MTR.2025.11 Stella Degenhardt Collection
Born March 7, 1922 in Greensboro, North Carolina, Stella (Gahan) Degenhardt was raised in London, England and served in the British Army before moving to the Seattle area in 1949. She married Bill Degenhardt on July 5, 1951. Bill preceded her in death in 1956. Stella’s work life was in public relations for charitable organizations, including United Way. She was active in the outdoors and The Mountaineers (including the club’s History Committee) for more than 50 years. She passed away on November 28, 2004. (See Legacy.com and MTR.2023.2 William A. Degenhardt Collection.)
Right: Bill Degenhardt near Twin Lakes in the Cascade Mountains, 1951.
The collection is contained in a single 15” x 13” x 11” Bankers box. It consists of several file folders devoted to various topics:
Manila folder labeled “Nostalgia Mag” containing:
Degenhardt, Stella, “In a Beautiful Land,” Nostalgia Magazine, Oct 2003, p. 30. (Describes her move to Seattle, meeting Bill Degenhardt, and enjoying local outdoor life.)
Eight B&W photos, some of which were used in Nostalgia Magazine article.
Eight color photos from a fishing trip at Westport, WA. One photo is of Stella holding a large salmon.
“Stella Degenhardt - Journal Excerpts Plus Notes (5/7/2003)” - 3pp account of arriving in Seattle in 1949-50, joining The Mountaineers, meeting and marrying Bill Degenhardt, and other memories from the 1950s.
Mt St Helens: B&W pre-eruption photos of camping and climbing on Mt St Helens, plus a couple eruption-era photos. News clippings and brochures. Also:
Buzzetti, Bea, “The Mt St Helens Area, Historical and Legendary”, January 18, 1951.
Report of scientific studies on Mt McKinley Expedition, 1964.
Mt Everest news clippings, including articles about the discovery of the bodies of Mallory and Irvine in 1999.
Cascade Mountains
Photocopy of “Gold Hunting in the Cascade Mountains,” 1861.
Granberg, W.J., “The Pleasure of Hiking the Crest Trail,” Seattle Times, July 22, 1962, p. 12.
Partial copies of a couple other articles.
Mt Hood
Forest Service brochures
A variety of large maps of the Mt Hood area
Cascades
MacDonald, Howard E., “Five Mountaineers Conquer Unscaled Cascade Summit,” Seattle P-I, June 23, 1940, p. 7C (first ascent of Forbidden Peak).
Photocopy from Peattie, The Cascades, pp. 74-87.
Mt McKinley, 1970 Expedition (draft of a book by James R. Mitchell)
Mt St Helens: Folder with maps and information about post-1980-eruption climbing
Olympic Peninsula: Folder containing maps, brochures and news clippings
North Cascades: Thick folder of maps, brochures, clippings, 1963 outing plans
Islands: Folder with information related San Juan Islands
Out of State: Thick folder with information about trips to BC, Canadian Rockies, Alaska, Oregon.
ALPS: Manila envelope and thick folder with information about Alpine Lakes Protection Society.
Olympic Goats: Yellow hanging folder with information about mountain goats in Olympic Mtns
Mt Baker: Hanging folder with information about establishment of Mountaineers Mt Baker Lodge, including an envelope with B&W photos. (Five photos depict lodge construction. Three photos show Mt Baker area scenes. One photo depicts Bill Degenhardt cooking oatmeal in the lodge.)
“Geology:” Folder with information about Mt St Helens, Northwest earthquakes, and a 1989 Forbes article (“The Global Warming Panic”).
Manila folders on various topics:
Mountaineers climbing refresher course
Mt McKinley
Mt Robson
Mt Pilchuck (rebuilding fire lookout)
Glacier Peak and Okanogan maps
Mt Adams
1939 AAC Karakorum Expedition (including Fritz Wiessner). The paper documents appear quite old, possibly contemporary with the expedition.
Eight letters home from May 6 - July 8, 1939, each written by a different expedition member.
Two-page summary of final reports from the expedition.