Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company Records, 1902-1912

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Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections Pullman, WA 99164-5610 USA (509) 335-6691 Inquiries

Cage 21
Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company
Records, 1902-1912

Processed by Lawrence R. Stark, 1972.

Number of linear shelf feet: 57

INTRODUCTION

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.

SERIES LIST

CONTAINERS

Series 1: Correspondence, 1904-1912 1-4
This series 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 2: Claims, 1908-1912 5-70
This series is divided into three subseries.
2.1. Unfiled papers related to claims. 5
2.2. Reports from agencies and general agencies at the time of failure. 5-10
2.3. Policy holder claims, mostly for return premiums on unexpired insurance,
with some for fire losses and other reasons. Also surrendered policies. 11-70
Series 3: Ledgers 71-152
Minute books, checkbooks, journals, account books, agency records, policy registers, policy indexes, loss registers,
stock book, receivers' accounts.
Series 4: Merchants' Fire Asssociation Papers, 1902-1907 153-160
This series 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.

CONTAINER LIST

Container	Folder	Description

Series 1: Correspondence, 1904-1912

1	1-13	Correspondence of Home Office and Seattle, Tacoma and Spokane branch offices, February, 1907-February, 1908.
2	14-17	Correspondence, March, 1908-June, 1908.
3	18-23	Correspondence, July, 1908-December, 1908.
	24	Correspondence, Undated.
4	25	Receiver correspondence.
	26	Papers of Calvin Holloway, ca. 1904, re: Walla Walla Abstract Company.
	27	Papers of James J. Butler, ca. 1907, re: Republican Party politics.
	28	Sample forms: blank policies, reports, rider clauses. Printed insurance supplies and advertising, including a catalog of insurance supplies.

Series 2: Claims, 1908-1912

5	29	Miscellaneous bills and expenses.
	30	Orrin Parker bankruptcy papers, 1912.
5-7	31-35	Central Department (Chicago) accounts as of December 29, 1908.
8-9	38	Eastern Department (New York) accounts as of December 29,1908.
9	39	Surrendered Certificates of Agency Appointment, Eastern Department.
10	40	Seattle Branch Office accounts.
	41	California General Agency accounts.
11		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.
12-67		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).
68-69		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).
70		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).

Series 3: Legders, 1907-1909

71		Minute Book, with Articles of Incorporation and by-laws.
72		Receivers Accounts: Misc. claims.
73		Receivers Accounts: general claims.
74		Receivers Accounts: rejected claims.
75		Receivers Accounts.
76		Stockbook and stock registry.
77		Closing balances
78		Checkbook, Seattle
79		Checkbook, Walla Walla
80		Checkbook, Walla Walla
81		Checkbook, Chicago
82		Checkbook, Chicago
83		Bankdraft stubs, losses paid
84		Bankdraft stubs, losses paid
85		Journal
86		Re-insurance journal
87		Re-insurance journal
88		Record of premium received
89		Record of premium received
90		Cash accounts
91		Cash accounts
92		Cash accounts, Walla Walla
93		Collections Register
94		Loss Register
95		Journal
96		Journal
97		Cash Accounts, Seattle
98		Agents' Register
99		Agents names
100		Agents names
101		Agents reports
102		Agents register and reports
103		Agents
104		Record of policy numbers sent to agents
105		Re-insurance Register
106		Re-insurance Register
107		Reinsured register
108		Reinsured register
109		Reinsurance with Queen City and Anchor Companies
110		Cancellations and endorsements of policies
111		Cancellations and return premiums (California)
112		Cancellations and endorsements (Central Dept)
113		Return Premiums Register (Western Department)
114		Return Premiums Register (California)
115		Return Premiums Register (Montana, Utah, Idaho, Alaska)
116		Yearly Summary
117		Central Department reports
118		Monthly totals
119		Monthly Reports (Eastern Department)
120		Monthly Reports (Central Department)
121		Western Department Reports
122		November 1908 Reports
123		December 1908 Reports
124		Policy index (Washington)
125		Policy index (Central Department) (Policy indexes contain very little material. -their principle use was the location of a policyholders entry in the policy register. The two indexes here are samples of this type book; 10 similar item were discarded.)
126		Eastern Department Daily report and policy register
127		Central Department Daily report and policy register
128		Central Department Daily report and policy register
129		Central Department Daily report and policy register
130		Home Office policy register
131		Policy register, Central Department
132		Policy register, Washington State
133		Policy register, Southern Department
134		Policy register, Texas
135		Policy register, North Carolina
136		Policy register, Arkansas
137		Policy register, California
138		Policy register, Montana
139		Policy register, Utah
140		Policy register, Idaho
141		Policy register, Washington
142		Policy register, Kansas
143		Policy and loss register, misc.
144		Walla Walla agency register
145		Policy Register, Central Department, Ohio
146		Policy Register, Southern Department, Texas, Oklahoma
147		Policy Register, Central Department, Indiana
148		Policy Register, Central Department, Missouri, Minnesota
149		Policy Register, Southern Department, North Carolina
150		Policy Register, Southern Department, South Carolina, Louisiana
151		Policy Register, Southern Department, Arkansas
152		Policy Register, Central Department, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska

Series 4: Merchants' Fire Asssociation Papers, 1902-1907
	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.

153		Contract transferring Merchants' Fire Association business to Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company
153		Reports on policies carried over to Walla Walla Fire Insurance Company
154		Cash Book
155		Re-insurance Ledger
156		Policies in force, February, 1907
157		Checkbook
158		Policy Register
159		Agents Register
160		Collections Register

Added March, 1975

161		Re-Insurance Register
162		Index
163		Index, Losses and Misc. Claims
164		Index
165		Index
166		Index
167		Index