Guide to the William H. Talbot Family Albums Collection, 1869-1930

Guide prepared by Erin Louthen

Sourisseau Academy for State and Local History

San Jose State University

One Washington Square

San Jose, CA 95192-0147

Phone: (408) 808-2064

Email: research@sourisseauacademy.org

URL: http://www.sourisseauacademy.org

Guide to the William H. Talbot Family Albums Collection, 1869-1930

Sourisseau Academy for State and Local History

San Jose State University

Contact Information:

Sourisseau Academy for State and Local History
San Jose State University
One Washington Square
San Jose, CA 95192-0147
Email: research@sourisseauacademy.org
URL: http://www.sourisseauacademy.org

Collection processed and guide prepared by: Erin Louthen
Date Completed:: 2008

Descriptive Summary

Title: William H. Talbot Family Albums Collection

Date (inclusive): 1869-1930

Collection Number: ECS01.02

Creator: William H. Talbot Family

Extent: 2 boxes Selected online items available

Repository: Sourisseau Academy for State and Local History, San Jose State University

San Jose, California 95192

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.

Language: English

Administrative Information

Access

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Copyright has not been assigned to the Sourisseau Academy. Neither the original photographs nor the digital images held by the Sourisseau Academy may be reproduced, published, or used on the Internet without the expressed, written permission of the Executive Secretary. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Sourisseau Academy as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher. The credit line, "Courtesy of the Edith C. Smith Trust Collection, Sourisseau Academy for State and Local History" must accompany any such use.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], William H. Talbot Family Albums Collection, ECS01.02, Edith C. Smith Photograph Collection, Sourisseau Academy for State and Local History, San Jose State University, San Jose, California.

Acquisition Information

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

Biographical History

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.

Indexing Terms

The following terms may be used to index this collection.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Burlingame (Calif.)

Lumber

Lumber industry

Pope & Talbot, Inc.

Pope, George A. (1864-1942)

Talbot, William H. (1860-1930)

Talbot, Frederick C. (1862-1919)

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).

Arrangement of the William H. Talbot Family Albums Collection

The papers are arranged into two series:

Photograph Albums
Ephemera

Box 1-2

I. Photograph Albums 1869-1930

Scope and Content Note

The first series is comprised of three photograph albums. An 1869-1887 photograph album owned by William H. Talbot includes approximately 140 images of family members such as Sophia (Gleason Foster) Talbot, Emily Foster Talbot, Frederick C., and William H. Talbot. There are also several images of Earle Talbot and George A. Pope. A 1909-1918 photograph album includes approximately 475 photographs, and captures Talbot family life and travel with images chronicling numerous trips and outings over the course of a decade. The third album dates from 1910-1930 and includes approximately 400 images, the locations of which are unknown.

Box 1

Album 1869-1887

Box 1, Album Album, 1869-1887

ecs2730 Unidentified boy in sailor suit, likely a member of the Talbot family

Box 1, Album Album, 1869-1887

ecs2731 Portrait of George A. Pope, William H. Talbot and Frederick C. Talbot