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Manuscript Group 193
Records, 1890-1949
5 Cubic Feet
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. They were processed by Judith Nielsen in June 1990.
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.
I. Walter D. Humiston Correspondence File, 1928-1939 1 II. Other Papers, 1893-1941 2 III. Papers from Document Envelopes, 1890-1949 2-3 IV. Timber Estimates, 1901-1906 4-5
1 1 Alcohol, Vegalene motor fuel, gasoline energizer and by products, 1928-1919 23 2 Pulpwood spools, 1930 11 3 Densewood, correspondence with Alfred G. Olson, 1930-1931 34 4 Instructions on the recording and compilation of experimental data and observations, 1931 2 5 Miscellaneous correspondence, some related to research projects, 1928-1932 98 6 Travel diary, 1928 1 7 Wood flour, 1930-1931 7 8 Research department correspondence, 1929-1932 97 9 Hallowax Corporation, 1931 26 10-11 Skinner, Sherman Esselin, research correspondence, 1929-1930 193 12 Research department correspondence, 1931-1932 67 13 Research department, Densewood, 1931 11 14 Patents for future consideration: patents, 1955-1928 142 15 Patents for future consideration: correspondence, 1931 21 16-19 G.J. Esselin correspondence, 1929-1931 208 20-22 G.J. Esselin patent applications for products developed for Potlatch, 1931-1935 106 23-24 Reports by W.D. Humiston, 1928-1939 55
2 25 New moulding machine, correspondence and reports, 1937-1941 42 26 Studies and proposals of Roland Johnson, 1937-1940 20 27 Specifications for a saw mill...to be erected for Potlatch Lumber Co. Plans by W.A. Wilkinson, n.d. 1 28 Land title certificates, 1893-1903 3 29 Contract: Wisconsin Log and Lumber Company with Potlatch Lumber Company, April 10, 1903 1
30 Brick Company, 1911-1917 26 31 Dairy Ranch sale, 1927-1934 7 32 Elk River incorporation, 1910-1911 9 33 Field notes from a land survey, n.d. 3 34 Flour Mill property, 1903-1913 31 35 Homestead receipts, 1901-1902 2 36 Potlatch Timber Protective Association. Grazing lease, 1910 1
37 Bunch property, 1906-1923 17 38 Deeds and conveyances, 1892-1909 52 39 Green, James R. vs. Potlatch Lumber Company, 1909-1910 20 40 Insurance policies and claims, 1917-1920 56 41-42 Leases, 1906-1947 89
43 Continental Oil Company, 1915-1926 14 44 Samuel Frei, 1916-1931 9 45 H.H. Lea, 1908 15 46 Moose Lodge, 1946-1948 7 47 Potlatch Dairy Company, 1922-1927 21 48 Potlatch Garage, 1926-1947 32 49 Sawmill tract, 1903-1910 7 50 Leases, correspondence concerning, 1911-1945 44 51 Logging truck privileges, 1949 2 52 Old Palouse records, old deeds and correspondence, 1904-1931 39 53 Potlatch Story, September 1965 1 54 Palouse property, correspondence, 1903-1908 25 55 Palouse River Lumber Company, 1903-1908 6 56 Releases, old deeds, etc., 1901-1906 29 57 Rights of way, 1922-1948 11 58 Taxes: Palouse property lists and matters pertaining to taxation and assessments, 1908-1909 6 59 Taxes: Whitman County tax list, n.d. 1 60-62 Taxes: Whitman County, Washington, 1896-1909 121 3 63-65 Taxes: Whitman County, Washington, 1910-1919 98 66 Trespass cases, 1908-1916 50 67 Vacating of Palouse lots, 1922 1 68 Whitman County, miscellaneous papers, 1890-1908 6
69 Correspondence concerning cars, 1905 50 70 Crossing agreements, 1905-1918 24 71 Deeds from individuals to William Deary, 1905 23 72 McGiffert Loading Machine, 1905-1906 53 73 Miscellaneous papers, 1905-1915 25 74 Princeton plat maps, n.d. 3 75 Rights of way, 1906-1908 9 76-80 Taxes: Latah and Whitman County, 1905-1919 242 81 Abstracts of title: correspondence, 1903-1911 15 82-93 Abstracts of title, 1898-1918 19
4 94 Estimates on cards, 1901-1906 1620 5 95-131 Estimate books 54-82, 1903-1905 36 132-133 Estimate sheets, 1901 47
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