There is a Coast Guard Museum in Seattle, Washington. This will be invaluable as I dig more into the lives of my father and his father, both serving in the Coast Guard in the Pacific Northwest and Pacific Ocean.
The address and information is found on the official web page for the museum, a simple static web page on one of the volunteer or organizer’s websites:
Coast Guard Museum Northwest
c/o USCG BSU
1519 Alaskan Way South
Seattle, WA 98134
(206) 217-6993
Hours: MWF 9-3
According to the description the museum features thousands of Coast Guard historical items including a Lighthouse Service clock from about 1860, uniforms, ship parts and pieces, a piece of the HMS Bounty and USS Constitution, models of the various Revenue Cutter Service and Coast Guard Cutters, and more paraphernalia of the Coast Guard’s history.
What is even more important are the over 2,000 books and periodicals covering Coast Guard and Northwest maritime history which will serve me in researching two branches of the family, the West and Knapp families.
It also includes 2500 historical documents, clippings, and vessel plans, and over 15,000 photographs dating back to the 19th century.
These maybe the folks who can help me identify all the ships in the scrapbook of Howard W. West Sr!
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