J.J. Donovan Papers,

Transcription

1 Overview of the Collection Creator Title Dates Quantity Collection Number Summary Repository Access Restrictions Languages Donovan, J.J. (John Joseph) -- Archives J.J. Donovan Papers (inclusive) linear ft. XOE_CPNWS0348 The collection consists of the personal, family and business papers of early-bellingham developer and civic leader John Joseph (J.J.) Donovan. Western Washington University, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies Goltz-Murray Archives Building th St. Bellingham, WA Telephone: The collection is open to the public. English, English Historical Note John Joseph (J.J.) Donovan ( ) was born in Rumney, New Hampshire to Patrick and Julia (Whooley) Donovan on September 8, J.J. attended Plymouth Normal School where he met his future wife, Clara Nichols ( ). Both J.J. and Clara graduated in 1877 and passed their teaching examinations, although neither would continue teaching for very long. Clara became a piano teacher and J.J. enrolled in Worcester Polytechnic Institute s civil engineering program, where he graduated as Valedictorian in Shortly after graduating, J.J. was hired by the Northern Pacific Railway Company to survey, plan and eventually supervise the building of roadbeds and bridges during construction of Northern Pacific s transcontinental system. This appointment brought him west to Montana and eventually Washington State, where he worked on a number of Northern Pacific s Cascade Division projects for the next several years. By the late-1880s, J.J. s engineering achievements were well known and his services were sought by various commercial interests then being developed on Bellingham Bay in Washington State. These attracted J.J. and Clara to Western Washington, and they arrived in Fairhaven (which later became part of Bellingham) in J.J. quickly became involved in real estate and other business ventures, often in partnership with other well-known area businessmen including Nelson Bennett, C.X. Larrabee, Julius H. Bloedel, and Peter Larson. Over the course of his career, J.J. served as Chief Engineer for the Fairhaven Land Company, the Skagit Coal & Transportation Company, the Fairhaven & Southern Railway Company, the Tideland Appraisers, the Blue Canyon Coal Mining Company, the Bellingham Bay & Eastern Railway Company, and the Bellingham Bay & British Columbia Railway Company. He later gave his attention to the lumber 1

2 business, building and managing the Lake Whatcom Logging Company, Larson Lumber Company, and Bloedel-Donovan Lumber Mills. J.J. was active in civic life, serving on the Fairhaven City Council, the Board of Trustees of the Whatcom Normal School (now Western Washington University), and sitting as president of several other cultural and professional associations. He helped raise funds for the construction of St. Joseph s Hospital and Assumption Catholic Church, and publicly spoke out against the Ku Klux Klan. J.J. and Clara built a home on McKenzie Avenue in Fairhaven and had three children: Helen Donovan Craven, J.N. Jack Donovan, and Philip Donovan. Content Description The J.J. Donovan Papers consist of Correspondence ( ); Journals, Diaries, and Notebooks ( ); School and College Materials ( ); Business and Financial Records ( ); Writings and Speeches ( ); Images and Film (1920s); Ephemera and Artifacts ( ); and Published Materials ( ). Correspondence ( ) includes letters between J.J. Donovan and family members, including Clara (Nichols) Donovan, children Helen and John Donovan, and J.J. s siblings. There is also correspondence that was separated and organized topically by local historians Brian Griffin and Gayle Helgoe, prior to the transfer of records to archival custody. In addition to letters, some of these files may also include photographs, newspapers clippings, and manuscript materials. Journals, Diaries, and Notebooks ( ) include daily private notes written by J.J. as well as accounts from his travel and some of his work. There are also travel diaries by Clara Donovan, and journals and notebooks kept by the Donovan children. School and College Materials ( ) comprise items created by J.J. during his time as a student, including essays and papers, grade sheets, notebooks, as well as a brief sketch of J.J. s early life written by former classmate and childhood friend J.Q. Barlow. Business and Financial Records ( ) include some professional correspondence, banking and cashbooks, bills and receipts, tax and insurance information, stock certificates and reports from J.J. s commercial interests, as well as materials from trade and industry conferences. Writings and Speeches ( ) include love poems, children s poetry, J.J. s public address re: the Ku Klux Klan, and various other speeches. Images and Film (1920s) are comprised of mostly unidentified negatives and prints of Donovan family members, as well as some images from Whatcom County/Mount Baker wilderness area and various travels. There are also digital copies of three 16mm films documenting family gatherings, and scenes from the Mt. Baker Lodge, Bellingham waterfront, and surrounding area. Use of the Collection Preferred Citation J.J. Donovan Papers, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraries Heritage Resources, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA

