Guide to the C.T. Conover Photograph Collection
ca. 1880-1957

Biographical Note

Charles Tallmadge Conover was born in Esperance, New York, on August 7, 1862, the son of Abram and Harriet M. (Tallmadge) Conover. He married Mary Louise Burns on June 30, 1891, and they had one child, Tallmadge. Conover married his second wife, Idelle M. Conkling, on September 5, 1931. In 1884 he came west and spent two years in British Columbia, after which he worked for a short time as editor of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's city section. He resigned from the Post-Intelligencer in 1888 and formed a real estate business with another former P.-I. employee, Samuel L. Crawford. Conover achieved financial success with the company, eventually serving as its president.

Conover coined the term "The Evergreen State," a nickname for the state of Washington, while working as chairman of the publicity committee of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. He also authored several books, including Mirrors of Seattle: Reflecting Some Aged Men of Fifty and a biography of Thomas Burke. He chaired the library committee of the Rainier Club and was instrumental in organizing the Seattle Humane Society.

Scope and Content

The photographs document the early business activities of Conover, including his work for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and his career with Crawford and Conover Real Estate. Most of the photographs date from the 1880s and 1890s.

Restrictions on Access

Open to all users.

Processing Info

Processed by Tracy Mehlin and Jocelyn Spicer, 2002.

Inventory

Folder

Item

Date

Portraits

1

1

C.T. Conover

ca. 1893

Photographer: Sarony, N.Y.

"Postmarked May 15, 1893. Charles T. Conover, formerly of Seattle Post Intelligencer."

2

Photograph of a line drawing of Conover's head and shoulders

Folder

Item

Date

Journalists at Territorial Legislature

2

3

"Correspondents at the last session of the territorial legislature, Olympia, WA, December 1887-January 1888"

Dec., 1887-Jan., 1888

Photographer: Clark Photo, Olympia

Included are: C.T. Conover of Tacoma Ledger, S.R. Frazer of Seattle Post-Intelligencer, M.M. Pickner of Seattle Times, S.W. Wall of Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Captain P.B. Johnson of Portland Oregonian, J. Miller Murphy of Washington Standard, and Geo. H. Ward of Tacoma Ledger.

Folder

Item

Date

Crawford and Conover Real Estate Company

3

4

C.T. Conover and S.L. Crawford, founders of the Crawford and Conover Real Estate Company, in a carriage on 5th Avenue between Columbia and Cherry

Photographer: La Roche & Co., Seattle

5-6

Office staff of Crawford and Conover Real Estate and Financial Brokers

1889

Photographer: La Roche & Co., Seattle

7-8

Office staff of Crawford and Conover, Seattle, Wash.

1890

Photographer: La Roche & Co., Seattle

Folder

Item

Political Cartoon Place Card

4

9

Printed place card with autographs on back

"Place card for dinner given by C.T. Conover for John H. McGraw, newly elected governor, and Frederick J. Grant, Editor of the Post Intelligencer, newly appointed minister to Bolivia. McGraw's Campaign was bitterly fought by Tacoma, led by Nelson Bennett...."

Subject Terms

Personal Names:

Conover, Charles Tallmadge, 1862-1961.

Organizations:

Crawford & Conover Inc. (Seattle, Wash.)

La Roche & Co. (Seattle, Wash.), photographer.

Subjects:

Journalists--Washington (State)--Photographs.

Newspaper editors--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs.

Real estate agents--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs.

Real estate business--Washington (State)--Seattle.

Titles:

Seattle Post-Intelligencer.