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C.T. Conover Photograph Collection, circa 1880-1957

Overview of the Collection

Collector
Conover, Charles Tallmadge, 1862-1961
Title
C.T. Conover Photograph Collection
Dates
circa 1880-1957 (inclusive)
Quantity
12 photographic prints (1 box) ; sizes vary
Ephemera: 2 items ; sizes vary
Collection Number
PH0503
Summary
Late 19th-century images relating to the career of Charles Tallmadge Conover, a Seattle Post-Intelligencer editor and co-owner of Crawford and Conover real estate company.
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

Entire collection can be viewed on the Libraries’ Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials Curator required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.

Request at UW

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was partially provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Biographical Note

Businessman and newspaper columnist, Charles Tallmadge Conover (1862-1961), was born in Esperance, New York, on August 7, 1862, the son of Abram and Harriet M. (Tallmadge) Conover. After working as a journalist in New York State for two years, Conover moved to British Columbia. He then worked briefly for the Tacoma Ledger (1887-1888) and even more briefly as the city editor for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. In 1888, he formed Crawford & Connor with another P-I reporter, Samuel L. Crawford. Crawford & Conover were real estate and financial brokers, and after a slow start, became quite successful. In 1891, Conover married Mary Louise Burns. They had one child, Tallmadge. After Mary Louise Burns' death in 1914, Conover married his second wife, Idelle M. Conkling, in 1931. Crawford & Conover were responsible for a national campaign, advertising Seattle and Washington State, and Conover is credited with coining "The Evergreen State" as Washington's nickname. He also advocated for the name Mount Rainier in 1917 before the United States Geographic Board, and actively campaigned for the continued use of the name Mt. Rainier in 1924 when a resolution was put before Congress to change the name to Mt. Tacoma. After retiring from real estate in 1941, Conover returned to writing, penning a column, "Just Cogitating" for the Seattle Times. Conover also authored several books, including Mirrors of Seattle (1923) and a biography of Judge Thomas Burke. He was a member of the Rainier Club, the Holland Society, the Sons of the American Revolution, and was active in the foundation of the Seattle Humane Society. Conover died in August, 1961.

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Content Description

The photographs document the early business activities of Conover, including his work for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and his career with Crawford and Conover Real Estate, as well as travel photos. Most of the photographs date from the 1880s and 1890s.

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Use of the Collection

Alternative Forms Available

View the digital version of the collection

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Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

Source: 3a, 10, 11, 12; The Booksellers, 2006.

Processing Note

Processed by Tracy Mehlin and Jocelyn Spicer, 2002.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

 

  • Portraits

    • Description: Charles T. Conover
      Sarony, New York (photographer)

      Written on verso: Postmarked May 15, 1893. Charles T. Conover, formerly of Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

      Dates: circa 1893
      Container: Box/Folder 1/1, Item 1
      Location: Portraits
    • Description: Photograph of a drawing of Charles T. Conover
      Gulbransen (artist)
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box/Folder 1/1, Item 2
      Location: Portraits
    • Description: Mrs. Conover

      Written on verso: Mrs. L. Conover, 1922 N. Oaks, Tacoma, Washington. Mother dead. Pro 2479. Ida Lyon.

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box/Folder 1/1, Item 2a
      Location: Portraits

  • Journalists at Territorial Legislature

    • Description: Correspondents at the last session of the Territorial Legislature, Olympia, Washington Territory

      Included are: C.T. Conover of Tacoma Ledger, S.R. Frazier of Seattle Post-Intelligencer, M.M. Picken of Seattle Times, S.W. Wall of Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Captain P.B. Johnson of Portland Oregonian, J. Miller Murphy of Washington Standard, and Geo. H. Ward of Tacoma Ledger.

      Clark Photo, Olympia (photographer)
      Dates: December 1887-January 1888
      Container: Box/Folder 1/2, Item 3
      Location: Journalists at Territorial Legislature
    • Description: Group of men playing cards and drinking beer at table

      Printed on photo: Seance of the Press Representatives-Territorial Legislature, Olympia, Washington Territory. Geo. H. Ward of Tacoma Ledger, C.T. Conover of Tacoma Ledger, Portland News, Spokane Falls Review, J. Miller Murphy of Washington Standard, P.B. Johnson of Portland Oregonian and Walla Walla Union, S.R. Frazier of Seattle Post-Intelligencer, S.W. Wall of Seattle Post-Intelligencer, M.M. Picken of Seattle Times.

      Rogers, Olympia, Washington Territory (photographer)
      Dates: 1887-1888
      Container: Box/Folder 1/2, Item 3a
      Location: Journalists at Territorial Legislature

  • Crawford and Conover Real Estate Company

  • Ephemera

    • Description: Printed place card with signatures on verso

      Note with card reads: Place card for dinner given by C.T. Conover for John H. McGraw, newly elected governor, and Frederick J. Grant, Editor of the Post Intelligencer, newly appointed Minister to Bolivia. McGraw's Campaign was bitterly fought by Tacoma, led by Nelson Bennett, hence the cartoon. Some interesting autographs on back.

      Dates: circa 1892-1893
      Container: Box/Folder 1/5, Item 9
      Location: Ephemera
    • Description: Crawford & Conover Real Estate business card
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box/Folder 1/5, Item 10
      Location: Ephemera

  • Travel

    • Description: People at logging camp in Port Moody, British Columbia

      Written on verso: Partial view of the camp, Port Moody, British Columbia. [Numbered identifications correspond to numbers written on front of photo]: 1. Miss Melanie Dockrill; 2. C.T. Conover; 3. Miss Nellie Dockrill; 4. Mrs. Joseph Dockrill; 5. Joseph Dockrill; 6. Jos. S. MacDonald, timber inspector; 7. George McLacklan; 8. Frank Dockrill; 9. Henry Smith; 10. Jack Parks; 11. Hop Sing; 12. Will Harvey; 13. Cook house; 14. Office and C.T. Conover's room; 15. Scow loaded with lumber; 16. Commencement of wharf; 17. Flume and penstock; 18. China cabins; 19. End view of mill; 20. Susan Ericson. Dockrill's house and half a dozen cabins for the men do not show.

      J.A. Brock, Vancouver City, B.C (photographer)
      Dates: 1886
      Container: Box/Folder 1/6, Item 11
      Location: Travel
    • Description: People in horse-drawn wagon

      Written on verso: CTC in front seat. Louise in 2nd seat, at Liberty Cap at end of Yellowstone trip. This picture used on N.P. literature the following year.

      F. J. Hayes & Bro., St. Paul. Official Photographers, N. P. R. R (photographer)
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box/Folder 1/6, Item 12
      Location: Travel

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Subject Terms

  • Journalists--Washington (State)--Photographs
  • Newspaper editors--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
  • Real estate agents--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
  • Real estate business--Washington (State)--Seattle

Personal Names

  • Conover, Charles Tallmadge, 1862-1961--Photographs

Corporate Names

  • Crawford & Conover Inc. (Seattle, Wash.)

Other Creators

  • Corporate Names

    • La Roche & Co. (Seattle, Wash.) (photographer)

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Subject Terms

  • Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)


2003 (Last modified: 11/27/2017)

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