3 Administrative Information Arrangement The J. J. Donovan Papers are organized according to the following series arrangement: Series I. Correspondence, Series II. Journals, Diaries and Notebooks, Series III. School and College Materials, Series IV. Business and Financial Records, Series V. Writings and Speeches, Series VI. Images and Film, 1920s Series VII. Ephemera and Artifacts, Series VIII. Published Materials, Acquisition Information The bulk of the collection was originally transferred by Brian Griffin in 2013 (with subsequent transfers from the Whatcom Museum), with formal donation made by Al and Kathy Riggs. Additional materials were donated by Lucile Palifka. Separated Materials Some items have been temporarily separated from the collection and will be re-partriated once additional preservations measures have been taken. Contact repository for details. Detailed Description of the Collection Series I: Correspondence, Personal and Family Correspondence C1/1-C1/6 J.J. Donovan and Clara Nichols/Donovan C2/1-C2/5 J.J. Donovan and Clara Nichols/Donovan C3/1-C3/5 J.J. Donovan and Clara Nichols/Donovan C4/1-C4/6 J.J. Donovan and Clara Nichols/Donovan 1888 C5/1-C5/5 J.J. Donovan and Clara Nichols/Donovan

4 C5/6 J.J. Donovan and Clara Nichols/Donovan C5/7 J.J. Donovan and Clara Nichols/Donovan to children C6/1-C6/4 J.J. Donovan and Clara Nichols/Donovan to children C6/5 J.J. Donovan and Clara Nichols/Donovan to children C6/6-C6/8 J.J. Donovan and siblings C7/1-C7/6 J.J. Donovan and siblings C8/1 J.J. Donovan and siblings C8/2 J.J. Donovan and siblings C8/3 Clara Nichols/Donovan and children C8/4 Clara Nichols/Donovan and children C8/5 John Donovan C8/6 Helen General Correspondence C8/7-C8/9 General 1852; C9/1-C9/6 General C10/1- C10/6 C11/1- C11/6 C12/1- C12/7 General General General

5 C13/1- C13/8 C14/1- C14/7 C15/1- C15/2 General General General C15/3 General C15/4 Telegraph notebook circa 1906 Correspondence organized by subject C15/5 Baby Jack's death 1919 C15/6- C15/7 Barlow, Billy C15/8 BB BC Railroad C15/9 Bellingham Bay and Eastern RR C15/10 Bellingham Bay Improvement Co C15/11 Bellingham Publishing/Bellingham Herald 1913 C15/12 Bellingham School District C15/13 Bennett, Nelson C15/14- C15/15 Bloedel Donovan Lumber Co C15/16 Bloedel Donovan Mill 1931 C15/17 Blue Canyon Mine C16/1 Catholic Church

6 C16/2 Chamber of Commerce C16/3- C16/4 J.J.'s character and generosity C16/5 City of Bellingham 1910 C16/6 City of Fairhaven C16/7 City of New Whatcom 1896 C16/8 Clubs and societies C16/9 Columbia Valley Lumber Co C16/10- C16/11 Craven, Helen D C16/12 Craven, Leslie 1931 C16/13 Daily Reveille 1903 C16/14 Donovan, Clara Nichols 1906; 1928 C16/15 Donovan, Dan C16/16- C16/17 Donovan, Jack J.N C17/1 Donovan, Philip C17/2 Faith/religious matters 1891; 1916 C17/3 Fairhaven Land Co C17/4 Fairhaven Real Estate 1897 C17/5 Fairhaven and Southern Railway C17/6 Family matters 1930 C17/7 First National Bank of Bellingham

