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Charles Tallmadge Conover papers, 1889-1956

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Conover, Charles Tallmadge, 1862-1961
Title
Charles Tallmadge Conover papers
Dates
1889-1956 (inclusive)
Quantity
.42 cubic feet (1 box)
Collection Number
1052 (Accession No. 1052-001)
Summary
Businessman, newspaper columnist
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.

Request at UW

Languages
English
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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 Charles Tallmadge Conover papers are comprised mainly of correspondence, speeches and writings relating, in part, to the Rainier Club, Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Northwest history, Mount Rainier, and the firm of Crawford and Conover. Folder 1 contains a list of Conover's letters. Folders 2-18 contain incoming correspondence, organized alphabetically. Folders 19-27 consist of outgoing correspondence, organized chronologically. Folders 28-31 contain speeches and writings. Folders 29-37 contain copies of the Rainier Club Library News (1936-1952). Folder 38 contains Crawford and Conover contracts of 1889. Conover's writings include short typescript pieces on Seattle, local history, and golf. Correspondents include Thomas Burke, William F. Devin, Ella Higginson, Trevor Kincaid, George Kinnear, John F. Miller, C. Hart Merrimam, John F. Miller, William Hickman Moore, Stephen B. Penrose, Harold Pulsifer, John J. Underwood. Among the unidentified letters are two letters signed Margaret, which appear to have been written by Conover's housekeeper Margaret Anderson. Also included are several issues of the Rainier Club Library News, a short newsletter issued by Conover for the Rainier Club.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

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Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

Donated by C.T. Conover, 1/1/1958.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

 

