University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
4806 (Accession No. 4806-001)
McGilvra, John J. (John Jay), 1827-1903
John J. McGilvra
Papers
1861-1926
3.62 cubic ft. (9 boxes and 1 oversize volume)
8 microfilm reels : positive ; 35 mm.
Collection materials are in
English.
The John J.
McGilvra Papers document the career of the lawyer, elected official,
businessman, and civic activist and Washington State pioneer.
The pages of the letterpress books are wrinkled and many are
blurred.
John Jay McGilvra was born in Livingston County, New York, in 1827 and
moved with his family to Illinois in 1844. After teaching school for several
years, he began reading law, was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1853, and
entered private practice in Chicago. In 1861, McGilvra was appointed U.S.
attorney for Washington Territory, a post he held until 1865, when he returned
to private pratice and politics. McGilvra was elected to the territorial
legislature in 1866 as a Republican. The most notable accomplishment of his
single term was the passage of enabling legislation for a wagon road over
Snoqualmie Pass, the first trans-Cascade connection between eastern and western
Washington. Following the Northern Pacific Railway's announcement in 1873 that
Tacoma would be its West Coast terminus, he joined with other prominent
Seattleites in organizing the Seattle & Walla Walla Railroad Company. Even
after the failure of his railroad venture, McGilvra lobbied and litigated
against the Northern Pacific and remained one of its most vocal critics.
McGilvra, one of the first attorneys in Seattle, spent most of his
career in private practice but served a short time as city attorney. In
addition to practicing law (he would eventually earn the title of "Judge" as a
tribute to his longevity), McGilvra speculated in real estate. He and his wife,
Elizabeth, purchased a large tract of land bordering Lake Washington, becoming
the first white settlers in what is now the Madison Park neighborhood in
Seattle. He built what became Madison Street to link his property with downtown
Seattle and organized the Madison Street Cable Railway Company. McGilvra was
also an advocate of municipal improvement and civic reform in Seattle,
remaining active in civic affairs even after his retirement in 1893. He was a
primary backer of the Lake Washington Ship Canal and promoted the concept of
bringing Cedar River water to Seattle. He and other community leaders
established a Municipal League in 1894, although it was soon disbanded.
McGilvra's son Oliver was a successful Seattle lawyer. Daughter
Caroline McGilvra, a philanthropist and avid collector of Native American
artifacts, was married to Seattle pioneer Judge Thomas Burke, for whom the
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture is named. John J. McGilvra died in
1903.
The papers document the career of John J. McGilvra, a lawyer, elected
official, businessman, and civic activist.
The general correspondence is arranged chronologically and spans the
years 1861-1907. The contents relate to both personal and business topics.
Letters from the early 1860s discuss matters arising from McGilvra's duties as
U.S. attorney. They include the investigation of suspected embezzlement by the
customs collector in Port Townsend, Washington, settlement of land claims, and
enforcement of the Indian Intercourse Act. Letters from the 1870s and 1880s
address McGilvra's legal battles with the Northern Pacific Railroad as well as
his general legal business. Much of the correspondence from the 1890s until his
death in 1903 deals with civic matters, including the Lake Washington Ship
Canal and Cedar River water line, and Republican politics. Major correspondents
include Caroline McGilvra Burke, George Goss, and Oliver McGilvra. The outgoing
letters are in the form of five letterpress books, 1873 to 1890, from
McGilvra's law practice. They include correspondence from McGilvra and Burke
(1875-1876); McGilvra and Blaine (1885-1889); and McGilvra, Blaine, and DeVries
(1889-1890), law partnerships McGilvra formed during the course of his career.
They constitute a daily record of economic conditions, legal practice, and
politics in the Puget Sound region.
Court papers, largely legal briefs and notes, are grouped by subject,
with the balance being catagorized as miscellaneous. The materials in this
series represent the full range of McGilvra's law practice and include
materials from his years practicing in Illinois. Legal documents include
various contracts, article of incorporation, and affidavits. Also included are
his reports as U.S. attorney for Washington Territory. The speeches and
writings date largely from the 1870s and beyond and are grouped by topic,
including the Lake Washington Ship Canal, Republican politics and Seattle
municipal affairs, and the Northern Pacific Railroad Company. The series
includes notes as well as complete speeches and writings.
