Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Daniel H. Gilman Papers, 1882-1903
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Gilman, Daniel H
- Title
- Daniel H. Gilman Papers
- Dates
- 1882-1903 (inclusive)18821903
- Quantity
- 1.89 cubic ft. (5 boxes)
- Collection Number
- 2730
- Summary
- Early Washington publisher and promoter of railroads, mining, real estate, and utilities.
- 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
-
The collection is 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
Daniel Hunt Gilman was born in Levant, Maine, in 1845. After serving in the Civil War, he worked in New York City's mercantile houses. He received a law degree from Columbia College of Law in 1877 and entered private practice in New York City. In 1883, he moved to Seattle, where he began promoting some major businesses, including railroads. Gilman helped to found the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway in 1885. Among the railroad's objectives were to cross Snoqualmie Pass and exploit the real and perceived mineral resources of the Cascade Mountains. Working with Thomas Burke, he secured capital from East Coast investors to finance the railroad's construction. The first tracks were laid in 1887. The line ran from downtown Seattle, around the northern shores of Lake Union, and to the east of Lake Washington. By 1889 the railroad reached as far as Snoqualmie Falls, where it was linked by a northern branch to the Canadian Pacific in Sumas, Washington, and track was laid in Spokane for a line heading west. However, the railroad never succeeded in crossing the Cascade Mountains. Due to the highly speculative nature of its financing and management, the venture ran into financial difficulties and the Nothern Pacific Railway assumed control in 1890.
Gilman helped to found the Seattle and Montana Railroad (part of the Great Northern system) and the West Street and North End Electric Railway in Seattle. He was also involved with various ventures, from real estate to construction to coal mining, connected with his railroad business. Gilman was among the first to recognize the potential of Snoqualmie Falls as a hydroelectric generation source, and he worked to cultivate interest in it.
Gilman was an active Democrat. He was chairman of the Democratic Party's Central Committee from 1890 to 1892. In that capacity he helped to establish the Seattle Telegraph as the newspaper of the party.
Some time following his marriage in 1888, Gilman moved to New York but returned to Seattle in 1906. He died on April 27, 1913.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Daniel H. Gilman Papers document his career from 1886 to 1903 but concentrate on the period 1890 to 1894.
Accession 2730-1, which includes corresondence, agreements, writings, and financial records, documents Gilman's activities as a business promoter and Democratic Party stalwart. The heart of the accession is the incoming letters. They date from 1889 to 1894 and discuss Gilman's various activities. Discussions of Gilman's railroad ventures can be found in letters from Franklin M. Jones, James Dickinson Smith, James B. Witherow, and Jacob F. Wyckoff. The Lake Washington Ship Canal is documented in letters from Watson C. Squire. Letters from George Hazzard, George W. Van Fossen, and Chester H. Warner concern Democratic Party politics. This accession includes only a small quantity of outgoing letters. The remainder of the accession includes miscellaneous financial and legal documents.
Accession 2730-2 consists mainly of letters from Gilman to Franklin M. Jones of the New York bankers Jameson, Smith and Cotting dating from 1883 to 1890. The letters concern Gilman's attempts to promote the development of coal mining in the Black Diamond and Newcastle areas of King County. In association with this enterprise was the attempt to find iron ore in Snoqualmie Pass. The accession also includes proposals for railroads, drafts of promotional statements, financial records, and clippings related to his railroad ventures.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The creator's literary rights were not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Organized into 2 accessions.
- Accession No. 2730-001, Daniel H. Gilman papers, 1886-1902
- Accession No. 2730-002, Daniel H. Gilman papers, 1883-1890
Acquisition Information
Accession 2730-1 was acquired from the Thomas Burke Estate in 1935. Accession 2730-2 was a gift from F.S. Bayley in 1977.
Processing Note
The Gilman Papers were part of an gift from the Thomas Burke Estate that also included the Thomas Burke Papers and John J. McGilvra Papers. The Gilman Papers and the McGilvra Papers were grouped into separate accessions.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Accession No. 2730-001: Daniel H. Gilman papers, 1886-1902Return to Top
Scope and Content: Papers, 1886-1902. Correspondence, agreements, proposals, writings, financial records, and clippings concerning Gilman's activities as a promoter of railroads, mines, real estate, and utilities, and as president of the Seattle Montana Railroad, the West Street and North End Electric Railway, and the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railroad, and as editor of Seattle Telegraph, a Democratic newspaper, and chairman of the Democratic State Central Committee, 1890-92.
Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.
Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Incoming Letters |
|||
Box/Folder | Accession | ||
1/1 | 2730-001 | Albertson, Robert B. |
1891-1892 |
1/2 | 2730-001 | Allen, F.E. |
1891 |
1/3 | 2730-001 | Allen, John Beard |
1892 |
1/4 | 2730-001 | "A" Miscellaneous |
1890-1894 |
1/5 | 2730-001 | Baker, Charles Hinkley |
1891, 1894 |
1/6 | 2730-001 | Ballard, William Rankin |
1891 |
1/7 | 2730-001 | State Bank of New York |
1890-1893 |
1/8 | 2730-001 | Begg, Alexander |
1891 |
1/9 | 2730-001 | Black, Chauncey F. |
1890, 1892 |
1/10 | 2730-001 | Boston National Bank of Seattle |
1891-1892 |
1/11 | 2730-001 | Boyle, R.H. |
1890 |
1/12 | 2730-001 | Brainerd, Erastus |
1892-1894 |
1/13 | 2730-001 | Brouwer & McGown, Brokers, New York |
1890 |
1/14 | 2730-001 | Bryan, S.H. |
1891-1892 |
1/15 | 2730-001 | Bryant, John H. |
1892 |
1/16 | 2730-001 | Burke, Thomas |
1892 |
1/17 | 2730-001 | Byllesby, Henry M. (1859-1924) |
1892 |
1/18-19 | 2730-001 | "B" Miscellaneous |
1890-1894, n.d. |
1/20 | 2730-001 | Cassil, W.B. |
1892 |
1/21-22 | 2730-001 | Chace & Butts |
1890-1894 |
1/23 | 2730-001 | Chrystie & Janney |
1892 |
1/24 | 2730-001 | Clothier, Harrison |
1890 |
1/25 | 2730-001 | Conover, Charles T. |
1892 |
1/16 | 2730-001 | "C" Miscellaneous |
1890-1893 |
1/27 | 2730-001 | Daft, Leo |
1894 |
1/28 | 2730-001 | Davidge, F.C. |
1893 |
1/29 | 2730-001 | Davies, Griffith |
1894 |
1/30 | 2730-001 | De Garis, F. |
1894 |
1/31 | 2730-001 | Democratic Party, Washington State, Pierce County
Central Democratic Club |
1890-1891 |
1/32 | 2730-001 | Democratic Party, Democratic Society of Washington,
George Hazzard, Secretary |
1890-1893 |
1/33-36 | 2730-001 | Democratic Party, Washington State, Central
Committee |
1892 |
1/37 | 2730-001 | Democratic Party Miscellaneous |
1890-1894 |
1/38 | 2730-001 | Democratic Party |
1890-1894 |
1/39 | 2730-001 | De Wolf, George |
1894 |
1/40 | 2730-001 | Dorffel, George |
1890 |
1/41 | 2730-001 | Drew, Thomas F. |
1892-1894 |
1/42 | 2730-001 | Dudley, Augustus Palmer |
1890-1891 |
1/43 | 2730-001 | Durie, David E. |
1890-1891 |
1/44 | 2730-001 | "D" Miscellaneous |
1890-1894 |
1/45 | 2730-001 | Earle, Thomas |
1891-1894 |
1/46 | 2730-001 | Eastwick, Philip G. |
1892-1893 |
1/47 | 2730-001 | Edmiston, J.K. |
1891-1892 |
1/48 | 2730-001 | Eshelman (J.F.) Lewellyn & Company |
1890-1894 |
1/49 | 2730-001 | Estee, Morris M. |
1890 |
1/50 | 2730-001 | Ewing, Thomas |
1893-1894 |
1/51 | 2730-001 | "E" Miscellaneous |
1890-1894 |
1/52 | 2730-001 | Fahestock & Company |
1890-1893 |
1/53 | 2730-001 | Fairhaven Land Company |
1893-1894 |
1/54 | 2730-001 | Falls, Thomas J. |
1890-1894 |
1/55 | 2730-001 | Ferry, Elisha P. |
1891-1892 |
1/56 | 2730-001 | Forbes, A.B. (and agent) |
1893-1894 |
1/57 | 2730-001 | Ford, A. |
1890 |
1/58 | 2730-001 | "F" Miscellaneous |
1890-1894 |
1/59 | 2730-001 | General Electric Company |
1893-1894 |
1/60 | 2730-001 | Gilman, Luthene Clairmont |
1890-1893 |
