▁the ▁Seattle ▁Chamber ▁of ▁Com merce ▁and ▁the ▁tim ber ▁industry , ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁further ▁d eter ior ation ▁of ▁relations ▁with ▁the ▁Mount aine ers . ▁It ▁also ▁caused ▁a ▁r ift ▁between ▁Curt is ▁and ▁his ▁fellow ▁M t . ▁Rain ier ▁boost ers ▁and ▁effectively ▁ended ▁his ▁invol vement ▁in ▁park ▁affairs . ▁ ▁Curt is ' s ▁advoc acy ▁was ▁not ▁limited ▁to ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁M t . ▁Rain ier ▁National ▁Park . ▁While ▁serving ▁as ▁the ▁official ▁photograph er ▁for ▁the ▁Seattle ▁Chamber ▁of ▁Com merce , ▁he ▁also ▁cha ired ▁its ▁Development ▁Committee ▁and ▁its ▁Highway ▁Committee ▁for ▁years . ▁His ▁interests ▁reached ▁beyond ▁the ▁Pu get ▁Sound ▁region . ▁Curt is ▁owned ▁a ▁small ▁orch ard ▁in ▁Ell ens burg , ▁and ▁he ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁product ivity ▁of ▁Central ▁Washington ▁could ▁be ▁improved ▁by ▁building ▁ir rig ation ▁projects ▁to ▁turn ▁the ▁ar id ▁region ▁into ▁cro pl and . ▁The ▁Washington ▁Ir rig ation ▁Association ▁thus ▁chose ▁Curt is ▁to ▁be ▁its ▁president ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s . ▁He ▁also ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁affairs ▁of ▁the ▁Washington ▁State ▁Good ▁Ro ads ▁Association , ▁serving ▁as ▁its ▁president ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 2 ▁and ▁ 1 9 3 3 . ▁ ▁Curt is ▁worked ▁in ▁his ▁Seattle ▁studio ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁Si xty ▁thousand ▁of ▁his ▁images ▁are ▁held ▁in ▁trust ▁by ▁the ▁Washington ▁State ▁Historical ▁Society ▁in ▁Ta com a