Pacific Coast Company records, 1860-1927

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Pacific Coast Company
Title
Pacific Coast Company records
Dates
1860-1927 (inclusive)
Quantity
45.73 cubic feet plus 4 microfilms and 2 vertical files
Collection Number
2241
Summary
Correspondence, journals, ledgers, legal documents, blueprints, maps, letterpress copy books, and other records of the Pacific Coast Company, which operated railways, steamships, and coal mines
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

No restrictions on access.

Request at UW

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The Pacific Coast Company (PCC) purchased the property of the Oregon Improvement Company (OIC) on December 1, 1897. Mr. C.J. Smith, father of the donor, was the Receiver for the Oregon Improvement Company. He continued as general manager of the new Pacific Coast Company (See letter 5 July 1898), which merchandised oil in the coast-wide trade, conducted real estate operations in Seattle and coal mining promotions in British Columbia, and had as subsidiaries the Black Diamond Coal Mine (Wash.), the Cedar Mountain Coal Mine (Wash.), the Columbia and Puget Sound Railroad, Pacific Coast Coal and Oil Company, Pacific Coast Railway Company (San Luis Obispo), and the Pacific Coast Steamship Company.

In 1896, the Oregon Improvement Company went into receivership for the second time in its sixteen year history. The following year, the newly-formed Pacific Coast Company absorbed the insolvent OIC, taking control of all its operations. The PCC inherited the Pacific Coast Railway in California, three Washington railroads, the Pacific Coast Steamship Company, and an extensive mining operation in western Washington, which was the company’s backbone.

The new Pacific Coast management made several moves to stop the financial hemorrhaging of its Washington railroad subsidiaries. The first step was to make the long overdue transition of the Columbia & Puget Sound Railroad to standard gauge tracks. The company shortly later sold Seattle & Northern Railroad and the Port Townsend Southern Railroad, both perennial money losers. In 1916, the Columbia & Puget Sound changed its name to the Pacific Coast Railroad, not to be confused with the PCC’s California subsidiary, the Pacific Coast Railway. Great Northern Railroad acquired control of Pacific Coast Railroad in 1951.

The 1897 advent of the PCC brought new vitality to the Pacific Coast Steamship Company. Business increased substantially, especially to Alaska because of the discovery of gold in the Klondike and the establishment of salmon canneries. By 1916, however, shortly after a record year spurred by the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition at San Francisco, the company sold its passenger ships to the Pacific-Alaska Navigation Co. The trademarked name of the Pacific Coast Steamship Company did not fall immediately into disuse, since the PCC used its house flag on two freighters in the Alaska gypsum trade until 1938, when it finally liquidated the company.

From the very beginning, the OIC found its mining operations vexing, and the PCC would fall heir to the same difficulties. The most fundamental difficulty was the geologic nature of the western Washington coal beds. Because virtually all the coal layers are interwoven with partings, miners have to use steep-slope techniques and mechanically clean the coals outside the mines. The shape of the coal fields also precluded much machine mining, necessitating the use of traditional hand-mining methods. In 1915, only 12.8% of Washington coal was machine mined, compared to the national average of 55%. This low level of mechanization resulted in low productivity per man-hour. The special requirements resulted in up to 80% higher production costs in Washington than in other parts of the western United States. Because of this, when economic times were poor, Washington coal was often the first cut out of the market and the last back in after economic recovery.

The PCC also acquired with the mines a relationship with its mine workers that was tense at best, tumultuous at worst. Fortunately for the PCC, the Pacific Coast Coal Company, as the subsidiary was known after 1908, did avoid much of the acrimony and the conflicts which had characterized labor relations under the OIC. The new management, no doubt unwilling to jeopardize its new-found good times with labor discord, even agreed in 1908 to a contract providing an eight-hour day and a 10¢ per day raise. The relative calm lasted until 1919. The miners, and their union, became increasingly dissatisfied that prices continued to rise, but wages remained frozen under existing contracts. The company, now faced with less economically propitious times, proved intransigent to all demands. With the two sides deadlocked, a bitter series of strikes and lockouts began. In 1921, two state commissions investigated the impasse, and the last one suggested that miners accept a 25% to 28% wage reduction, exasperating the situation. The coal company proved the stronger of the two combatants, however, and had broken the union by 1923. Shortly after the management victory, an article in the company-produced newsletter, the Pacific Coast Bulletin, announced that “the principle producers in all except the East-of-the-mountains fields thereupon declared for the open shop, recruited new forces from the whole of the Northwest, and have built up a fine body of employees, who are well treated, perfectly satisfied and recognize that their interest and that of their employer are mutual. Many operators of the state feel that this is the beginning of an era that will develop into one of real prosperity for the state’s bituminous coal mining industry.”