1/61 | 2730-001 | Glen Iron Mining Company |
1894 |
1/62 | 2730-001 | Goode, H.W. |
1891-1892 |
1/63 | 2730-001 | Gray, Charles C. |
1891-1893 |
1/64 | 2730-001 | Great Northern Railway Line |
1890-1894 |
1/65 | 2730-001 | Green, Joshua |
1892 |
1/66 | 2730-001 | Griggs, Chauncey Wright |
1892 |
1/68 | 2730-001 | Guilfoil, O.D. |
1890-1894 |
1/67 | 2730-001 | "G" Miscellaneous |
1890-1894 |
2/1 | 2730-001 | Halsey, N. Wetmore |
1890 |
2/2 | 2730-001 | Hardin, Thomas B. |
1892 |
2/3 | 2730-001 | Harris (E.W. and T.H.), law firm |
1892-1893 |
2/4 | 2730-001 | Haskell, C.F.B. |
1893-1894 |
2/5 | 2730-001 | Hazzard, George |
1890-1893 |
2/6 | 2730-001 | Hewitt-Lombard Bank |
1892 |
2/7 | 2730-001 | Hills, James Jerome |
1891-1893 |
2/8 | 2730-001 | Hoadly, Lauterback & Johnson |
1891 |
2/9 | 2730-001 | Hoit, Homer A. |
1890-1891 |
2/10 | 2730-001 | Horner, A.L. |
1892 |
2/11 | 2730-001 | Hosmer, Charles R. |
1891 |
2/12 | 2730-001 | Hutchings, George L. |
1891 |
2/13 | 2730-001 | "H" Miscellaneous |
1889-1894 |
2/14 | 2730-001 | Illinois Steel Company |
1890 |
2/15 | 2730-001 | "I" Miscellaneous |
1890-1891 |
2/16 | 2730-001 | Jameson, Smith & Company |
1890 |
2/17 | 2730-001 | Jenner, Charles J. |
1892 |
1/18 | 2730-001 | Jesup, Charles M. |
1891 |
1/19 | 2730-001 | Jones, F.M. (Franklin M.) |
1890-1894 |
1/20 | 2730-001 | "J" Miscellaneous |
1890-1893 |
2/21 | 2730-001 | Kimball, James P. |
1894, n.d. |
1/22 | 2730-001 | King, Charles |
1893-1894 |
2/23 | 2730-001 | Kittinger, C.H. |
1894 |
2/24 | 2730-001 | "K" Miscellaneous |
1890-1893 |
2/25 | 2730-001 | Leary, John |
1890-1891 |
2/26 | 2730-001 | Lewis, James Hamilton |
1892-1893 |
2/28 | 2730-001 | McDonald, J.R. |
1891, 1894 |
2/29 | 2730-001 | McNaught, James |
1892-1894 |
2/30 | 2730-001 | Martin, Alfred |
1890-1893 |
1/31 | 2730-001 | Merchant's National Bank, Seattle |
1890-1894 |
1/32 | 2730-001 | Metropolitan Trust Company |
1891-1893 |
2/33 | 2730-001 | Midland Pacific Railroad |
1892 |
2/34 | 2730-001 | Moran Brothers |
1890 |
2/35-36 | 2730-001 | "M" Miscellaneous |
1890-1894 |
2/37 | 2730-001 | Nelson, J.T. |
1894 |
2/38 | 2730-001 | New York Bank Note Company |
1890-1891 |
2/39 | 2730-001 | New York Engraving & Printing Company |
1892 |
2/40 | 2730-001 | Northern Pacific Railroad |
1888-1893 |
1/41 | 2730-001 | Northern Pacific Roadroad, Attorney's
Office |
1892-1893 |
1/42 | 2730-001 | Northwest General Electric Company |
1892-1893 |
2/43 | 2730-001 | Northwest Thomson-Houston Electric Company |
1891-1892 |
2/44 | 2730-001 | "N" Miscellaneous |
1890-1892 |
2/45 | 2730-001 | O'Dell, Daniel, broker |
1890-1894 |
2/46 | 2730-001 | Olympia Hotel |
1892 |
2/47 | 2730-001 | Orvis Brothers & Company |
1890 |
2/48 | 2730-001 | "O" Miscellaneous |
1891-1893 |
2/49 | 2730-001 | Page, J.A. |
1890-1892 |
2/50 | 2730-001 | Pettigrew, Richard |
1893 |
2/51 | 2730-001 | Pratt, G.E.M. |
1892-1893 |
2/52 | 2730-001 | Puget Sound Iron Company |
1894 |
2/53-54 | 2730-001 | "P" Miscellaneous |
1890-1894 |
2/55 | 2730-001 | Quinn, David A. |
1890 |
