Louis L. McAllister Photographs

Louis L. McAllister photographed people and places near Burlington, Vermont for 60 years. He was born in Columbus, Nebraska on October 16, 1876, the son of Julius S. McAllister (born 1841 in Lincoln, VT) and Rosette Gould (born in Vermont in 1851). Julius McAllister worked as a photographer and dentist in Washington D.C., Bristol, Vermont and Columbus, Nebraska. Around 1895, Julius, his third wife Amy, and their children left Nebraska for the Union Soldiers’ Colony in Fitzgerald, Georgia. By 1900, Julius and Amy were divorced, and Amy and her stepson Louis were working as photographers in Thomasville, Georgia. In 1907 Louis McAllister married Cora Shepard (born about 1872 in Vermont) in Holland, Michigan. By 1910, they were living in Queen City Park in South Burlington, Vermont, where Louis established a photography studio. The McAllisters moved to Burlington, and by 1919 they lived at 47 N. Winooski Avenue. They continued to occupy a summer cottage at Queen City Park, and were active in the Queen City Park Association, which held spiritualist camp meetings annually. McAllister conducted his photography business from home until his death in 1963. McAllister’s “trademark” was his panorama camera which made him familiar to all sorts of groups ranging from graduating classes to state police to summer camp groups. In addition he did print 8 x 10 photos, many of which document building construction and Burlington Street Department projects, as well as group and individual portraits. The L.L. McAllister Collection includes portraits, construction projects, buildings, businesses and events in the Burlington area covering the period ca. 1920-1960. The collection also includes photos of street, bridge, airport and sewer construction and repair, as well as group portraits of clubs, schools, etc. Revised April, 2010

Showing 1 - 10 of 26 Records

Burlington Streets: Hungerford Terrace
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    • Date Created: 1940
    • Description: Allis-Chalmers, Model IB Tractor with 16 HP Engine, Equipped with a Baker "V" Type Sidewalk Snow Plow. This view shows the Tractor Plow unit proceeding north on Hungerford Terrace after an 8 inch fall of snow combined with rain, which made the plowing very heavy and difficult for horse drawn equipment, but this unit did not experience any difficulties. Note: For a more detailed description see the original print.
    • Parent Collections: Louis L. McAllister Photographs


    Road Construction
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      • Description: Undated photograph of a street grading project in preparation for paving an unidentified Burlington Street (possibly Blodgett Street).
      • Parent Collections: Louis L. McAllister Photographs


      Burlington Streets: Intervale
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        • Date Created: 1946-06-29 00:00:00
        • Description: June 29, 1946. Burlington Street Department - Burlington, Vermont Intervale Road - Asphalt Stabilized base and Armor Coat Wearing Surface This view taken from the railroad crossing looking southerly toward Riverside Ave. shows the mixing process while constructing the stabilized base using asphalt emulsion (XRM) as a binder. The materials used for aggregate on this job was road gravel hauled from the Lunderville Pit in the town of Williston last October and spread approximately 28 feet in width over the entire section from Riverside Ave. to the railroad crossing, a distance of approximately 875 feet. Note the Allis-Chalmers Power Grader mixing the gravel after the asphalt emulsion had been applied by pressure distributor. The Armor Coat Wearing Surface was constructed directly after the stabilized base had been completed. This is a very economical type of paving, especially where a cheaper grade of materials can be used and the location does not demand a higher type of pavement. Note the high embankment in the right background where several thousand cubic yards of filling was loaded by the Street Department with its power shovel and hauled with trucks to widen both sides of Intervale Road on the section between the railroad crossing and Riverside Ave. as well as the grading around the new catch basins and the filling of the ramp on the river bank where the undertile drainage pipe leads to the river. All of this filling was donated free of charge by the owner of the property (Geo. C. Stanley and Sons) to the City as well as a considerable amount of concrete sand and gravel for the construction of concrete catch basins and headwalls in connection with the drainage system. This project, which was approved for construction by the Board of Street Commissioners in June 1945 was practically completed on July 3, 1946 for the first section. The original plans included the second section from the railroad crossing northerly to a point approximately 100 feet northerly by the so-called Pariseau residence. This section was prepared last fall as to the grading and gravel surface and as no underground drainage is necessary it can be completed with very little expense as the only materials necessary to purchase will be asphalt emulsion.
        • Parent Collections: Louis L. McAllister Photographs