The collection also contains several subgroups representing the papers
of the McGilvra estate and several family members. There are also small
subgroups containing the correspondence of McGilvra and Baxter, another of his
law partnerships, and law partner Elbert F. Blaine. Blaine has been called the
"father of the Seattle park system." Included in the Blaine subgroup is the
1903 report from the Olmsted Brothers of Brookline, Mass., to Blaine (in his
capacity as chairman of the Seattle Board of Park Commissioners) outlining a
comprehensive parks plan for the city.
The McGilvra collection also includes two 4-reel sets of positive
microfilm which contain McGilvra's general correspondence and outgoing letters.
The microfilm targets misidentify a few dates. The terminal date for reel 1
should be May 29, not June 2, and the starting date for reel 4 should be 1896
rather than 1895.
Portions of the John J. McGilvra Papers are available on microfilm,
which may be borrowed through interlibrary loan.
View selections from this
collection in digital format.
The collection is open to all users.
The pages of the letterpress books are wrinkled and many are
blurred.
Request at UW
The creator's literary rights were not transferred to the University
of Washington Libraries.
The John J. McGilvra Papers were a gift of the Thomas Burke estate in
1935.
The McGilvra Papers were part of a gift from the Thomas Burke estate
which included the Thomas Burke Papers and Daniel H. Gilman Papers. The
McGilvra Papers and the Gilman Papers were made separate collections. In 1965
each correspondence series was rearranged into a simple chronological
sequence.
The microfilm in this accession was filmed from the originals in 1965
at the University of Washington under a grant from the National Historical
Publications Commission.
Twenty photographic prints were transferred to the McGilvra Family
Photograph Collection, PH. Coll. 487, in the Repository.
Two scrapbooks were relocated to the division's scrapbook
collections in 1981. One is political; the other belonged to McGilvra's wife,
Elizabeth, and contains clippings about her family, recipes, stories, jokes,
and pressed flowers.
King County Bar Association,
<emph render="italic"> Addresses upon the Life and Character of
John J. McGilvra </emph>
(Seattle : Lowman & Hanford,
1904).
Doig, Ivan C.,
"John J. McGilvra: the Life and Times of an Urban
Frontiersman, 1827-1903" (Ph.D. diss., University of Washington,
1969).
Doig, Ivan C., "John J. McGilvra and Timber
Tresspass: Seeking a Puget Sound Timber Policy,"
<emph render="italic"> Forest History </emph>
, 12 Jan.
1970 (6-17).
Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)
McGilvra, John J. (John Jay), 1827-1903--Archives
McGilvra, Oliver C
McGilvra, Caroline Burke
Goss, George
Northern Pacific Railroad Company
Seattle & Walla Walla Railroad
Republican Party (Wash.)
Washington (State)--Officials and employees
Seattle (Wash.)--Politics and government--19th century
Seattle (Wash.)--Race relations--19th century
Lake Washington Ship Canal (Seattle, Wash.)
Cedar River Reservoir (King County, Wash.)
Government attorneys--Washington (State)--Archives
Businessmen--Washington (State)--Archives
Legislators--Washington (State)--Archives
Railroads--Washington (State)
Water-supply--Washington (State)--Seattle
Indians of North America--Washington (State)--Government relations
Microfilms
Washington (State)
Seattle
Pioneers
Transportation
Government and Politics
Territorial Government
Civil Procedure and Courts
Politics and Politicians
Laws and Legislation
Personal Papers
General Correspondence
1/1
1861-1862
1/2-4
1863
1/5
1864
1/6
1866
1/7
1868-1870
1/8
1871-1872
1/9-13
1873
1/14
1874
1/15
1875
1/16
1876
1/17
1877
1/18
1878
1/19
1879
1/20
1880
1/21
1881
1/22
1882
1/23
1884
1/23-25
1885
1/26-27
1886
1/28-30
1887
1/31-34
1888
1/35-38
1889
1/39-40
1890
1/41-42
1891
1/43-44
1892
1/44
1892
1/45
1893
1/46
1894
1/47-50
1895
1/51-54
1896
2/1
1897
2/2-4
1898
2/5-9
1899
2/10-11
1900
2/12-13
1901
2/14-17
1902
2/18-19
1903
2/20
1906-1907
2/21-23
No Dates
n.d.