Despite the hopeful assessment of the propaganda, the Washington coal industry suffered from problems too deep to be solved merely through the control of labor costs. Real prosperity would never return. By 1918, Washington coal began to experience intense competition from several sides. In 1927 the Bulletin noted with extreme understatement that “sales activities are constantly confronted with the competition of cheap fuel oil, hogged fuel, and electrical energy, all of which combine to make the battle for markets of keenest interest.” Despite quixotic expectations that fuel oil would become less plentiful and more expensive the Bulletin even published a hopeful story in 1926 about a Swedish scientist who anticipated the depletion of the world’s oil reserves by 1940. Washington coal’s battle with oil became increasingly lopsided. Further damaging the position of the Pacific Coast Coal Company was the completion of railroad access to western Washington, allowing cheaper and often higher-quality Rocky Mountain coal to compete directly with local coal, and the development of technological advantages which allowed industry still using coal to do so more efficiently. The company tried to diversify by opening the first coal briquette plant in the Pacific Northwest, but this did nothing to reverse the established trends. By 1929, the Pacific Coast Coal Company closed all its big mines with the exception of the New Black Diamond mine, which continued production until 1942.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Correspondence, journals, ledgers, legal documents, blueprints, maps, letterpress copy books, and memos related to the Pacific Coast Company and its subsidiary companies.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions may exist on copying, quotation, or publication. Contact University of Washington Libraries Special Collections for details.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Organized into 7 accessions.

  • Accession No. 2241-001, Pacific Coast Company records, 1897-1927
  • Accession No. 2241-002, Pacific Coast Company letterpress books microform records, 1883-1900
  • Accession No. 2241-003, Pacific Coast Company records, 1919, 1922
  • Accession No. 2241-004, Pacific Coast Company records, 1918
  • Accession No. 2241-005, Pacific Coast Company records, June 17, 1898 - March 31, 1900
  • Accession No. 2241-006, Pacific Coast Company records, circa 1860-1918
  • Accession No. 2241-007, Pacific Coast Company records, 1899-1922

Custodial History

Accession 2241-002 was filmed from the originals in 1978.

Related Materials

Related accessions include the Oregon Improvement Company papers, no. 0249-001; the Pacific Coast Steamship Company Papers, no. 0250-001, containing correspondence, agreements, ledger, journals and other miscellaneous material, 1876-1938; and the Pacific Coast Coal Company Papers, no. 0810-001, containing journals, 1909-1920.

The Special Collections Division also has a number of travel brochures on Alaska produced by the Pacific Coast Steamship Company, and several volumes of the Pacific Coast Bulletin. For additional information, see Gerald M. Best,Ships and Narrow Gauge Rails: The Story of the Pacific Coast Company,Berkeley, CA:Howell-North, 1964. The UW Libraries received accession no. 2241 in July, 1962 from the Pacific Coast Coal and Oil Company.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Accession No. 2241-001: Pacific Coast Company records, 1897-1927Return to Top

41.15 cubic feet

Scope and Content: This accession covers the beginning of the Pacific Coast Company in 1897, until around 1930. There is correspondence, both incoming and outgoing, between subsidiary companies as well as with outside individuals and organizations. The papers also contain extensive interoffice communication. Topics relating to coal operations include labor reports, information on the briquette plant, financial reports, coal prices, foreign markets and tariffs, mine blueprints and maps, and other general material relating to the mining industry. The information on the steamship company includes capitalization, depreciation of vessels, insurance, rates, taxation and transfer of vessels, stock certificates, construction of lunkers, tracks and wharves, financial statements, Interstate Commerce Commission regulations, legal documents, ship blueprints, and extensive information on individual ships. Information on the railroad subsidiaries is much more limited, although they are covered in general company records, and there is some general correspondence for the Columbia & Puget Sound Railroad.