7 C17/8 Foreign trade C17/9 Garden St. house 1912 C17/10 Good roads C17/11 Great Northern Railway 1897 C17/12 Helen C17/13 Helena, Montana (with accompanying notes from donor) 1888 C17/14 Herbert Hoover 1928 C17/15 House on McKenzie 1893 C17/16 Immigration 1930 C17/17 Irish question 1920 C17/18 Knights of Columbus C17/19 Ku Klux Klan C17/20 Lake Whatcom Logging Co C17/21 Larson Lumber Co C17/22 Larson Mill, Larson Lumber Co C17/23 Lumber-Logging Association C17/24 Marsh, George C17/25 Medical records (J.J.'s) C17/26 Mining C17/27 Miscellaneous professional correspondence 1928 C17/28 Montana investments

8 C17/29 Montana days 1883 C17/30 Mt. Baker Lodge C17/31 National Economic League C17/32 New England Club 1912 C17/33 New Leopold Hotel 1929 C18/1- C18/4 C18/5- C18/6 Normal School Northern Pacific Railroad C18/7 Pacific Highway Association C18/8 Politics C19/1 Railroad history 1888 C19/2 Railroads, miscellaneous 1887; C19/3 Railroad to Spokane C19/4 Real estate 1910 C19/5 Rotary Club 1933 C19/6 Spruce Matter 1919 C19/7 St. Joseph's Hospital C19/8 Temperance 1922; C19/9 Tidelands appraisers 1892 C19/10 Trade associations 1914; 1921 C19/11 Wahl Department Store (Grand Theater)

9 C19/12- C19/13 Warren, Uncle Tim C19/14 Washington State Recognition C19/15 Worcester Polytechnic C19/16 Youngman's Institute Series II: Journal, Diaries and Notebooks, D1/1-D1/7 Diaries D2/1-D2/4 Diaries D2/5 Diary: "Private Notes" D2/6-D2/7 Diaries D2/8 Diary: "Private Notes" 1886 D3/1-D3/4 Diaries 1887; D3/5 Diary: "Notes of trip across Washington, Account of State Road Commission, May 1894 and Trip to California, June 1896" 1894; 1896 D3/6-D3/8 Diaries D4/1-D4/8 Diaries 1900; ; D4/9 European Trip Travel Diary 1911 D5/1 European Trip Expenses Journal 1911 D5/2-D5/3 Diaries 1913;

10 D5/4 Diary: Meetings of the Spruce Board and Lumbermen with the Military 1919 D5/5 Diary: "Feb-March Hawaiian Trip" 1923 D5/6 Travel Diaries 1925; 1929 D5/8 Diary 1933 D6/1-D6/10 Monthly diaries D7/1-D7/13 Monthly diaries D8/1-D8/11 Notebooks 1881; D9/1-D9/10 Notebooks D10/1- D10/6 Notebooks ; D10/7 Engagements Book D10/8 Address Book (notes re: Japan trip and blank notebook) D11/1- D11/4 Clara Donovan Travel Diaries ; 1911; 1925; 1929 D11/5 Helen Elizabeth Donovan Diary D11/6 Helen Elizabeth Donovan Travel Diary 1911 D12/1 Helen Elizabeth Donovan Diary 1913 D12/2 Philip Donovan Notebook D12/3 Books of quotations (note: "B.G." or "Belonging to Helen Barrett) circa 1889 D12/4 Quincy railroad notebook (author unknown) Series III: School College Materials, , (bulk ) 10

11 S1/1 Various school papers from time as a student S1/2 Essays and grade sheets from time as a teacher S1/3 Essays - Dancing, Could the War Have Been Averted, The Influence of Steam S1/4 Poem: A Summer Sunset S1/5 Worcester Free Institute Semi-Annual Examination 1882 S1/6 The Second Political Triumvirate 1882 S1/7 Various school notes, exams S1/8 Chemistry Review S1/9 Chemistry notebook 1880 S1/10 Physics notebook S2/1 Math notebook S2/2 German notebook S2/3 Notebook - "Notes, 1880"; German lessons 1880 S2/4 Transit book 1878 S2/5 F.T.U.S.A. newspapers/newsletters S2/6 The F.T.U.S.A. Newspaper 1878 S2/7 High school writing books S2/8 School receipts and report cards S2/9 Citation for honorary degree 1932 S2/10 "School Notes"

