Curry Hotel, and millage and bearings of the Alaska Railroad | 1939 |
| 2/9 | “A.R.R. Book No. 2. Ties To C.&G.S. Bench Marks Along the Alaska Railroad 1940-….” | circa 1940 |
| 2/10 | Maps, diagrams, and calculations relating to Alaska Railroad lines and property in Anchorage neighborhoods | 1946 |
| 2/11 | Lists of lease holders and locations around Alaska Railroad holdings and potential holdings, maps of Anchorage area with right of way projections and plans for Railroad development in relation to existing property and geological boundaries | circa 1950 |
| 2/12 | Notes and figures, tide data for Anchorage, Alaska | circa 1950-1959 |
| 2/13 | Calculations relating to railroad bearings and curves including Anchorage and Whittier | 1954-1955 |
| 2/14 | “Anchorage, Alaska Record of Highest Spring Tides and Predicted Time and Height 1945-1960 Inclusive” | 1945-1960 |
| 2/15 | Plans for power house truss and tide calculations | 1952, 1962-1964 |
| 2/16 | Calculations relating to temperature, arcs, spirals, and curves | 1966-1968, 1973 |
| 2/17 | Plans for concrete pier footings | undated |
| 2/18 | Calculations and equations relating to degrees of arc | undated |
| 2/19 | “Alaska and Vicinity” (front), “Anchorage and Vicinity” (back) | circa 1960 |
| 2/20 | Amended Plat Map of Anchorage, Alaska (notes and color added in 1954) | 1917, 1954 |
| 2/21 | “Anchorage Yard Waterfront. Ship Creek to Ocean Dock Showing Leases” for the Alaska Railroad | 1954 May |
| 2/22 | “Portion of Right of Way Vicinity of Bridge No. 112.8” Alaska Railroad | 1951 October |
| 2/23 | Resurrection Bay, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, Soundings in Fathoms | circa 1912 |
| 3/1 | “1945. M.P. 394-411. Top Rail Profile – Grade Raise. Geodetic Datum. Main Sea-Level – Seward and Valdez. Drawn by J.A. Morrison” | circa 1945 |
| 3/2 | “D Line. Mile 398 to Mile 407. Station 18730 to Station 19280. Showing Errors in Levels. Note: Revised Grade Mile 402-399. Re-Ballasting and Grade Rase” | 1922 October |
| 3/3 | “Department of the Interior. The Alaska Railroad. Top of Rail Profile. Dunbar to Happy. U.S.C.&G.S. Elevations. Scale Hor 1” = 400′,Vert 1” = 4′. AA 1932.M.P.447.5-463.” | undated |
| 3/4 | “Department of the Interior. Alaskan Engineering Commission. Profile of Definite Railway Locations. Seward to Fairbanks. ‘D’ Line. Mile 386.5 to Mile 407.5. Station 18138+79 to Station 19280+17.8. Construction Line. Scales Hor: 1” = 400′, Vert: 1” = 20’“ | 1918 June |
| 3/5 | “Department of the Interior. Alaskan Engineering Commission. The Alaska Railroad. Office of Chief Engineer. Anchorage. Track Profile M.P. 300 to M.P. 325. Horz Scale: 1” = 400′;Vert Scale: 1” = 20′. File No. P34” | undated |
| 3/6 | “Department of the Interior. Alaskan Engineering Commission. Turnagain Arm Dist. Anchorage, Alaska. Location ‘H’ Line Thro Anchorage Townsite. Scale: 200 ft. = 1 inch. File No. R-577-190.” | 1916 May 22 |
| 3/7 | “Graph Showing Elevations of B.M. 10. ‘Anchorage Yard Bench’ – A.E.C. Assumed Elev. 40.502. 1915-1923 incl. Reduced for Comparison to U.S.C.&G.S. Elevs.-1928 S.-V. Gen. Adjust. Datum of U.S.C.&G.S. Special Pub. No. 169 | 1915-1923 |
| 3/8 | “Map of Definite Location ‘A’ Line and Projected Location ‘B’ Line. Station ‘A’3366+57.5-Station ‘A’ 3444+56. Scale 1” = 200′. File No. R-369-192” | undated |
| 3/9 | “Mile Post 106-114. Also 100-114” | undated |
| 3/10 | “Mile Post 114.7 – 140.5” | undated |
| 3/11 | “Mile Post 440-460. Includes ‘I’ Line, ‘K’ Line, ‘L’ Line” | undated |
| OS folder 1 | Plat Map of Anchorage showing ARR right of way and calculations added by Charles Harvard | 1958 May |
| 3/12 | “Progress Profile. M.P. 400-420. C.S.H. Notes added in 1941” | undated, 1941 |
| 3/13 | “Progress Profile. M.P. 420-440. C.S.H.” | undated |
| 3/14 | “R-1092-1. Base of Rail Track Profile. M.P. 397.7-407.6 also 370.3-371.0 +/-. J. Quenboe, 1922. (Notes added by C.S. Harvard – 1950). A.E.C. Datum.” | 1922, 1950 |
| 3/15 | “T Line Across Ship Creek” | 1916 |
| 3/16 | 1918 “Tide Chart. 1st half of Roll #1. Series Knik Harbor, Anchorage, Alaska. File No.R-670-53.” | undated |
| 3/17 | 1918 “Tide Chart. 2nd half of Roll #1. Series Knik Harbor, Anchorage, Alaska. File No.R-671-53” | undated |