  • Description: List of Conover Letters
    Container: Box/Folder 1/1
  • Description: Andrews, L. R. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1950
    Container: Box/Folder 1/2
  • Description: Atkins, J. B. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: undated
    Container: Box/Folder 1/2
  • Description: Atlantic Monthly incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/2
  • Description: Banning, Pierson incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1924
    Container: Box/Folder 1/2
  • Description: Baxter, Portur incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1948
    Container: Box/Folder 1/2
  • Description: Bedingfield, T. L. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: undated
    Container: Box/Folder 1/3
  • Description: Biglow, William incoming correspondence
    5 items
    Dates: 1922-1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/3
  • Description: Blanchard - Nichols - Coleman incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/3
  • Description: Bok, Edward W. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/3
  • Description: Botsford - Constantine Co. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: undated
    Container: Box/Folder 1/3
  • Description: Boyce, Robert W. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/3
  • Description: Boyns, Robert S. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/3
  • Description: Braid, Andrew incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1916
    Container: Box/Folder 1/3
  • Description: British Columbia Land Registry Office incoming correspondence
    3 items
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/3
  • Description: Brown, Esther B. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: undated
    Container: Box/Folder 1/3
  • Description: Bryant, Cliff W. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/3
  • Description: Burke, Thomas incoming correspondence
    6 items
    Dates: 1915-1924
    Container: Box/Folder 1/4
  • Description: Butler, Nicholas M. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1925
    Container: Box/Folder 1/4
  • Description: Cartantrie incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: undated
    Container: Box/Folder 1/4
  • Description: Carter, MacDonald, & Miller Inc. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/4
  • Description: Chamber of Commerce, Anacortes incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/4
  • Description: Chamber of Commerce, Seattle
    5 items
    Dates: 1922-1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/4
  • Description: Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Co. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/4
  • Description: Clise, Charles F. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/4
  • Description: Coburn, Elizabeth incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1950
    Container: Box/Folder 1/5
  • Description: Conover, William A. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/5
  • Description: Costello, Gilbert S. incoming correspondence
    4 items
    Dates: 1945-1946
    Container: Box/Folder 1/5
  • Description: Cram, George F. incoming correspondence
    2 items
    Dates: 1924
    Container: Box/Folder 1/5
  • Description: Dabney, Frank incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/6
  • Description: Dilling, George W. incoming correspondence
    2 items
    Dates: 1945
    Container: Box/Folder 1/6
  • Description: Donovan, John J. incoming correspondence
    3 items
    Dates: 1920-1930
    Container: Box/Folder 1/6
  • Description: Engle, A. W. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/6
  • Description: Faulkner, L. B. incoming correspondence
    3 items
    Dates: 1924
    Container: Box/Folder 1/7
  • Description: Fisken & Co. incoming correspondence
    2 items
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/7
  • Description: Fisken, Marian incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: undated
    Container: Box/Folder 1/7
  • Description: Fleager, H. A. incoming correspondence
    2 items
    Dates: 1950
    Container: Box/Folder 1/7
  • Description: Fogg, Mrs. Fred S. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: undated
    Container: Box/Folder 1/7
  • Description: Forbes, B. D. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/7
  • Description: Fowle, Albert L. incoming correspondence
    2 items
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/7
  • Description: Fredricksen, Fred incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/8
  • Description: Ferguson, Helen incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/8
  • Description: Garret, Jessie R. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1920
    Container: Box/Folder 1/8
  • Description: Great Northern Railway Co. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/8
  • Description: Gund, George incoming correspondence
    3 items
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/8
  • Description: Hanford, Ada L. incoming correspondence
    2 items
    Dates: undated
    Container: Box/Folder 1/8
  • Description: Hazelton, Henry I. incoming correspondence
    2 items
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/8
  • Description: Hawkins, Eudara incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/8
  • Description: Hayes, R. S. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/8
  • Description: Higday, Hamilton incoming correspondence
    2 items
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/9
  • Description: Higginson, Ella incoming correspondence
    5 items
    Dates: undated
    Container: Box/Folder 1/9
  • Description: Hill, Samuel incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/9
  • Description: Hodges, L. K. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1928
    Container: Box/Folder 1/9
  • Description: Hoge, James D. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/9
  • Description: Hurst, Mrs. Fred incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/9
  • Description: Izzard Company incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/9
  • Description: Japan Imperial Consulate, Seattle incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/9
  • Description: Jermane, W. W. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/9
  • Description: Karshner, (Dr.) W. M. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1951
    Container: Box/Folder 1/10
  • Description: Keator, Frederic W. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/10
  • Description: Kennedy Publishing Co. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/10
  • Description: Kenny, C. A. M. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/10
  • Description: Kincaid, Trevor incoming correspondence
    4 items
    Dates: 1955-1956
    Container: Box/Folder 1/10
  • Description: Kinnear, George incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: undated
    Container: Box/Folder 1/10
  • Description: Kinnear, Roy J. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/10
  • Description: Krogress, C. George incoming correspondence
    4 items
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/10
  • Description: Lambert, S. E. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/11
  • Description: Lansing, Robert incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1926
    Container: Box/Folder 1/11
  • Description: Lewis, C. D. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: undated
    Container: Box/Folder 1/11
  • Description: Lewis, James H. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1925
    Container: Box/Folder 1/11