12 S2/11 "Sketches of the early life of J.J. Donovan" by his classmate J.Q. Barlow (with accompanying notes from donor) Series IV: Business and Financial Records, F1/1 Professional correspondence F1/2 Report to Nelson Bennett re: the feasibility of building a railroad line from Coal Mines in Township 35, Range 5 to tidewater 1888 F1/3 Cash accounts and financial notes F1/4 Banking book 1912 F1/5 J.J. Donovan cash book, inlcudes weekly entries circa F1/6 Bellingham Civic League cash book circa F1/7 Nelson Bennett/Fairhaven Southern charge and expense account book F1/8 Tax and insurance information re: Fairhaven land 1912 F1/9 Bloedel-Donovan Logging Mills papers 1913 F1/10 Bloedel-Donovan Lumber Mills printed photo journal 1922 September 16 F1/11 Bloedel-Donovan stock certificates issued to Helen Donovan Craven F1/12 The Making of One Hundred and Fifty Million Feet of Fir, Cedar and Spruce lumber yearly, by the Bloedel Donovan Lumber F1/13 Pacific Logging Congress 1914 F1/14 National Foreign Trade Council Conference

13 F1/15 Cash book F1/16 Bills and receipts F1/17 Business and charitable activities circa 1910 Series V: Writings and Speeches, W1/1 Love poems to Clara W1/2 Notebook of children's poetry (possibly written by Clara) W1/3 Poetry W1/4 Poetry booklet W1/5 J.J.'s account of a trip to Asia W1/6 Notes W1/7 "The Catholic Citizen" - J.J. Donovan address re: the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) 1924 W1/8- W1/10 Speeches ; Series VI: Images and Film, 1920s P1/1 Photo album: 'The West Indies and Panama" to Julia from John P1/2 Photo album: 'Snap-Shots of Our Hawaiian Trip' to Sister Margaret from John and Clara

14 P1/3-P1/4 Family portraits (mostly identified) and scenery shots Box P2 Glass plate negatives and steel printing plates - portraits of J.J. Donovan P3/1 Photo: "J.J. Donovan 21 years old" P3/2 Print: "Table Mt. Near Mt. Baker Lodge" by Bert Huntoon P3/3 7 negatives P3/4 6 envelopes full of negatives P3/5 1 envelope of negatives P3/6 2 envelopes of photos: "Recent Photos of the Children 9/24/24" and "Helen's Children and Mt. Baker 7/21-22" circa 1924 P3/7 15 family photos P3/8 47 photos P3/9 52 photos P3/10 95 photos P3/11 12 photos P3/12- P3/13 15 prints and 285 negatives circa 1920s P3/14 3 photographs, papers re: Donovan dinner, railroad ticket, theater, etc. P3/15 15 prints and 10 negatives - papers re: South Bellingham Industrial Club P3/16 Folder of papers: railroads, Bellingham Chamber of Commerce, National Foreign Trade Council Conference 14

15 P3/17 3 mounted portraits, 40 prints and 8 negatives P3/18 Photo album P3/19 45 small prints P3/20- P3/21 P3/22- P3/23 17 mounted portraits, 13 prints 115 loose and 5 booklets of postcards P3/24 1 mounted portrait, 1 negative 5 prints P4 P5 Photographic prints - mostly family, unidentified, a small number of Mt. Baker/industry, postcard of Mt. Baker Lodge, some Roth Easter Egg Hunt Photographic prints - these prints, accompanied by notes from notes from Brian Griffin P6 Photographic negatives - include family travel P7 Photographic prints - portraits of family members, scenery photos, and loose pages once part of a photo album P8/1 Photo album - Victoria, British Columbia P8/2 Prints and negatives - banks, Tulip Parade, crows and participants at Battersby Park, California and Arizona, house and garden at St. Jo's (birth, John?) P8/3 Prints - Roth Easter Egg Hunt P8/4 Prints - scenic shots around Chuckanut Drive and Mt. Baker, including several B.W. Huntoon, also Clyde Banks images, Jacobsen image of bear in snow P8/5 Prints - family images, Nooksack Falls, Mt. Baker area, Clallam County mining and logging operations circa 1920s circa 1920s Box 15

