John Rosene papers, 1901-1913

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Rosene, John
Title
John Rosene papers
Dates
1901-1913 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.48 cubic feet (4 boxes)
Collection Number
4206 (Accession No. 4206-001)
Summary
Papers of a businessman relative to his business activities in shipping, railroad construction and fisheries in Seattle, Alaska, and Siberia
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Open to all users.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

John Rosene (1861-1919) was born in Norway. His business ventures were mainly in shipping, railroad construction and fisheries, in Seattle, Alaska, and the Siberian peninsula. He was connected with the Alaska Midland Railway Company, North Eastern Siberian Co., 1902-1910; and Northern Exploration & Development Company, 1910-1911.

Rosene served as the founder and president of the Northwestern Commercial Co. which controlled the following companies: North Coast Lighterage Co. (1900); Northwestern Steamship Co. (1904); Northwestern Fisheries Co. (1905). It also included the Seward Peninsular Railway Co. William T. Perkins was Secretary for the Northwestern Commercial Co. and became manager of Alaskan affairs. The company was sold to the Alaska syndicate in 1908 as the Guggenheim-J. P. Morgan interests became powerful enough to buy out Rosene.

Parallel to the development of the Northwest Commercial Co., Rosene negotiated with Russian Count Wonlarlarsky forming the North Eastern Siberian Co. which was chartered by the Czar in 1902. This was originally to have included the East Siberian Syndicate as represented by Frederick Baker, but conflicting interests led to the insistence on the part of Wonlarlarsky that Rosene replace Baker as representative.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Correspondence, financial records, maps, and reports relative to his business activities in shipping, railroad construction and fisheries in Seattle, Alaska, and Siberia with the North Eastern Siberian Co., Alaska Midland Railway Company, and Northern Exploration and Development Company.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Donated by William T. Perkins, 7/1/1948.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Series 1:  Incoming CorrespondenceReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1
Aetna Life Insurance Company
3 items
 1907
1/2
Alaska Mercantile Company
10 items
 1907-1908
1/3
Alaska Midland Railway Company
1 item
 undated
1/4
American Exchange National Bank
2 items
 1907
1/5
Ames, F. H.
2 items
 1906
1/6
Ames, F. M.
1 item
 1906
1/7
A - Miscellaneous
2 items
 1908
1/8
Back, Axel E.
2 items
 1909
1/9
Bering Coal Railway
1 item
 undated
1/10
Bogle & Spooner
3 items
 1908
1/11
Brown, Webster
9 items
 1909
1/12
B - Miscellaneous
1 item
 1909
1/13
Chicago River Boat Works
12 items
 1908
1/14
C - Miscellaneous
3 items
 1902, 1909
1/15
Dean, Frank C.
15 items
 1908-1909
1/16
Deloncle, Francois
3 items
 1909
1/17
Denny-Renton Clay and Coal Co.
8 items
 1905-1908
1/18
Dixon, John W.
2 items
 1907
1/19-20
The East Siberian Syndicate, Limited
33 items
 1902-1903
1/21
Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States
4 items
 1908-1909
1/22
E - Miscellaneous
2 items
 1902, 1909
1/23
Force (Horton C.) & Ballinger (J. H.), Law Firm, Seattle
2 items
 1909
1/24
F - Miscellaneous
2 items
 1909
1/25
Guggenheim Exploration Company
4 items
 1903
1/26
G - Miscellaneous
2 items
 1909
1/27
Hallgarten & Co. (Bankers)
6 items
 1906-1907
1/28
Hartman, John P.
1 item
 1907
1/29
Hazelet, G. C.
1 item
 1908
1/30
Hirsch (L.) & Co.
3 items
 1908
1/31
H - Miscellaneous
7 items
 1907-1909
1/32
Johnson, C. W.
3 items
 1908-1909
1/33
Kowanko, A.
2 items
 1903, 1906
1/34
K - Miscellaneous
3 items
 1908-1909
1/35
Lindeberg, Jafet
14 items
 1907-1909
1/36
L - Miscellaneous
2
 1904, 1909
1/37
Marshall, Seth
3 items
 1908
1/38-41
Medhurst, Francis H.
48 items
 1901-1905
1/42
Morgan (J. P.) & Co.
3 items
 1908
1/43
M - Miscellaneous
5 items
 1902, 1908-1910
1/44
Northern Life Insurance Co.
7 items
 1908
1/45-50
Northwestern Commercial Co.
100 items
 1902-1911
1/51
Northwestern Development Co.
4 items
 1908-1909
1/52
N - Miscellaneous
8 items
1/53
O - Miscellaneous
2 items
1/54
Perkins, William T.
12 items
 1905-1910
1/55
Perl, M. M.
3 items
 1909
1/56
Podhorski, Constantine, Count
18 items
 1901-1906
1/57
Price, John E.
2 items
 1908
1/58
Ryan, Richard S.
1 item
 1909
1/59
R - Miscellaneous
2 items
1/60
Societe Francais de Publicite
2 items
 1910
1/61
S - Miscellaneous
16 items
2/1
Transalaska - Siberian Railway Co.
7 items
 1909-1910
2/2
Tyson, James
1 item
 1908
2/3
T - Miscellaneous
6 items
2/4
U - Miscellaneous
6 items
2/5
White & Case (firm)
2 items
 1907
2/6-8
Wonlarlarsky, V. M., Count
30 items
 1902-1908
2/9
W-Z - Miscellaneous
8 items
2/10-12
Telegrams - in code and of unknown sources; most pertain to North East Siberian Co. business
35 items
 1902-1910