For related materials see The Pacific Steamship Company, Pacific Coast Steamship Company, Pacific Coast Coal Company, and the Oregon Improvement Company.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Donated by Pacific Coast Coal & Oil Co. via Evan Morris, July 1962 and Nov. 27, 1967

Accession No. 2241-002: Pacific Coast Company letterpress books microform records, 1883-1900Return to Top

2 microfilm reels (positive)
2 microfilm reels (negative)

Scope and Content: Two reels of microfilmed letterpress copy books.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Received 4/1/1978.

Accession No. 2241-003: Pacific Coast Company records, 1919, 1922Return to Top

1 folder (ca. 50 pp.)

Scope and Content: Interoffice correspondence from 1919 and 1922 concerning the acquisition of the Carbonado mine in Pierce County, Washington.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Donated by Palmer Coking Coal Co, 6/4/1984.

Accession No. 2241-004: Pacific Coast Company records, 1918Return to Top

ca. 30 items

Scope and Content: Memos for the Board of Appraisers regarding various company ships, as per agreement with Pacific Alaska Navigation Co., Seattle, May, 1918.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Unknown.

Accession No. 2241-005: Pacific Coast Company records, June 17, 1898 - March 31, 1900Return to Top

.28 cubic foot (4 volumes)

Scope and Content: Letterpress copybooks covering the dates June 17th, 1898 to March 31st, 1900.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Donated by Mrs. Harvey Salmon, 6/1/1973.

Accession No. 2241-006: Pacific Coast Company records, circa 1860-1918Return to Top

0.23 cubic feet (1 box)

Scope and Content: 6 Abstracts of Title concerning land in South Seattle held by the Pacific Coast Company. Also includes a mortgage document from the Pacific Steamship Company to the Pacific Coast Company.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: William Kombol, 2006-07-01

Accession No. 2241-007: Pacific Coast Company records, 1899-1922Return to Top

4.07 cubic feet (11 boxes)

Scope and Content: Maps, schematics, and blueprints from the Pacific Coast Company (PCC) and its subsidiaries, the Pacific Coast Coal Company (PCCC) , the Pacific Coast Railroad Company (PCRC, PCRRC), and the Pacific Coast Steamship Company (PCSC, PCSSC). Items include maps, schematics, and blueprints relating to the construction of, additions to, and equipment for piers and wharves, coal mining operations, and street layouts in Seattle, Coal Creek Washington, and other cities on the West Coast. Also includes West Coast Fuel Company, or the West Coast Coal Company's 1930s maps from the King County Cedar Mountain Mines, which originally belonged to PCC in the 1920s.

Individual items are labeled in pencil on bottom corner by subseries and item number.

Restrictions on Access: No restrictions on access.

Restrictions on Use: Status of creator's copyrights is unknown; restrictions may exist on copying, quotation, or publication. Users are responsible for researching copyright status before use.

Acquisition Info: Donated by Jeff Montgomery from the Black Diamond Historical Society February 2023

