Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company Records

Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company Records, 1902-1912

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company
Title: Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company Records
Dates: 1902-1912 (inclusive)
19021912
Quantity: 57 linear feet of shelf space.
Collection Number: Cage 21
Summary: A national fire insurance firm of Walla Walla, Washington, and Chicago, Illinois, whose failure in 1908 brought most of its records together for receivership. Included are correspondence, ledgers, surrendered certificates, loss claims, minutes and account books, and policy and loss ledgers. Also included are some records of the Merchants' Fire Association of Seattle, a mutual fire insurance firm, 1902-1907, a predecessor organization.
Repository: Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions: This collection is open for research use.
Languages: English
Sponsor: Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The papers of the Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company, which was in active business during the years 1907 and 1908 and which had its home offices at Walla Walla, Washington and its general offices at Chicago, Illinois, consist of such papers as the receivers were able to collect and preserve when the company failed in late 1908. As the collection consists of the papers used in the liquidation of the company, the collection must properly be regarded as the documentation of the dissolution of the company, rather than of its operation.

Although in business for only 23 months, the Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company had an extremely complex history. Originally conceived as a stock company to succeed the mutual firm operating under the name of the Merchants' Fire Association, portions of whose records are included in this collection, the Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company rapidly became a nationwide writer of fire insurance, operating, in effect, from central offices in Chicago. The history of the company was characterized by several fights over control and policy, as evidenced by considerable shifting of officers and executive personnel. In its last days, the company was to be reorganized as a new corporate entity, a move stalled only by lawsuits and receivership petitions.

The main persons involved with the direction of the company were: (1) Charles H. Spencer, former manager of the Merchants' Fire Association, the first Secretary, General Manager of the company in its early months, and, after having been forced from that position, manager of the Chicago office; (2) Calvin Holloway, President of the company and later attorney for the Chicago office, concurrently with being overall head of the company; (3) Orrin Parker, a financial associate of Holloway's, who provided most of the capital for organization of the company, subject to reservations which lead to the lawsuit ending operations of the company; (4) O.P. Conaway, an insurance executive who replaced Spencer as Secretary and de facto manager of the home office and who later was the head underwriter at Chicago, concurrently with his other positions; (5) J.A. McGhee, Assistant Secretary, who was left in charge when the other officers moved to Chicago, and who was the first receiver of the company; (6) W.D. Church, manager of the Seattle branch office; and (7) Dorsey Hill, an official of Walla Walla County and Whitman College, who became the second receiver of the company and who undertook its liquidation.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

[Item Description]. Cage 21, Guide to the Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company Records. Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The collection is broken up into four distinct series, plus a fifth which consists solely of papers added to the collection three years after its initial processing.

Series one (Correspondence, 1904-1912) consists of such correspondence as the receiver of the Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company was able to secure at the time of the failure of the company. It is mainly the files of the branch offices in Spokane, Tacoma and Seattle, with some of the home office correspondence included and occasional items from general agency offices. The general correspondence of the receivers is also included, as are a few personal items of persons connected with the company.

Series two (Claims, 1908-1912) is divided into three subseries. 2.1 is unfiled papers related to claims. 2.2 is reports from agencies and general agencies at the time of failure. 2.3 is policy holder claims, mostly for return premiums on unexpired insurance, with some for fire losses and other reasons. Also surrendered policies.

Series three is ledgers, minute books, checkbooks, journals, account books, agency records, policy registers, policy indexes, loss registers, stock book, and receivers' accounts.

Series four (Merchants' Fire Asssociation Papers, 1902-1907) consists of records of the Merchants Fire Association of Seattle, a mutual insurance firm which was the predecessor of the Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company; its accounts, policy registers, and reports were passed to the Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company.

Series five consists of seven boxes which were added to the collection in 1975

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Series 1: Correspondence, 1904-1912Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
1 / 1-13	Correspondence of Home Office and Seattle, Tacoma and Spokane branch offices	February, 1907-February, 1908
2 / 14-17	Correspondence	March, 1908-June, 1908
3 / 18-23	Correspondence	July, 1908-December, 1908
3 / 24	Correspondence	undated
4 / 25	Receiver correspondence.
4 / 26	Papers of Calvin Holloway, re: Walla Walla Abstract Company.	1904
4 / 27	Papers of James J. Butler, re: Republican Party politics	1907
4 / 28	Sample forms: blank policies, reports, rider clauses. Printed insurance supplies and advertising, including a catalog of insurance supplies.

Series 2: Claims , 1908-1912Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
	Series 2.1: Unfiled papers related to claims.
Box/Folder
5 / 29	Miscellaneous bills and expenses.
	Series 2.2: Reports from agencies and general agencies at the time of failure.
Box/Folder
5 / 30	Orrin Parker bankruptcy papers	1912
5-7 / 31-35	Central Department (Chicago) accounts as of December 29, 1908.
8-9 / 38	Eastern Department (New York) accounts as of December 29,1908.
9 / 39	Surrendered Certificates of Agency Appointment, Eastern Department.
10 / 40	Seattle Branch Office accounts.
10 / 41	California General Agency accounts.
	Series 2.3: Policy holder claims, mostly for return premiums on unexpired insurance, with some for fire losses and other reasons. Also surrendered policies.
Box
11	Re-insurance daily reports on the State Mutual Co-op Insurance Company, Moscow, Idaho; that company being in receivership and passing policyholder claims on to the Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company.
12-67	Policy holder claim for return premium on balance of paid-up insured period remaining after the company went into receivership. Correspondence, assignments and proofs of claim attached. Arranged in bundles and numbered 1-1746 and indexed in Receivers' ledger (Number 73).
68-69	Miscellaneous claim, including fire losses not paid at time of failure of the company, adjuster's reports, correspondence, proofs and other documents attached. Also miscellaneous bills for salaries and expense accounts. Arranged in envelopes in a numerical series indexed in Receivers' Ledger (Number 72).
70	Rejected claims: claims rejected by the receiver on fire losses, returned premium on unexpired insurance and other bills. Arranged in envelopes in a numerical series indexed in Receivers' Ledger (Number 74).