  • Description: Lewis, Laura incoming correspondence
    Dates: undated
    Container: Box/Folder 1/11
  • Description: MacDougall & Southwick Co. incoming correspondence
    2 items
    Dates: 1950
    Container: Box/Folder 1/11
  • Description: McElroy, W. B. incoming correspondence
    2 items
    Dates: 1924
    Container: Box/Folder 1/11
  • Description: McEwan, Alexander F. incoming correspondence
    2 items
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/11
  • Description: McNeil, F. W. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/11
  • Description: Martin, T. H. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/11
  • Description: Mayer, Joseph incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/11
  • Description: Meany, Edmund S. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/12
  • Description: Mercer, Thomas incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/12
  • Description: Merriam, (Dr.) C. Hart incoming correspondence
    3 items
    Dates: 1924
    Container: Box/Folder 1/12
  • Description: Miller, John F. incoming correspondence
    4 items
    Dates: 1924-1929
    Container: Box/Folder 1/12
  • Description: Mills & Hagbom incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/12
  • Description: Minneapolis Tribune incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/12
  • Description: Minor, Anne H. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1924
    Container: Box/Folder 1/12
  • Description: Moore, William H. incoming correspondence
    2 items
    Dates: 1945
    Container: Box/Folder 1/12
  • Description: Moorehouse, Eli incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/12
  • Description: Moran, Robert incoming correspondence
    12 items
    Dates: 1922-1927
    Container: Box/Folder 1/13
  • Description: Mt. Tacoma Club incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1924
    Container: Box/Folder 1/13
  • Description: Murphy, Paul C. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/13
  • Description: Myers, George T. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/13
  • Description: Nelson, E. E. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1929
    Container: Box/Folder 1/13
  • Description: New York Life Insurance Co. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/13
  • Description: Oregonian incoming correspondence
    2 items
    Dates: 1924
    Container: Box/Folder 1/14
  • Description: Outlook Company incoming correspondence
    3 items
    Dates: 1925-1927
    Container: Box/Folder 1/14
  • Description: Ovington, E. J. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/14
  • Description: Parks, M. P. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: undated
    Container: Box/Folder 1/14
  • Description: Penrose, Stephen B. L. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1926
    Container: Box/Folder 1/14
  • Description: Pocock, George incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1940
    Container: Box/Folder 1/14
  • Description: Poole, Jeanette F. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: undated
    Container: Box/Folder 1/14
  • Description: Port Moody City Clerk incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/14
  • Description: Porter, George incoming correspondence
    3 items
    Dates: 1922-1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/14
  • Description: Rainier Club incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/15
  • Description: Rhodes of Seattle incoming correspondence
    2 items
    Dates: 1950
    Container: Box/Folder 1/15
  • Description: Robertson, (Dr.) A. Rocke incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/15
  • Description: Sandy, B. V. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: undated
    Container: Box/Folder 1/15
  • Description: Seattle Mayor incoming correspondence
    2 items
    Dates: 1922, 1945
    Container: Box/Folder 1/16
  • Description: Seattle Public Works Department incoming correspondence
    2 items
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/16
  • Description: Seattle Streets and Sewers Department incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/16
  • Description: Seattle Children's Home incoming correspondence
    3 items
    Dates: 1950
    Container: Box/Folder 1/16
  • Description: Seattle Post-Intelligencer incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/16
  • Description: Seattle Times incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/16
  • Description: Sedgwick, Ellery incoming correspondence
    2 items
    Dates: 1921
    Container: Box/Folder 1/16
  • Description: Sleicher, Ella S. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/16
  • Description: Sleicher, Mary P. incoming correspondence
    2 items
    Dates: 1922-1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/16
  • Description: Smith, Charles L. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1946
    Container: Box/Folder 1/16
  • Description: Spencer, Louis A. incoming correspondence
    2 items
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/16
  • Description: Steel, William G. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1924
    Container: Box/Folder 1/16
  • Description: Terrace, Frank incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: undated
    Container: Box/Folder 1/17
  • Description: Underwood, J. J. incoming correspondence
    3 items
    Dates: 1923-1924
    Container: Box/Folder 1/17
  • Description: U.S. Navy Assistant Secretary's Office incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1918
    Container: Box/Folder 1/17
  • Description: U.S. Navy incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1926
    Container: Box/Folder 1/17
  • Description: U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce incoming correspondence
    3 items
    Dates: 1924
    Container: Box/Folder 1/17
  • Description: Voters Information League incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/17
  • Description: Walling, Jason M. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/17
  • Description: Warner, Louise J. incoming correspondence
    2 items
    Container: Box/Folder 1/17
  • Description: Washburn, R. C. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/17
  • Description: Washington Municipal Corporations Division incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/17
  • Description: Washington Public Works Department incoming correspondence
    3 items
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/17
  • Description: Washington Paint Company incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/17
  • Description: Waterhouse, Frank incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: 1922
    Container: Box/Folder 1/17
  • Description: Wilson, Maude incoming correspondence
    8 items
    Dates: 1922-1923
    Container: Box/Folder 1/18
  • Description: Woodriff, Jeannette F. incoming correspondence
    1 item
    Dates: undated
    Container: Box/Folder 1/18
  • Description: Wood, James A. incoming correspondence
    3 items
    Dates: 1946
    Container: Box/Folder 1/18
  • Description: Unidentified incoming correspondence
    5 items
    Container: Box/Folder 1/18
  • Description: Outgoing Correspondence
    approximately 169 items
    Dates: 1919-1927
    Container: Box/Folder 1/19-27
  • Description: Speeches and Writings
    13 items
    Dates: undated
    Container: Box/Folder 1/28-31
  • Description: Rainier Club Library News - Writings for Rainier Club
    120 items
    Dates: 1936-1952
    Container: Box/Folder 1/32-37
  • Description: Crawford and Conover Contract (List of Lots sold in Renton Addition)
    1 item
    Dates: 1889-1890
    Container: Box/Folder 1/38