3/1 | 2730-001 | Rainier Club |
1890-1893 |
3/2 | 2730-001 | Rochester, Junius |
1890-1891 |
3/3 | 2730-001 | Rockwood, George G. |
1890-1893 |
3/4 | 2730-001 | "R" Miscellaneous |
1890-1894 |
3/5 | 2730-001 | Schulze, Paul |
1894 |
3/6 | 2730-001 | Seattle Chamber of Commerce |
1890-1894 |
3/7 | 2730-001 | Seattle National Bank of Commerce |
1891-1894 |
3/8 | 2730-001 | Seattle University (Baptist) |
1891-1893 |
3/9 | 2730-001 | Seattle & Eastern Construction Company |
1890-1892 |
3/10 | 2730-001 | Seattle & Montana Railraod Company |
1890-1894 |
3/11 | 2730-001 | Seattle Coal and Iron Company |
1890-1894 |
3/12 | 2730-001 |
Seattle Democrat
|
1892 |
3/13 | 2730-001 |
Seattle Journal
|
1890, n.d. |
3/14 | 2730-001 | Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway
Company |
1890-1892 |
3/45 | 2730-001 | Seattle National Bank |
1891-1893 |
3/16 | 2730-001 | Seattle Safe Deposit & Trust Company |
1893-1894 |
3/17 | 2730-001 |
Seattle Telegraph
|
1890-1893 |
3/18 | 2730-001 | Seattle Trust Company |
1890-1893 |
3/19 | 2730-001 | Semple, Eugene |
1891, n.d. |
3/20-22 | 2730-001 | Smith, James Dickinson |
1890-1893 |
3/23 | 2730-001 | Smith (James D.) & Company |
1891-1894 |
3/24 | 2730-001 | Smith, Stewart K. |
1892-1894 |
3/25 | 2730-001 | Smith Cove Land Company |
1890-1892 |
3/26 | 2730-001 | Spalt, (Mrs.) F.R. |
1894 |
3/27 | 2730-001 | Spencer, Robert T. |
1892-1894 |
3/28-29 | 2730-001 | Squire, Watson C. |
1891-1894 |
3/30 | 2730-001 | Stone, C. |
1892-1894 |
3/31 | 2730-001 | Street, Ogden |
1893-1894 |
3/32 | 2730-001 | Sullivan, John C. and wife |
1892-1893 |
3/33 | 2730-001 | Symons, Thomas William |
1892 |
3/34-36 | 2730-001 | "S" Miscellaneous |
1890-1894 |
3/37 | 2730-001 | Thomson, Reginald Heber |
1893-1894 |
3/38 | 2730-001 | Thornell, William R. |
1890-1894 |
3/39 | 2730-001 | Torkelson, C.S. |
1893-1894 |
3/40 | 2730-001 | "T" Miscellaneous |
1890-1894, n.d. |
3/41 | 2730-001 | "U" Miscellaneous |
1890-1894, n.d. |
3/42 | 2730-001 | Van Fossen, George W. |
1891-1893 |
3/43 | 2730-001 | "V" Miscellaneous |
1892-1894 |
4/1 | 2730-001 | Warner, Chester H. |
1891-1892 |
4/2 | 2730-001 | Washington State Board of Trade |
1891 |
4/3 | 2730-001 | Weed, Smith Mead |
1894, n.d. |
4/4 | 2730-001 | Wenatchee Development Company |
1894 |
4/5-6 | 2730-001 | West Street & North End Electric Railway
Company |
1891 |
4/7 | 2730-001 | Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing
Company |
1890-1892 |
4/8 | 2730-001 | Wilson, John Lockwood |
1892 |
4/9 | 2730-001 | Winchell, Horace Vaughn |
1894 |
4/10 | 2730-001 | Witherow, James P. |
1893-1894 |
4/11 | 2730-001 | Wood, W.D. |
1890 |
4/12-14 | 2730-001 | Wyckoff, Jacob F. |
1890-1894 |
4/15-16 | 2730-001 | "W" Miscellaneous |
1890-1894 |
4/17 | 2730-001 | "Y" Miscellaneous |
1893 |
4/18 | 2730-001 | Anonymous and Unidentifiable |
1891-1892, n.d. |
Box/Folder | Accession | ||
4/19 | 2730-001 | Correspondence
Enclosures |
1889-1893 |
4/20 | 2730-001 | Outgoing Letters |
1886-1902 |
4/21-22 | 2730-001 | Financial