Series 3: Legders , 1907-1909 Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box
71	Minute Book, with Articles of Incorporation and by-laws.
72	Receivers Accounts: Misc. claims.
73	Receivers Accounts: general claims.
74	Receivers Accounts: rejected claims.
75	Receivers Accounts.
76	Stockbook and stock registry.
77	Closing balances
78	Checkbook, Seattle
79	Checkbook, Walla Walla
80	Checkbook, Walla Walla
81	Checkbook, Chicago
82	Checkbook, Chicago
83	Bankdraft stubs, losses paid
84	Bankdraft stubs, losses paid
85	Journal
86	Re-insurance journal
87	Re-insurance journal
88	Record of premium received
89	Record of premium received
90	Cash accounts
91	Cash accounts
92	Cash accounts, Walla Walla
93	Collections Register
94	Loss Register
95	Journal
96	Journal
97	Cash Accounts, Seattle
98	Agents' Register
99	Agents names
100	Agents names
101	Agents reports
102	Agents register and reports
103	Agents
104	Record of policy numbers sent to agents
105	Re-insurance Register
106	Re-insurance Register
107	Reinsured register
108	Reinsured register
109	Reinsurance with Queen City and Anchor Companies
110	Cancellations and endorsements of policies
111	Cancellations and return premiums (California)
112	Cancellations and endorsements (Central Dept)
113	Return Premiums Register (Western Department)
114	Return Premiums Register (California)
115	Return Premiums Register (Montana, Utah, Idaho, Alaska)
116	Yearly Summary
117	Central Department reports
118	Monthly totals
119	Monthly Reports (Eastern Department)
120	Monthly Reports (Central Department)
121	Western Department Reports
122	November 1908 Reports
123	December 1908 Reports
124	Policy index (Washington)
125	Policy index (Central Department) (Policy indexes contain very little material. -their principle use was the location of a policy holders entry in the policy register. The two indexes here are samples of this type book; 10 similar item were discarded.)
126	Eastern Department Daily report and policy register
127	Central Department Daily report and policy register
128	Central Department Daily report and policy register
129	Central Department Daily report and policy register
130	Home Office policy register
131	Policy register, Central Department
132	Policy register, Washington State
133	Policy register, Southern Department
134	Policy register, Texas
135	Policy register, North Carolina
136	Policy register, Arkansas
137	Policy register, California
138	Policy register, Montana
139	Policy register, Utah
140	Policy register, Idaho
141	Policy register, Washington
142	Policy register, Kansas
143	Policy and loss register, misc.
144	Walla Walla agency register
145	Policy Register, Central Department, Ohio
146	Policy Register, Southern Department, Texas, Oklahoma
147	Policy Register, Central Department, Indiana
148	Policy Register, Central Department, Missouri, Minnesota
149	Policy Register, Southern Department, North Carolina
150	Policy Register, Southern Department, South Carolina, Louisiana
151	Policy Register, Southern Department, Arkansas
152	Policy Register, Central Department, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska

Series 4: Merchants' Fire Asssociation Papers. The predecessor firm of the Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company, the Merchants' Fire Association was organized as a mutual fire insurance company in Seattle in 1902. It did business through agents throughout the state of Washington during its 5 year history. The Merchants' Fire Association manager, Charles H. Spencer, was an instigator of the efforts which lead to the founding of the Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company in 1907, its reinsuring of Merchants' Fire Association policies, and its purchase of Merchants' Fire Association's assets. Spencer also became the Secretary of the Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company, and was also the de facto manager until he was forced out during the struggles for control. The papers of the Merchants' Fire Association consist of those records which were required for the carryover of policies from one company to the other. Some Merchants' Fire Association policies extended for a sufficient length of time that they outlived the Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company; as a consequence some of the Merchants' Fire Association papers are relevant to the liquidation claims made on the assets of the Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company. , 1902-1907Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box
153	Contract transferring Merchants' Fire Association business to Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company
153	Reports on policies carried over to Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company
154	Cash Book
155	Re-insurance Ledger
156	Policies in force	February, 1907
157	Checkbook
158	Policy Register
159	Agents Register
160	Collections Register

Added Materials, March, 1975Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box
161	Re-Insurance Register
162	Index
163	Index, Losses and Misc. Claims
164	Index
165	Index
166	Index
167	Index

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Insurance companies--Washington (State)--Seattle--Records and correspondence
Insurance companies--Washington (State)--Walla Walla--Records and correspondence
Insurance, Fire --Washington (State)--History--Sources

Corporate Names

Merchants' Fire Association --Archives (creator)
Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company --Archives (creator)

Archives West Finding Aid

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