Container(s) Description Dates
Series 1: Pacific Coast Company (PCC)
Subseries 1A: Equipment Schematics
Box Accession
1 2241-007
Schematic 1: Feeder & Burner Assemble Powered fuel Boiler House, Coal Creek
1917 September 29
1 2241-007
Schematic 2: Details of Castings for 140ft. Truss Pier D, Seattle
1906 October
1 2241-007
Schematic 3: Standard shelving & Racks for Mine & Supply House
1917 August 28
6 2241-007
Schematic 4: Automatic Pea Coal Furnace
1915 August
7 2241-007
Schematic 5: Suspension Bridge to carry Water Main Across Carbon River for the Carbon Hill Coal Co. Carbonado, Wash.
1917 September
1 2241-007
Schematic 6: Cast Iron Butt Blocks for Truss No. 3 New Coal Bunkers and Shiploading Plant Seattle, Washington
Undated
7 2241-007
Schematic 7: Pier for Hinge of Truss for New Coal Bunkers and Shiploading Plant, Seattle, Washington
Undated
Subseries 1B: Building Blueprints
Box Accession
1 2241-007
Blueprint 1: Elevation of Bents Coal Creek Coal Bunker
1901 February
6 2241-007
Blueprint 2: Round House
Undated
8 2241-007
Blueprint 3: Coal Creek Incline
1901 February 14
6 2241-007
Blueprint 4: Plan Power House Coal Creek Mine
Undated
1 2241-007
Blueprint 5: Coal Creek Incline
1901 February 14
2 2241-007
Blueprint 6: Coal Creek Incline
1901 February 14
6 2241-007
Blueprint 7:Pacific Coast Co's Building on lots Block 326 Tide Lands, Seattle, WA
1903 October 24
2 2241-007
Blueprint 8: Plan of Wharf and Driveway at Site of Cold Storage Warehouse Railroad Avenue and Virginia St., Seattle
1900 May
1 2241-007
Blueprint 9: Plans of Warehouse for United Warehouse Company Virginia St. and R.R. Ave
1901 June
7 2241-007
Blueprint 10: Detail of Trusses for New Coal Bunkers and Shiploading Plant, Seattle, Washington
Undated
2 2241-007
Blueprint 11: Wharf and warehouse city dock, Seattle. Pier 47
1900 October
2 2241-007
Blueprint 12: Columbia and Puget Sounds Ry. Co. Plan of Warehouse and Wharf Virginia St. and R.R. Ave Seattle
1899 July 13
2 2241-007
Blueprint 13: Side Elevation of Pier D
Undated
9 2241-007
Blueprint 14: Plans of Fuel Oil Tank for Siems Carey Co.
1918 September 6th
Subseries 1C: Area Maps
Box Accession
2 2241-007
Map 1: Cascade Addition Boundaries of Company Property
Undated
2 2241-007
Map 2: 37th Ave. and East James Street
Undated
2 2241-007
Map 3: Plat of The Pacific Coast Addition
Undated
2 2241-007
Map 4: Preliminary Plan of Improvement Virginia Street Dock Site
1916 July 17
8 2241-007
Map 5: Coal Creek Incline Old Plans
1901 January
2 2241-007
Map 6: Plat showing Location of Blacksmith, Electric Shop, Etc. at Burnett WA
1918 October
8 2241-007
Map 7: Ground Plan of Wharves and Warehouses on R.R. Ave. Between Virginia and Blanchard
1907 September
5 2241-007
Map 8: Pier D Trusses to support General Offices
1922 September
8 2241-007
Map 9: Seattle Bunkers Ground Plan of Piling in Sea Wall
Undated
2 2241-007
Map 10: Plan and Profile of Coal Creek Incline
1900 December
6 2241-007
Map 11: Foundation Plan for Two Story Brick building Lots 13, 14, and 15 Block 326 Seattle Tide Lands
1903 October 24
2 2241-007
Map 12: Sub-Foundation Plan for Boilers and Engine of Power plant at new Coal bunkers and Roundhouse
Undated
2 2241-007
Map 13: Resubdivision of Blocks 61 & 62 Central Seattle Addition
1919 August
5 2241-007
Map 14: Map of workings East No.3 Mine Wilkeson coal and Coke Co.
Undated
9 2241-007
Map 15: Adjusted Meander and & Present Location of Cedar River
1931 February
Series 2: Pacific Coast Coal Company (PCCC)
Subseries 2A: Equipment Schematics
Box Accession
3 2241-007
Schematic 1: Briquette Plant Re-Loading Conveyor
1915 May
3 2241-007
Schematic 2: Shafting Detail for Re-loading Conveyor
1915 June 7
3 2241-007
Schematic 3: Blower Connection to Air Pipe in Boiler House Coal Creek
1917 November 17
3 2241-007
Schematic 4: Lake Washington Briquette Plant Wood Tank Foundations
1914 June 4
3 2241-007
Schematic 5: Plan of Screw Conveyor and Elevator to handle screenings at the Bunkers
1914 March 28
8 2241-007
Schematic 6: Coal Creek Mine Plan of Washers Detail of Shaking Screens
1914 May
3 2241-007
Schematic 7: Briquette Plant Re-loading Conveyor
1915 May
3 2241-007