16 P9 Prints, negatives and tin type - travels (Santa Rosa Elementary), Mt. Baker, Ruby Beach on Olympic Peninsula, Gt. Northern Line (driving Golden Spike?), Japan, China, Mt. Baker Lodge, Mt. Baker, St. Joseph's Hospital, Clallam, Cargo Mill, Tulip Parade circa 1920s-1930s Item Film 1 Family gathering Film 2 Mt. Baker Lodge, Bellingham waterfront, Larrabee Family home Film 3 Children playing Series VII: Ephemera and Artifacts, E1/1 Autograph book - "J.J. Donovan" circa E1/2 Badge - Fourth National Foreign Trade Delegation, Pittsburgh 1917 January E1/3 Blank diaries E1/4 Book plates - Elizabeth Colbourne 1925 E1/5 Business/calling cards E1/6 Children's Christmas books 1928 E1/7 Children's locks of hair - Helen (3 years old) and Jack 1893 E1/8 Negative album 1916 E1/9 Olive tree leaves E1/10 Piano key letters E1/11 Railroad passes 16

17 E1/12 Rotary pin E1/13 Wallets and check holders E1/14 Wallets and identification cards E1/15 Assorted ephemera Series VIII: Published Materials, M1/1 American Forestry Association Annual Report 1930 M1/2 Bellingham Herald's Chronological Anecdotal and Biographical History of Northwestern Washington 1910 M1/3 J.J. Donovan's obituary in the Bellingham Herald 1937 M1/4 Bibles M1/5 "Henck's Field Book for Engineers" M1/6 Books circa M1/7 Catalogs 1901 M1/8 Declaration of Principles and By-Laws of the Manufacturers' and Employers' Association M1/9 Final Report of the Cascade State Road Commission of the State of Washington M1/10 Forest Club Quarterly (REMOVED) 1925 M1/11 History of Christ Church, Alexandria, VA 1926 M1/12 Instructions for Operating the Kodascope M1/13 Journal of Military Service Institution (REMOVED) 17

18 M1/14 Map of Bellingham (C.M. Adams) 1904 M2/1 The Gilded Age by Mark Twain circa 1910 M2/2 McClure's Magazine 1903 M2/3 Miscellaneous articles M2/4 Montana Society of Engineers directory 1913 M2/5 Newspaper clippings M2/6 Northern Pacific Railway Company - Engineering Rules and Instructions 1889 M2/7 Pacific Highway by-laws pamphlet M2/8-M2/10 Assorted pamphlets M2/11 Political flyers M2/12 Pocket Dictionary with notation "A Souvenir of the SNS, given by Prof. H.O. Ladd" M2/13 Statement on prostitution by J.J. Donovan in the Bellingham Herald M2/14 Religious publications M2/15 Life's Handicap by Rudyard Kipling 1912 M2/16 Speech of the Hon. William E. Humphrey, House of Representatives 1908 May 18 M2/17 Theater playbills circa 1930s M2/18 Travel brochures and maps M2/19 Whatcom County Auditor's Report 1895 Box 18

19 M3 Newspapers re: J.J. Donovan Oversize-box M4/1 State of Washington Governor's Proclamation of Thankgiving Day 1906 Names and Subjects Subject Terms : Businessmen--Washington (State)--Bellingham--History--Sources. Civic leaders--washington (State)--Bellingham--History--Sources. Logging--Washington (State)--History--Sources Railroads--Northwest, Pacific--History--Sources Sawmills--Washington (State)--History--Sources Personal Names : Bennett, Nelson--Correspondence Donovan, Clara--Correspondence Donovan, J.J. (John Joseph)--Archives Donovan, J.J. (John Joseph)--Correspondence Family Names : Donovan family--archives Donovan family--correspondence Geographical Names : Pacific Northwest Washington (State) Washington (State)--Bellingham Finding aid prepared by Clay Skaggs and Rozlind Koester