William H. Talbot Family Albums Collection, 1869-1930

Summary

Creators:

William H. Talbot Family

Abstract:

The William H. Talbot Family Albums Collection chronicles approximately sixty years of Talbot family and business history. The collection primarily consists of three extensive family photograph albums and a small number of ephemeral materials related to Pope & Talbot, Inc. and the Talbot family.

Extent:

2 boxes Selected online items available

Language:

English

Background

Scope and content:

The William H. Talbot Family Albums Collection, circa 1869-1930, chronicles approximately 60 years of Talbot family and business history. The collection includes three extensive family photograph albums; a limited selection of Pope & Talbot, Inc. business-related materials such as company newsletters; various Pope and Talbot family ephemeral items; and the book Time, Tide and Timber: A Century of Pope & Talbot (1949).

Biographical / historical:

Andrew Jackson Pope and Frederic Talbot arrived in California 1849 from East Machias, Maine, and started a business together to move lumber through the San Francisco Bay area. In early 1852, A.J. Pope and William C. Talbot, along with Charles Foster and Josiah P. Keller, formed the Puget Mill Co., a lumber mill, in the area later known as Port Gamble, Washington. In 1862, Pope and Talbot formed another company, Pope & Talbot, that managed the sales of materials from the lumber mill as well as owned and operated a fleet of vessels used to ship the lumber from the mills. By 1881, Pope & Talbot owned four sawmills, nineteen cargo and lumber ships, and thousands of acres of timberlands in Oregon, Maine, California, and Washington.

William H. and Frederick C. Talbot took over running the businesses after the deaths of A.J. Pope in 1878 and of their father, William C. Talbot, in 1881. In 1889, five other companies were formed by Pope & Talbot to deal with the many aspects of the business of the mill, such as lumber, shipping, and trading: Puget Lumber Co., Puget Shipping Co., Puget Trading Co., Puget Mercantile Co., and Puget Commercial Co. In 1925, W.H. Talbot and George A. Pope, Sr., sold the Puget Mill companies to the Charles R. McCormick Lumber Company although in 1938 the property reverted back to Pope & Talbot when the McCormick company defaulted on its loan. William H.'s sons, William C. II and Frederick C. (known as F.C. Talbot) eventually played major roles in the company. George A. Pope became a major stockholder in the company, served as president from 1933 to 1940, and was a senior member at the time of his death in 1942.

The Pope and Talbot families maintained residences in both Washington and California, primarily in the Port Ludlow, Port Gamble, and San Francisco areas.

Acquisition information:

The William H. Talbot Family Albums Collection was donated to the Sourisseau Academy by the Edith Corinne Smith Trust in 2006.

Arrangement:

The papers are arranged into two series:

• Photograph Albums
• Ephemera

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Lumber
Lumber industry

Location of this collection:

Sourisseau Academy for State and Local History

One Washington Square

San Jose, CA 95192-0117, US

Contact:

(408) 808-2064

research@sourisseauacademy.org

Website