Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Charles R. Coe papers, circa 1934-1949, 1980-1984
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Coe, Charles R., 1891?-1984
- Title
- Charles R. Coe papers
- Dates
- circa 1934-1949, 1980-198419341984
- Quantity
- .27 cubic ft. (1 box, 1 oversize folder)
- Collection Number
- 4041 (Accession No. 4041-001)
- Summary
- Papers of Seattle consumer cooperative proponent; includes the records of Seattle's Northwest Cooperative Exchange.
- 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
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was partially provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Charles Rollit Coe, born in Minneapolis ca. 1891, worked for many years as a Seattle-based carpenter and builder after graduating from the University of Washington. During the 1930s, he taught job-seeking classes at the YMCA, wrote a column for the Facts newspaper, and became politically active in Seattle's Central District. Convinced that the principles of the cooperative movement could help solve Seattle's Depression-era employment problems, Coe founded the Northwest Cooperative Exchange in 1936. The NWCE was a network of small Seattle businesses that exchanged goods and services with the goal of effecting a self-sufficient economy. Although the cooperative ceased to operate following the Depression, Coe continued to express his belief in cooperative exchange through writings and letters composed as late as 1982. His ideas influenced several of the key people who in 1945 formed the Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, which was the largest consumer-controlled health care organization in the United States by the late 1990s.
Coe also participated in the founding of both the Firlands Correction Center and the University Friends Meeting House. He died in 1984.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This small accession consists primarily of speeches and writings by Coe on trade, barter, and cooperative exchange systems, along with a subgroup containing records, founding documents, exchange certificates, and participant lists of the Northwest Cooperative Exchange. Coe's writings, dating mostly from the early 1980s, center on both philosophical and practical aspects of cooperative exchange. Also included in his personal papers are several local cooperative publications. The Northwest Cooperative Exchange subgroup includes the association's constitution, by-laws, and an annual report; a handwritten diagram outlining skills and products provided by members; a 1937-1938 account book; and examples of trade tokens, exchange certificates, and membership forms.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Personal PapersReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Incoming Letters |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/1 | Steel, Constance |
1984 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/2-3 | Speeches and Writings |
ca. 1980-1982 |
| 1/4 | Newsletter: The Ruff Times,
special report no. 7 |
Apr. 15, 1980 |
Subject Series |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/5 | Cooperative League |
ca. 1934-1935 |
| 1/6 | Evergreen Cooperative |
1948-1949 |
| 1/7 | Puget Sound Co-operative Federation |
1980 |
| 1/8 | Workaneat Garden |
n.d. |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/9 | Clipping |
n.d. |
Northwest Cooperative ExchangeReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/10 | Organizational Features |
1936-1938 |
| folder:oversize | ||
| 2 | Organizational Features |
ca. 1936 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/11 | Financial Records |
1937-1938 |
| 1/12 | Report: Manager's Annual Letter and Notes to the Board
of Directors and Members |
1938 |
| 1/13 | Forms |
ca. 1936-1938 |
| 1/14 | Trade Tokens |
ca. 1938 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Consumer cooperatives--Washington (State)--Seattle
- Cooperation--United States
- Cooperative societies--Washington (State)--Seattle
Personal Names
- Coe, Charles R., 1891?-1984--Archives
Corporate Names
- Northwest Cooperative Exchange
Geographical Names
- Seattle (Wash.)--Commerce
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)
