NTDMG193.xml Potlatch Lumber Company records Potlatch Lumber Company records Finding aid prepared by Judith Nielsen; updated by Sara Szobody in 2024. Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives 1990
libspec@uidaho.edu
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-05-02. Finding aid is in English. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard), 2nd Edition. University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives Potlatch Lumber Company records Potlatch Lumber Company MG 193 MG193 5 cubic feet 1890-1949 Correspondence of Walter D. Humiston, assistant general manager and director of research; contracts, leases, deeds and conveyances, property tax records, and reports on timber cruises; also property tax and other records of the Washington, Idaho and Montana Railway. English

These records of the Potlatch Lumber Company, of Potlatch, Idaho, span the years 1890 to 1949, with the bulk of the material covering the years 1901 to 1932.

The records include the correspondence of Walter D. Humiston, assistant general manager and director of research, several early contracts, leases, deeds and conveyances, property tax records and the results of numerous timber cruises. There are twelve folders of material from the Washington, Idaho and Montana Railway Company as well as individual folders containing material relating to Potlatch subsidiaries such as the brick company, dairy ranch, and flour mill, as well as the incorporation of the town of Elk River.

In addition to this record group the University of Idaho library has several manuscript collections of Potlatch related material, including the records of Potlatch Lumber Company, 1901-1979 (MG 135, 111 cubic feet); and Washington, Idaho and Montana Railway Company, 1903-1962 (MG 139, 65.5 cubic feet).

Many of the items in this record group were in labeled folders or document envelopes when received; all headings were retained during processing. The series designation was determined by the storage method of the material, i.e. folders, document envelopes, or, as in the case of the timber cruises, wooden drawers.

The first series contains the correspondence of W.D. Humiston, much of whci concerns the work of the research department. The first thirteen folders were in individual file folders which were contained in a large accordion folder. The original order of the folders was maintained during processing. Folders 16 to 22 contain correspondence between Potlatch and G.J. Esselin concerning processes he was developing for Potlatch. There is some duplication of material in files 16 to 19, e.g. the original of a letter from Esselin will be in one folder, and a carbon in another. The remaining correspondence in this series concerns patents.

The second series contains other items originally foldered and includes reports, specifications for the Potlatch Mill, and a contract with the Wisconsin Log and Lumber Company, 1903.

A large portion of the material was contained in document envelopes. This material was identified by company, Potlatch Lumber Company, Washington, Idaho and Montana Railway, or other subsidiary. The material was then unfolded and placed in file folders which were then arranged alphabetically. Papers dealing with Potlatch subsidiaries, e.g. brick company, dairy ranch, etc., were arranged by company and placed at the beginning of the series. They are followed by the lumber company, and finally the railroad. Types of material include leases, deeds, rights of way, and property tax receipts and related correspondence. The final items in this series are abstracts of title.

The final series consists of timber cruise notes, or estimates of timber, in sections of Latah County. These take three forms, 5 x 8" cards, arranged by location; notebooks, identified by cruiser and also by number; and by 8 1/2 x 11" sheets of paper.

The records of the Potlatch Lumber Company were donated to the Latah County Historical Society which transferred them to the University of Idaho Library, where they complement other Potlatch material, in December 1986.

Collection is open for research.

Some of the materials in this collection were digitized and added to the Potlatch Lumber Company Photograph Collection.

Photographer, "Title," date. Collection name, object ID. University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives, Moscow, ID.

Author, Description or "Title" of item, date. Collection name, collection number, box, folder. University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives, Moscow, ID.

