Washington State University Libraries: Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Guide to the Washington Water Power
Company Papers
1885-1968
Cage
297
Table of Contents
- Summary Information
- Biography/History
- Scope and Content
- Arrangement
- Administrative Information
- Related Materials
- Names and Subjects
- Detailed Description of Collection
- Series 1: Historical and Descriptive
- Series 2: Minute Books
- Series 3: Correspondence
- Series 4: Contracts and Documents
- Series 5: Public Power
Summary Information
- Repository
- Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
- Creator
- Washington Water Power Company
- Title
- Washington Water Power Company Papers
- ID
- Cage 297
- Date [inclusive]
- 1885-1968
- Extent
- 59 containers., 29 linear feet of shelf space.
- Language
- Collection materials are in English.
- Abstract
- Minute books, reports, correspondence, contracts, documents, company histories, publicity and other papers of the Washington Water Power Company and its predecessors, including street railroad and amusement park firms. Correspondents include David Huntington, William S. Norman, William Augustus White, and Henry Richards.
Preferred Citation
[Item Description]. Washington Water Power Company Papers. Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
Biography/History
Washington Water Power Company, an investor-owned electric utility company based in Spokane, WA, was founded 1889. In addition to its primary business as a public utility, Washington Water Power also operated other business enterprises in Spokane, including streetcar lines and Natatorium Park, a public amusement park. In 1998, the company name was changed to Avista Corporation.
Scope and Content
The Washington Water Power Company papers in the WSU Library are drawn from parts of the WWP records no longer needed for the use of this currently active organization. The collection contains fairly complete records, both illustrative and documentary, of the WWP from before its organization in 1889 to the 1920s. Some material for later dates is also included. Approximately 2/3 of the collection is correspondence from 1888 to about 1930. The correspondence relates to the persons of W.S. Norman, general manager of the various companies which preceeded Washington Water Power before 1895; David Huntington who succeeded Norman as general manager of the reorganized Washington Water Power Co. and who later served as President of the corporation until 1929; and of William Augustus White, the New York investment banker who lead the reorganization committee and who later chaired the company finance committee.
The collection also contains certain basic company records such as the minute books of the Board of Trustees, Board of Directors, Finance Committee and Executive Committee. Several hundred contracts and other documents are also included. Annual reports from 1910 to 1942 are included with a series of other materials which briefly illustrate the history and description of the company.
The collection also contains the materials collected by the company during the controversies over public-owned electric power facilities. This material consists largely of publicity put out by proponets of various positions on public power and contains an interesting collection of several hundred pamphlets, brochures and leaflets arguing various sides of the public power question.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in five series:
Series 1: Historical and Descriptive
Series 2: Minute Books
Series 3: Correspondence
Series 4: Contracts and Documents
Series 5: Public Power
Series 3 (Correspondence) has been arranged in four subseries. To some degree these subseries overlap each other and the user of the papers is reminded to cross-check between them. The first subseries (labeled chronological) contains the most basic company correspondence and is arranged by the date from 1888 to 1930. This material arrived at the WSU Library out of filing arrangement and consequently the loose papers were arranged in chronological order. The second subseries (labeled classified) consists of several boxes of correspondence and some other papers, dating 1889-1904, which was left in the order arranged by the WWP filing clerks. The third subseries contains outgoing correspondence in letter books to 1902, which also parallel the other groups. The fourth subseries (labeled W. A. White correspondence) has been retained in the original arrangement. This subseries starts in June 1904, and letters of White previous to that date may be found in the chronological group.
Administrative Information
Publication Information
Washington State University Libraries: Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC) © 1971
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. Copyright restrictions apply.
Acquisition Information
The Washington Water Power Company donated this collection to the Washington State University Libraries (circa 1968-1970).
Processing Information
Lawrence Stark processed this collection from December 1970 to February 1971.