Series 2:  Outgoing CorrespondenceReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
2/13-35
Undated
303 items
 1901-1910, 1913

Series 3:  Other Personal PapersReturn to Top

Container(s) Description
Box/Folder
2/36
Bills and Receipts
10 items
2/37
Legal Papers
4 items
2/38
Memoranda
11 items
2/39
Ephemera
15 items
2/40
Photographs
2 items

Series 4:  North Eastern Siberian CompanyReturn to Top

The Northeast Siberian Co. forms part of this series. Correspondence relating to the negotiations proper have been included in the correspondence of Series 1. The correspondence of the company after formal establishment is to be found in this series. Most is interoffice and it has been filed in one chronological order. The chief correspondents are Rosene (General Manager for America and Siberia), Matunin, N. (General Manager, St. Petersburg), Medhurst, Francis (Rosene's Manager in St. Petersburg), Podhorski, Constantine (Manager, St. Petersburg), and Wonlarlarsky, V.M. (Chairman, Board of Directors). Agents include John w. Kelly and A. Potapoff.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
3
General Correspondence
800 items
 1902-1910
4
Financial Records
Box/Folder
4/1-5
Statements no. 13-29
 1904-1908
4/6
Inventory
 1908
4/7
Itemized accounts with Swenson & Haugen
 1907-1908
4/8
Itemized accounts with other firms
4/9
Miscellaneous
8 items
4/10
Minutes
 1903-1909
4/11
Organizational Material
4 items

Series 5:  Northern Exploration and Development Company (1910-1911)Return to Top

The Northern Exploration and Development Co. was established after the sale of the Northwestern Commercial Co. It was founded in 1910 and closed in 1918, with the death of Rosene. Perkins was the Secretary of the Company. The material in the series contains no correspondence; all correspondence for the company would be found in Series 1. The material here contains promotional materials, circulars, mimeographed letters and one scrapbook of the promotional materials and news clippings.

Container(s) Description
Box/Folder
4/12
Scrapbook of news clippings and promotional releases concerning the company, Rosene, and William T. Perkins
4/13
Promotional material - duplicates of scrapbook mainly
10 items
4/14
Miscellaneous including prospectus, stock holder list
3 items

Series 5:  Alaska Midland Railway Company (established under Northern Exploration and Development Co.)Return to Top

The Alaska Midland Railroad was founded under the Northern Exploration and Development Co. The material contains one book of maps and miscellaneous material.

Container(s) Description
Box/Folder
4/15
Book containing maps of survey (inside front cover contains explanation)
4/16
Miscellaneous: Description of Co. report affidavit: 1927: proof of construction

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Businesspeople--Alaska
  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)

Personal Names

  • Rosene, John--Archives
  • Rosene, John--Archives

Corporate Names

  • Alaska Midland Railway Company--History--Sources
  • Northeast Siberia Company--History--Sources
  • Northern Exploration and Development Company--History--Sources


2007 (Last modified: 7/14/2020)

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