 Humiston, Walter D. Potlatch Lumber Company Washington, Idaho and Montana Railway Co. Land titles--Idaho Tax assessment--Idaho--History--Sources Lumber trade--Idaho--Potlatch--History--Sources Lumbering--Idaho--Potlatch--History--Sources Idaho Forestry and Forest Products Series I. Walter D. Humiston Correspondence File 1928-1939 Alcohol, Vegalene motor fuel, gasoline energizer and by products 23 items 1928-1919 1/1 Pulpwood spools 11 items 1930 1/2 Densewood, correspondence with Alfred G. Olson 34 items 1930-1931 1/3 Instructions on the recording and compilation of experimental data and observations 2 items 1931 1/4 Miscellaneous correspondence, some related to research projects 98 items 1928-1932 1/5 Travel diary 1 item 1928 1/6 Wood flour 7 items 1930-1931 1/7 Research department correspondence 97 items 1929-1932 1/8 Hallowax Corporation 26 items 1931 1/9 Skinner, Sherman Esselin, research correspondence 193 items 1929-1930 1/10-11 Research department correspondence 67 items 1931-1932 1/12 Research department, Densewood 11 items 1931 1/13 Patents for future consideration: patents 142 items 1955-1928 1/14 Patents for future consideration: correspondence 21 items 1931 1/15 G.J. Esselin correspondence 208 items 1929-1931 1/16-19 G.J. Esselin patent applications for products developed for Potlatch 106 items 1931-1935 1/20-22 Reports by W.D. Humiston 55 items 1928-1939 1/23-24 Series II. Other Papers 1893-1941 New moulding machine, correspondence and reports 42 items 1937-1941 2/25 Studies and proposals of Roland Johnson 20 items 1937-1940 2/26 Specifications for a saw mill...to be erected for Potlatch Lumber Co. Plans by W.A. Wilkinson 1 item undated 2/27 Land title certificates 3 items 1893-1903 2/28 Contract: Wisconsin Log and Lumber Company with Potlatch Lumber Company 1 item April 10, 1903 2/29 Series III. Papers from Document Envelopes 1890-1949 Potlatch Lumber Company Bunch property 17 items 1906-1923 2/37 Deeds and conveyances 52 items 1892-1909 2/38 Green, James R. vs. Potlatch Lumber Company 20 items 1909-1910 2/39 Insurance policies and claims 56 items 1917-1920 2/40 Leases 89 items 1906-1947 2/41-42 Individual Leases Continental Oil Company 14 items 1915-1926 2/43 Samuel Frei 9 items 1916-1931 2/44 H.H. Lea 15 items 1908 2/45 Moose Lodge 7 items 1946-1948 2/46 Potlatch Dairy Company 21 items 1922-1927 2/47 Potlatch Garage 32 items 1926-1947 2/48 Sawmill tract 7 items 1903-1910 2/49 Leases, correspondence concerning 44 items 1911-1945 2/50 Logging truck privileges 2 items 1949 2/51 Old Palouse records, old deeds and correspondence 39 items 1904-1931 2/52 Potlatch Story 1 item September 1965 2/53 Palouse property, correspondence 25 items 1903-1908 2/54 Palouse River Lumber Company 6 items 1903-1908 2/55 Releases, old deeds, etc. 29 items 1901-1906 2/56 Rights of way 11 items 1922-1948 2/57 Taxes: Palouse property lists and matters pertaining to taxation and assessments 6 items 1908-1909 2/58 Taxes: Whitman County tax list 1 item undated 2/59 Taxes: Whitman County, Washington 121 items 1896-1909 2/60-62 Taxes: Whitman County, Washington 98 items 1910-1919 3/63-65 Trespass cases 50 items 1908-1916 3/66 Vacating of Palouse lots 1 item 1922 3/67 Whitman County, miscellaneous papers 6 items 1890-1908 3/68 Washington, Idaho & Montana Railway Company Correspondence concerning cars 50 items 1905 3/69 Crossing agreements 24 items 1905-1918 3/70 Deeds from individuals to William Deary 23 items 1905 3/71 McGiffert Loading Machine 53 items 1905-1906 3/72 Miscellaneous papers 25 items 1905-1915 3/73 Princeton plat maps 3 items undated 3/74 Rights of way 9 items 1906-1908 3/75 Taxes: Latah and Whitman County 242 items 1905-1919 3/76-80 Abstracts of title: correspondence 15 items 1903-1911 3/81 Abstracts of title 19 items 1898-1918 3/82-93 Brick Company 26 items 1911-1917 2/30 Dairy Ranch sale 7 items 1927-1934 2/31 Elk River incorporation 9 items 1910-1911 2/32 Field notes from a land survey 3 items undated 2/33 Flour Mill property 31 items 1903-1913 2/34 Homestead receipts 2 items 1901-1902 2/35 Potlatch Timber Protective Association. Grazing lease 1 item 1910 2/36 Series IV. Timber Estimates (Cruise Reports) 1901-1906 Estimates on cards 1620 items 1901-1906 4/94 Estimate books 54-82 36 items 1903-1905 5/95-131 Estimate sheets 47 items 1901 5/132-133