Miscellany |
1890-1894, n.d. |
4/23 | 2730-001 | Memoranda |
1890, n.d. |
4/24 | 2730-001 | Printed Miscellany |
1890-1894, n.d. |
4/25 | 2730-001 | Map of Skagit County |
1891 |
4/26 | 2730-001 | Legal Documents -
Miscellany |
1888-1891 |
4/27 | 2730-001 | Miscellany - Large |
1893, n.d. |
4/28 | 2730-001 | Subject Series - Tideland
Matters |
1890-1892, n.d. |
4/29 | 2730-001 | Documents -
Miscellaneous |
1889-1902 |
Accession No. 2730-002: Daniel H. Gilman papers, 1883-1890Return to Top
Scope and Content: Letters by Gilman mainly to Franklin M. Jones of Jameson, Smith and Cotting, NY bankers, plus related items; 1883-1890. Gilman was a business promoter. These are mainly letters (ALS) by Gilman to Jones regarding development of coal lands in the Black Diamond Area, King County, along with prospect for a steel industry. He was also interested in railroading, being associated with the Seattle Lake Shore and Eastern Railway. These papers have been arbitrarily named the Gilman papers because of the nature of their acquisition, being divorced from their origins, and intended by donor to be considered the "Gilman papers".
Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.
Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box/Folder | Accession | ||
1/1 | 2730-002 | Incoming Letter from Frederick H.
Whitworth |
1883 |
1/2-8 | 2730-002 | Outgoing Letters |
1883-1890 |
1/9 | 2730-002 | Correspondence of Others -
Letters to Franklin M. Jones |
1886 |
1/10 | 2730-002 | Draft of Agreement |
1882 |
1/11 | 2730-002 | Proposals for
Railroads |
1885, n.d. |
Drafts of Promotion
Statements |
|||
Box/Folder | Accession | ||
1/12 | 2730-002 | Favoring Puget Sound over Portland |
n.d. |
1/13 | 2730-002 | For Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern
Railway |
n.d. |
Box/Folder | Accession | ||
1/14 | 2730-002 | Financial Status Statement
|
1886 |
1/15 | 2730-002 | Business Statements |
1882-1886 |
1/16 | 2730-002 | Clippings |
1882, 1886, n.d. |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Businessmen--Washington (State)--Seattle--Archives
- Coal mines and mining--Washington (State)--King County
- Politicians--Washington (State)--Seattle
- Promoters--Washington (State)--Seattle--Archives
- Railroad companies--Washington (State)
- Railroads--Washington (State)
Personal Names
- De Wolfe, George
- Drew, Thomas F
- Earle, Thomas
- Gilman, Daniel H.--Archives
- Goode, H. W
- Haskell, Charles Frederick Beals, 1856-1895
- Hazzard, George, 1845-
- Jones, F. M. (Franklin M.)
- Kimball, James P. (James Putnam), 1836-1913
- Kirk, Peter
- Rockwood, George Gardner, 1832-1911
- Smith, James Dickinson, 1832-1909
- Squire, Watson C. (Watson Carvosso), 1838-1926
- Thornell, William R
- Weed, Smith Mead, 1833-1920
- Wyckoff, Jacob F
Corporate Names
- Democratic Party (Wash.). Central Committee
- Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway Company
Geographical Names
- Lake Washington Ship Canal (Seattle, Wash.)
Other Creators
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)