Related Materials
Related Material
Washington Water Power (Avista Corp.) Historic technical drawings collection, circa 1900-1972 (Cage 754)
Washington Water Power Company Informational Kits, circa 1954 (Cage 91)
Huntington Family Papers, circa 1921-1950 (Cage 4864)
Names and Subjects
Corporate Name(s)
Creator(s) :
- Washington Water Power Company--Archives
- Avista Corp.--Archives
Personal Name(s)
Subject(s) :
- Huntington, David, 1870-1929
- Norman, William S., 1859-
- White, William Augustus
- Richards, Henry, 1849-1910
Subject(s)
- Amusement parks--Washington (State)--Spokane
- Electric utilities--Northwest, Pacific--Records and correspondence
- Street-railroads--Washington (State)--Spokane
- Public Utilities
- Washington (State)
Detailed Description of Collection
Series 1: Historical and Descriptive |
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| box | ||||
|
Historical. Includes company histories and descriptions of company at various dates. Container list in box 1. 45 |
1-2 | |||
|
Financial. Stock certificates, prospectuses, financial reports and annual reports. 1910-1942 |
3 | |||
|
Technical. Engineers' reports, etc., concerning technical matters of electricity, water power, irrigation. 30 items |
4-5 | |||
|
|
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Series 2: Minute Books |
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| box | ||||
|
Board of Trustees 1910-1924 |
6 | |||
|
Board of Trustees 1924-1930 |
7 | |||
|
Board of Trustees 1930-1934 |
8 | |||
|
Board of Directors 1934-1937 |
8 | |||
|
Board of Directors 1940-1945 |
8 | |||
|
Executive Committee 1918-1929 |
8 | |||
|
Finance Committee 1908-1915 |
9 | |||
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Finance Committee 1915-1928 |
9 | |||
|
|
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Series 3: Correspondence |
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Chronological |
||||
| box | ||||
|
1888-1895 |
10 | |||
|
1896-1901 |
11 | |||
|
1902-1906 |
12 | |||
|
1907-1911 |
13 | |||
|
1912-1930 |
14 | |||
Classified |
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| box | ||||
|
Ross Park Street Railway Co 1889-1891 |
15 | |||
|
Edison Electric Illuminating Co 1890-1891 |
15 | |||
|
Franklin Trust Company 1890-1891 |
16 | |||
|
W. S. Norman Telephone System 1890-1891 |
16 | |||
Spokane Cable Railway Co 1889-1891 |
box 17 |
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| box | ||||
|
Bills, receipts, payroll slips, etc. of Spokane Street Railway Co. & Cable Railway Co 1890-1891 |
17 | |||
|
Washington Water Power Company 1891-1894 |
18 | |||
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Edison Electric Illuminating Co 1892-1894 |
18 | |||
|
Edison Electric Illuminating Co 1893-1894 |
19 | |||
|
General Electric 1892-1897 |
19 | |||
|
Washington Water Power Company 1894-1897 |
19 | |||
|
Washington Water Power Company 1894-1899 |
20 | |||
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Washington Water Power Company 1898-1899 |
20 | |||
Washington Water Power Company 1900-1904 |
box 20 |
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| box | ||||
|
A - H |
21 | |||
|
R - Z |
22 | |||
|
Franklin Trust Company 1902-1904 |
23 | |||
|
Job Applications 1902 |
23 | |||
Letterbooks |
||||
| box | ||||
|
Spokane Street Railway Co 1892-1894 |
24 | |||
|
Spokane Cable Railway Co 1889-1890 |
24 | |||
|
Edison Electric Illuminating Co 1892-1893 |
24 | |||
Washington Water Power Company |
||||
| box | ||||
|
1889-March 1896 |
25 | |||
|
March 1898-August 1899 |
26 | |||
|
August 1899-August 1900 |
27 | |||
|
August 1900-May 1901 |
28 | |||
|
May 1901-May 1902 |
29 | |||
|
May 1902-August 1902 |
30 | |||
William Augustus White Correspondence |
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| box | ||||
|
1904-1906 |
31 | |||
|
1906-1908 |
32 | |||
|
1908 |
33 | |||
|
1909 |
34 | |||
|
1910 |
35 | |||
|
January-July 1911 |
36 | |||
|
August 1911-April 1912 |
37 | |||
|
May 1912-March 1913 |
38 | |||
|
April-December 1913 |
39 | |||
|
January-August 1914 |
40 | |||
|
September 1914-March 1915 |
41 | |||
|
April-December 1915 |
42 | |||
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January-July 1916 |
43 | |||
|
August 1916-March 1917 |
44 | |||
|
April-December 1917 |
45 | |||
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January-August 1918 |
46 | |||
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September-December 1918 |
47 | |||
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January-March 1922 |
47 | |||
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April-December 1922 |
48 | |||
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January-November 1923 |
49 | |||
|
December 1923-December 1924 |
50 | |||
|
|
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Series 4: Contracts and Documents |
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| box | ||||
|
Alphabetical arrangement 1900-1934 |
51-55 | |||
|
Chronological arrangement 1888-1930 |
56 | |||
|
|
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Series 5: Public Power |
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| box | ||||
|
Letters, public relations releases, clippings, pamphlets. Container list of pamphlets in Box. 59. ca 1919-ca 1965 1100 items |
57-59 | |||
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