Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Guide to the Walla Walla Fire
Insurance Company Records
1902-1912
Cage
21
Table of Contents
- Summary Information
- Biography/History
- Arrangement
- Administrative Information
- Names and Subjects
- Detailed Description of Collection
- Series 1: Correspondence
- Series 2: Claims
- Series 3: Legders
- 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.
- Added Materials
Summary Information
- Repository
- Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
- Creator
- Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company
- Title
- Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company Records
- ID
- Cage 21
- Date [inclusive]
- 1902-1912
- Extent
- 57 linear feet of shelf space.
- Language
- Collection materials are in English.
- Abstract
- 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.
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.
Biography/History
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.
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
Administrative Information
Publication Information
Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections © 2012
http://www.libraries.wsu.edu/masc/
Terrell Library
P.O. Box 645610
Pullman, WA, 99164-5610 USA
509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Restrictions on Access
This collection is open for research use.
Names and Subjects
Corporate Name(s)
Creator(s) :
- Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company --Archives
- Merchants' Fire Association --Archives
Subject(s)
- Insurance companies--Washington (State)--Seattle--Records and correspondence
- Insurance companies--Washington (State)--Walla Walla--Records and correspondence
- Insurance, Fire --Washington (State)--History--Sources
- Business, Labor, and Industry
- Washington (State)
Detailed Description of Collection
Series 1: Correspondence 1904-1912 |
||||
box-folder | ||||
Correspondence of Home Office and Seattle, Tacoma and Spokane branch offices February, 1907-February, 1908 |
1 / 1-13 | |||
Correspondence March, 1908-June, 1908 |
2 / 14-17 | |||
Correspondence July, 1908-December, 1908 |
3 / 18-23 | |||
Correspondence undated |
3 / 24 | |||
Receiver correspondence. |
4 / 25 | |||
Papers of Calvin Holloway, re: Walla Walla Abstract Company. 1904 |
4 / 26 | |||
Papers of James J. Butler, re: Republican Party politics 1907 |
4 / 27 | |||
Sample forms: blank policies, reports, rider clauses. Printed insurance supplies and advertising, including a catalog of insurance supplies. |
4 / 28 | |||
|
||||
Series 2: Claims 1908-1912 |
||||
Series 2.1: Unfiled papers related to claims. |
||||
box-folder | ||||
Miscellaneous bills and expenses. |
5 / 29 | |||
Series 2.2: Reports from agencies and general agencies at the time of failure. |
||||
box-folder | ||||
Orrin Parker bankruptcy papers 1912 |
5 / 30 | |||
Central Department (Chicago) accounts as of December 29, 1908. |
5-7 / 31-35 | |||
Eastern Department (New York) accounts as of December 29,1908. |
8-9 / 38 | |||
Surrendered Certificates of Agency Appointment, Eastern Department. |
9 / 39 | |||
Seattle Branch Office accounts. |
10 / 40 | |||
California General Agency accounts. |
10 / 41 | |||
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 | ||||
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. |
11 | |||
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). |
12-67 | |||
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). |
68-69 | |||
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). |
70 | |||
|
||||
Series 3: Legders 1907-1909 |
||||
box | ||||
Minute Book, with Articles of Incorporation and by-laws. |
71 | |||
Receivers Accounts: Misc. claims. |
72 | |||
Receivers Accounts: general claims. |
73 | |||
Receivers Accounts: rejected claims. |
74 | |||
Receivers Accounts. |
75 | |||
Stockbook and stock registry. |
76 | |||
Closing balances |
77 | |||
Checkbook, Seattle |
78 | |||
Checkbook, Walla Walla |
79 | |||
Checkbook, Walla Walla |
80 | |||
Checkbook, Chicago |
81 | |||
Checkbook, Chicago |
82 | |||
Bankdraft stubs, losses paid |
83 | |||
Bankdraft stubs, losses paid |
84 | |||
Journal |
85 | |||
Re-insurance journal |
86 | |||
Re-insurance journal |
87 | |||
Record of premium received |
88 | |||
Record of premium received |
89 | |||
Cash accounts |
90 | |||
Cash accounts |
91 | |||
Cash accounts, Walla Walla |
92 | |||
Collections Register |
93 | |||
Loss Register |
94 | |||
Journal |
95 | |||
Journal |
96 | |||
Cash Accounts, Seattle |
97 | |||
Agents' Register |
98 | |||
Agents names |
99 | |||
Agents names |
100 | |||
Agents reports |
101 | |||
Agents register and reports |
102 | |||
Agents |
103 | |||
Record of policy numbers sent to agents |
104 | |||
Re-insurance Register |
105 | |||
Re-insurance Register |
106 | |||
Reinsured register |
107 | |||
Reinsured register |
108 | |||
Reinsurance with Queen City and Anchor Companies |
109 | |||
Cancellations and endorsements of policies |
110 | |||
Cancellations and return premiums (California) |
111 | |||
Cancellations and endorsements (Central Dept) |
112 | |||
Return Premiums Register (Western Department) |
113 | |||
Return Premiums Register (California) |
114 | |||
Return Premiums Register (Montana, Utah, Idaho, Alaska) |
115 | |||
Yearly Summary |
116 | |||
Central Department reports |
117 | |||
Monthly totals |
118 | |||
Monthly Reports (Eastern Department) |
119 | |||
Monthly Reports (Central Department) |
120 | |||
Western Department Reports |
121 | |||
November 1908 Reports |
122 | |||
December 1908 Reports |
123 | |||
Policy index (Washington) |
124 | |||
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.) |
125 | |||
Eastern Department Daily report and policy register |
126 | |||
Central Department Daily report and policy register |
127 | |||
Central Department Daily report and policy register |
128 | |||
Central Department Daily report and policy register |
129 | |||
Home Office policy register |
130 | |||
Policy register, Central Department |
131 | |||
Policy register, Washington State |
132 | |||
Policy register, Southern Department |
133 | |||
Policy register, Texas |
134 | |||
Policy register, North Carolina |
135 | |||
Policy register, Arkansas |
136 | |||
Policy register, California |
137 | |||
Policy register, Montana |
138 | |||
Policy register, Utah |
139 | |||
Policy register, Idaho |
140 | |||
Policy register, Washington |
141 | |||
Policy register, Kansas |
142 | |||
Policy and loss register, misc. |
143 | |||
Walla Walla agency register |
144 | |||
Policy Register, Central Department, Ohio |
145 | |||
Policy Register, Southern Department, Texas, Oklahoma |
146 | |||
Policy Register, Central Department, Indiana |
147 | |||
Policy Register, Central Department, Missouri, Minnesota |
148 | |||
Policy Register, Southern Department, North Carolina |
149 | |||
Policy Register, Southern Department, South Carolina, Louisiana |
150 | |||
Policy Register, Southern Department, Arkansas |
151 | |||
Policy Register, Central Department, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska |
152 | |||
|
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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. 1902-1907 |
||||
box | ||||
Contract transferring Merchants' Fire Association business to Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company |
153 | |||
Reports on policies carried over to Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company |
153 | |||
Cash Book |
154 | |||
Re-insurance Ledger |
155 | |||
Policies in force February, 1907 |
156 | |||
Checkbook |
157 | |||
Policy Register |
158 | |||
Agents Register |
159 | |||
Collections Register |
160 | |||
|
||||
Added Materials March, 1975 |
||||
box | ||||
Re-Insurance Register |
161 | |||
Index |
162 | |||
Index, Losses and Misc. Claims |
163 | |||
Index |
164 | |||
Index |
165 | |||
Index |
166 | |||
Index |
167 | |||
|
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