Schematic 8: Roof's for Cooling Conveyor Storage Belt and Yard, Briquettville
1916 August
3 2241-007
Schematic 9: Powdered Fuel Department Additional Grinding Equipment 14 inch Conveyor and Coal chute for Briquet Plant
1918 June
3 2241-007
Schematic 10: Sewer system for dwelling houses No. 350 to 369 incl. at Coal Creek, Wash.
1917 October 29
6 2241-007
Schematic 11: Crane Trestle
1915 August
9 2241-007
Schematic 12: Shop details for Niedergesaess Stoker 29" Type
Undated
9 2241-007
Schematic 13: Section of Gear Case and Burner Niedergesaess Stoker 29" Type
Undated
9 2241-007
Schematic 14: Briquette Plant Re-loading Conveyor
1915 April
Subseries 2B: Building Blueprints
Box Accession
3 2241-007
Blueprint 1: Blower Heating System for Miners Wash-House, Coal Creek, Washington
1918 February 27
7 2241-007
Blueprint 2: Hotel Coal Creek WA
1917 August 23
3 2241-007
Blueprint 3: Proposed Bulkhead East Side of Briquet Plant Storage Yard
1915 February
3 2241-007
Blueprint 4: Oil House at Newcastle
1915 June
3 2241-007
Blueprint 5: Lake Washington Briquet Plant Conveyor Trestle
1914 December 31
7 2241-007
Blueprint 6: Hotel Coal Creek WA Framing Details Sheet No. 2
1917 September 4
7 2241-007
Blueprint 7: Plan of Five Room Cottage for Coal Creek
1917 May
6 2241-007
Blueprint 8: Retail Bunkers
1915 July
Subseries 2C: Area Maps
Box Accession
3 2241-007
Map 1: Map accompanying report on Vancouver Island, BC
1918 July
Series 3: Pacific Coast Railroad Company (PCRC, PCRRC)
Subseries 3A: Equipment Schematics
Box Accession
4 2241-007
Schematic 1: Locomotives Storm Window in Cab front door
1916 July
Subseries 3B: Building Blueprints
Box Accession
4 2241-007
Blueprint 1: Plans and Elevations for Renewal of North Wharf Seattle Coal Bunker
1917 November 19
7 2241-007
Blueprint 2: Wharf and warehouse Seattle Pier 47
1900 October
4 2241-007
Blueprint 3: Wharf and Warehouse Pier 47
1900 October
6 2241-007
Blueprint 4: Pier D Warehouse freight Elevator
1922 December
4 2241-007
Blueprint 5: Boiler Shop 563 Railroad Avenue So. Seattle, Wash.
1917 July 10
6 2241-007
Blueprint 6: Pier D Warehouse General Arrangement of the Office of Pacific Steamship Company
1922 December
Subseries 3C: Area Maps
Box Accession
7 2241-007
Map 1: SPRR Wharf Area Map
Undated
Series 4: Pacific Coast Steamship Company (PCSC, PCSSC)
Subseries 4A: Building Blueprints
Box Accession
7 2241-007
Blueprint 1: Pattern shop plans and elevations Pier A, Seattle
1918 September
Subseries 4B: Area Maps
Box Accession
8 2241-007
Map 1: Proposed Changes at Pier B
1914 October 22
4 2241-007
Map 2: Addition to the City of San Pedro
Undated
Series 5: West Coast Fuel Company
Subseries 5A: Cedar Mountain Mine Area Maps
Box Accession
11 2241-007
Map 1: West Coast Coal Co. Cedar River King County, WA.
1930
11 2241-007
Map 2: West Coast Fuel Company Mine in Section 29
1930
11 2241-007
Map 3: West Coast Fuel Company Mine in Section 29
1930
10 2241-007
Map 4: West Coast Fuel Company Mine in Section 29
1930
10 2241-007
Map 5: West Coast Fuel Company Mine in Section 29
1930
11 2241-007
Map 6: Mine Map West Coast coals Co. Old Cedar Mt. Mine, Cedar Mt. King County, Wash.
1930
11 2241-007
Map 7: West Coast Fuel Company Mine in Section 29
1930
10 2241-007
Map 8: Coal owned by Blair Estate
1930
11 2241-007
Map 9: West Coast Fuel Company Mine in Section 29
1932

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Coal mines and mining--Northwest, Pacific
  • Coal mines and mining--Washington (State)
  • Coastwise shipping--Pacific Coast (North America)
  • Collective bargaining--Coal mining industry--Washington (State)
  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)
  • Railroads--Pacific Coast (North America)
  • Railroads--Washington (State)

Corporate Names

  • Pacific Coast Company--Archives

Geographical Names

  • Washington (State)--History

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Barnum, William Milo (creator)
    • Smith, C. J (creator)
    Corporate Names
    • Oregon Improvement Company (creator)
    • Pacific Coast Coal Company (creator)
    • Pacific Coast Railroad Company (creator)
    • Pacific Coast Steamship Company (creator)