        Burlington Streets: Staniford Road
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          • Date Created: 1942-10-01
          • Description: October 1, 1942. Photo No. 7. This view of Staniford Road shows the method of distributing the dry cement evenly over the entire surface after the bags have been broken open and dumped in piles as shown in No. 4. The header placed at the end of the first day's work can be seen in the foreground. The tractor power used for hauling the spike-tooth harrows is an Allis-Chalmers IB Tractor normally used for the plowing of snow on the sidewalks during the winter months. The preparation of the base for the following day's work can be seen in progress in the background of the picture. Work done by the Burlington Street Dept.
          • Parent Collections: Louis L. McAllister Photographs


          Burlington Streets: Staniford Road
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            • Date Created: 1942-10-01
            • Description: October 1, 1942. Photo No. 16. This view of Staniford Road shows the surface rolling with the ten ton (10T) Power Roller with the Spike-Tooth Harrow breaking up any surface compaction that may have taken place by the passing over the surface with trucks and tractors before final blading was done with the power grader prior to rolling. Work done by the Burlington Street Dept.
            • Parent Collections: Louis L. McAllister Photographs


            Burlington Streets: Winooski Ave.
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              • Description: Undated photo of two men with snowplow on skids attached to a Holt tractor so the plow could be pulled. Location is So. Winooski Ave. at the intersection of Main Street. Directly behind is the the Strong building with Strong Hardware Co. at 205-207 Main and a sign also advertising Burlington Motor Sales occupying the first floor.
              • Parent Collections: Louis L. McAllister Photographs


              Burlington Streets: Winooski Ave.
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                • Description: Undated winter scene of South Winooski Ave. A man stands on a snowplow that is being pulled by a Holt tractor after a heavy snow fall. Behind them are signs indicating local businesses. A. C. Hathorne Co. is a contract roofer at No. 135. Next door is an auto business. To the far left behind a telephone pole is a sign for Arnold, a dressmaker.
                • Parent Collections: Louis L. McAllister Photographs


                Burlington Streets: Main Street (Upper)
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                  • Description: Southeasterly view of Edmunds High School (Burlington High School) at the corner of Main Street and So. Union Street. Street crews after a heavy snow fall seen with two dept. vehicles. A chain connects a tractor with spiked wheels to a truck behind it as they clear the sidewalks. Undated (may be circa 1925) Photo also seen in UVM's Historic Burlington Project web site.
                  • Parent Collections: Louis L. McAllister Photographs


                  Burlington Streets: Staniford Road
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                    • Description: This view of Staniford Road shows the process of mixing the base after water has been applied under pressure from the asphalt distributer. The double disc harrow is here being hauled by an Allis-Chalmers Bulldozer Tractor. The business name of Holcomb Trucking Co. appears on the back of the tractor. Work done by the Burlington Street Dept. Undated but may be 1942.
                    • Parent Collections: Louis L. McAllister Photographs


                    Burlington Streets: Staniford Road
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                      • Date Created: 1942-10-02
                      • Description: October 2, 1942. Photo No. 20. This view of Staniford Road shows the method of mixing the Soil-Cement materials in place. The 22 inch Double Disc Harrow is being hauled by the heavy Allis-Chalmers Tractor while the Killifer Spring-Tooth Harrow is being hauled by the smaller Allis-Chalmers Tractor. The combination of these two harrows does a very satisfactory job in getting the aggregate thoroughly mixed. Work done by the Burlington Street Dept.
                      • Parent Collections: Louis L. McAllister Photographs