| 3/18 | 1918 “Tide Chart. Roll No. 2. Series Knik Harbor, Anchorage, Alaska. E.R. Hand, Chief of Party. File No. R-672-53” | undated |
| 3/19 | 1918 “Tide Chart. Roll No. 3. Series Knik Harbor, Anchorage, Alaska. File No. R-673-53” | undated |
| 3/20 | 1916 “Track profile. M.P. 100-114.6. Correct Mile Poles. Bridges not numbered” | undated |
| OS folder 1 | Blueprint: Alaska Railroad Main Line List & Diagram of Level Equations in Profile Grade Line, Revised March 1, 1939 by Charles Harvard | 1939 |
| 4/2 | US Coast and Geodetic Survey bench marks Dope [relating to Alaska Railroad] | 1934-1957 |
| 4/3 | Fairbanks bench marks Dope | 1951, 1953 |
| 4/4 | US Coast and Geodetic Survey: Fairbanks vicinity bench marks | 1941-1953 |
| 4/5 | “Bench marks and other survey monuments along the Alaska Railroad main line Seward to Fairbanks Mile 0 to 470 descriptions and elevations” by Charles S. Harvard | 1954 |
| 4/6 | “Bench marks and other survey monuments along the Alaska Railroad Matanuska Branch and Whittier Line Mile A-0 to A-19 and mile F-0 to F-12.4 descriptions and elevations” by Charles S. Harvard | 1954 |
| 4/7 | “US Coast and Geodetic Survey bench marks along the Alaska Railroad and along the Richardson Highway. Bench marks set in 1922 and 1923” includes Harvard’s annotations | 1930 |
| 4/8 | “Tidal Elevations Seward and Anchorage” | 1932 |
| 4/9 | Alaska Railroad Datums at Anchorage, 1948 bench marks – top of rail | 1948, circa 1967 |
| 4/10 | “1939 Tidal data Anchorage and Seward and Passage Canal BM’s [bench marks] at Seward. List of preliminary elevations BMs Anchorage to Fairbanks” | 1939-1945 |
| 4/11 | Bench levels Alaska Railroad yards; Passage Canal, Sunrise, Alaska, Anchorage and Turnagain Arm, Seward, Whittier, Ship Creek Basin; Reversion of Power Series from Smithsonian Book of Mathematical Formulae and Series | 1914, circa 1939-1954 |
| 4/12 | US Coast and Geodetic Survey bench mark level datums; Triangulation stations Julius to Clear; Alaska Railroad Line Change Loop District | 1939-1955 |
| 4/13, OS folder 1 | Townsite withdrawals and amendments survey—Block 16-Anchorage Townsite, Triangulation Stations Talkeetna to Saulich [Note: Two plats of Block 16-Anchorage Townsite were removed from this folder and added to oversize folder 1] | 1919-1951 |
| 4/14 | Anchorage and Fairbanks Weather Bureau Data | 1946-1948 |
| 4/15 | Alaska Railroad instrument sheet for miles 48-55 | undated |
| 4/16 | Notes and equations related to the Alaska Railroad; Highest Point on the Alaska Railroad notes and equations; Notes on high and low waters | undated, 1936, 1946 |
Series 4: Committee and convention papers; 1960-1971. 0.40 cubic feet.
This series includes papers relating to Harvard’s involvement on the Anchorage Platting Board, as well as Alaska surveying and mapping conventions he attended.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 2/24-26 | Greater Anchorage Platting Board meeting minutes | 1962-1963 |
| 2/27-34 | Greater Anchorage Area Borough Planning and Zoning Commission meeting minutes | 1964-1966 |
| 2/35 | State of Alaska Department of Public Works, Division of Highways Proposal, Contract, Bond and General and Special Provisions for Project No. S-0463(5), Kalifonsky Beach Road | 1960 February |
| 2/36 | State of Alaska Department of Public Works, Division of Highways Proposal, Contract, Bond and General and Special Provisions for Project No. S-0131(7) Nome-Teller Road, Bluestone to Teller | 1960 February |
| 2/37 | State of Alaska Department of Public Works, Division of Highways Proposal, Contract, Bond and General and Special Provisions for Project No. SP 1002, Eagle River Loop Road | 1961 May |
| 2/38 | Federal Aid Contracts: Required Provisions | 1960-1961 |
| 2/39 | Short course “Coordinate Systems”, lecture notes | 1969 |
| 2/40 | Short course “Astronomic Azimuths”, lecture notes | 1970 |
| 2/41 | Short course “Horizontal Axis Photographs”, lecture notes | 1971 |
| 2/42 | Short course “Boundary Control and Legal Principles”, course announcement | 1971 |
| 2/43 | Handwritten copy of U.S. and Great Britain Weights and Measures taken from Evolution of Weights by Hallock and Wade, and Men and Measures by Edward Nicholson; unknown board bylaws with measurement notes written on back | undated, 1973 |