2/24
Unidentified
n.d.
Outgoing Letters - Letterpress Books
2
Volume 1
Jun. 1873-Aug. 1878
2
Volume 2
Nov. 1875-Dec. 1879
2
Volume 3
Jan. 1880-Nov. 1882
3
Volume 4
Apr. 1883-Aug. 1885
3
Volume 5
Sept. 1887-Dec. 1890
Court Papers
4/1
Cook County, Illinois Practice
1853-1860
4/2
Re: Daniel Bagley
4/3
Re: Dexter Horton and Company
4/4
Re: Northern Pacific Railroad Company
4/5
Re: City of Seattle
4/6
Re: Seattle & Walla Walla Railroad
Company
4/7
Re: University of Washington Lands
4/8
Re: Henry Yesler
4/9
General
4/10
Court Papers Involving Northern Pacific Railroad
Company
4/11-14
[Missing]
4/15
Miscellaneous Papers
5/1-5/8
Miscellaneous Briefs (A-V)
6/1
Miscellaneous Briefs (W-S)
6/2-3
Miscellaneous Briefs (unnamed)
6/4
Re: Wills
Legal Documents
6/5
Affidavits
Articles of Incorporation, Constitutions, By-laws,
etc.(copies)
6/6
Lake Washington and Seattle Coal Road Company
1867
6/6
Meigs Lumber and Ship Building Company
6/6
Seattle and Lake Washington Waterway
Company
1893?
6/6
Seattle Real Estate Board
6/6
Seattle Traction Company
6/6
Municipal League of Seattle
1896
6/7
Contracts
6/8
Contracts (Agreements)
6/9
Book Inventories
1861, 1890
6/10
Licenses, etc. re: Trading with Indians
1873, 1875
6/11
Notice of Estray
1884
6/12
Seattle Ordinances
6/13
Report: Trespass on Public Lands by Logging
Companies
1864
6/14-15
Reports as U.S. District Attorney
1861-1865
6/16
Specifications for Construction
1859-1903
6/17
Surety Bonds
1875-1890
6/18
Miscellaneous
Financial Records
ca. 1870-1900
6/19
Miscellaneous re: Seattle Municipal
Finances
6/20
Miscellaneous Receipts
6/21-22
Miscellaneous
Speeches and Writings
7/1
Re: Alaska Boundary Dispute
1898-1899
7/2-3
Re: Lake Washington Canal
ca.1895-1903
7/4
Re: Legislative Bills
ca.1870-1900
7/5
Re: Madison Street Cable Railway Company
ca.1865-1900
7/6-7
Re: Northern Pacific Railroad Company
1876-1877
7/8
Re: Republican Party
ca.1870-1903
7/9-10
Re: Seattle Municipal Affairs and Politics
ca.1870-1903
7/11
Re: Politics - General
ca. 1870-1903
7/12
Re: Washington Pioneer Society
7/13
Re: People
7/14
Miscellaneous: (Genealogical Tree for Jacob
Wiebens)
7/15
"Territorial Expansions" and "Immigration and Kindred
Topics"
7/16
Miscellaneous
McGilvra, John Jay, Estate Papers
Correspondence
7/17
Miscellaneous
1923
7/18
To: Lowman, J.D.
1923-1924
7/19-24
To: McGilvra, Mrs. Elizabeth M. From: McGilvra,
O.C.
1904-1926
8/1
To: McGilvra, Mrs. E.M. From: McGilvra
Estate
1913-1922
8/2
To: McGilvra, Mrs. E.M. From:
Miscellaneous
1910-1923
8/3
To: McGilvra, O.C. From: A. H. Reid &
Co.
1922-1923
8/4
To: McGilvra, O.C. From: Seattle Title Trust
Co.
1922-1924
8/5
To: McGilvra, O.C. From: Miscellaneous
1919-1928
8/6
To: Burke, Mrs. C.E. From: McGilvra Estate
1912-1926
8/7
To: A.H. Reid & Co. From:
Miscellaneous
1922-1923
8/8
To: Seattle Title Trust Co. From:
Miscellaneous
1919-1923
8/9
To: Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands
From: McGilvra Estate
1920-1927
8/10
To: Wright, G.E. From: McGilvra Estate
n.d., 1920-1922
8/11
To: Miscellaneous From: McGilvra Estate
1916-1930
8/12
Agreements
8/13
Assignments
8/14
Certificates
8/15-16
Contracts
8/17
Indentures
8/18
Legal Papers
8/19
Memoranda
8/20
Notes - Financial
8/21
Powers of Attorney
8/22
Real Estate Contracts
8/23
Real Estate - Price Lists
8/24
Receipts
8/25-26
Reports
8/27
Statements
8/28
Wills
9/1-3
Financial - Miscellaneous
9/4
McGilvra Family Documents
9/5
McGilvra, O.C. - Miscellaneous
10
Journal
1903-1916
McGilvra, Elizabeth M.
Incoming Correspondence
9/6
Canadian Bank of Commerce
1918-1920
9/7
Jones, Juliet E. (Hills)
n.d., 1904, 1907
9/8
Lyon, L.K.
n.d.
9/9
Moyer, Carrie, E.
1918, 1920, n.d.
9/10
Miscellaneous (A-Z)
1903-1920
9/11
Outgoing Correspondence
1920
9/12
Deed, Contract
9/13-14
Financial Records
9/15
Notes - Financial
9/16
Receipts
9/17
Statements
9/18
Tax Notices
9/19
Wills
9/20
Miscellany
McGilvra, Ethel
9/21
Incoming Correspondence - Letter from K.B.
Scott
1890-1894, 1917, 1926, n.d.
McGilvra, Oliver C.
9/22
Incoming Correspondence
1900-1910
9/23-24
Outgoing Correspondence
1844-1926, n.d.
McGilvra, Lillian L.
9/25
Incoming Correspondence
1915
9/26
Autograph Book
9/26
Notebook
McGilvra and Baxter, Attorneys
9/27
Incoming Correspondence
1873-1875
Blaine, Elbert F.
General Correspondence
9/28
Edmiston, J.K
1893
9/28
Hale, H.C.
1888
9/28
Kreisher, Philip H.
1886
9/28
Magers, J.E
1888
9/28
Montgomery, Alex
1888
9/28
Nicolai Brother Co.
1888
9/28
Olmsted Brothers (Report to Park
Commissioners)
1905
9/28
Seavey, Abbie J.
1888
9/28
U.S. Pension Agency
1888
Microfilm
1
Letterpress Copybooks, vol. 1-3
complete
1873-1882
1
Letterpress Copybooks, vol. 4,
pp. 1-110 (Apr. 16, 1883 - May 29, 1884)
1883-1884
2
Letterpress Copybooks, vol. 4,
pp. 111-end (Jun. 2, 1884 - Sept. 5 1887)
1884-1887
2
Letterpress Copybooks, vol. 5,
pp. 1-441 (Sept. 9, 1887 - Sept. 21, 1889)
1887-1889
3
Letterpress Copybooks, vol. 5,
pp. 442-end (Oct. 5, 1889 - Aug. 21, 1890)
1889-1890
3
General Correspondence (Jul. 8,
1861 - Dec. 16, 1895)
1861-1895
4
General Correspondence (1896 -
1903)
1896-1903
4
General Correspondence, Undated
and Unidentitied