Biographical Sketch--Conway B. Sonne Conway B. Sonne was born in Logan, Utah on December 28, 1917. He graduated form Utah State University, the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, and an advanced financial management program at Stanford University. Sonne was resident of Palo Alto, California, and worded as a financial officer of the Standard Oil Company of California from 1949 to 1981. He served in the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps as a financial analyst and liaison officer between 1943 and 1946. He served as an officer and director of many civic and business organizations, including a trustee of the National Maritime Museum Association, member of the Advisory Council, Utah State University, Director of the Nation Association of Credit Management, Director of the American Petroleum Credit Association, President of Credit Managers Association of North and Central California, and Director of the Palo Alto Little League. He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the New England States Mission and served in many church positions, including 1st councilor in the Palo Alto Ward Bishopric and as a member of the Palo Alto Stake High Council. Sonne authored six books and numerous articles on finance, history, and religion. His book include Knight of the Kingdom (1949); What Would You Write (1956), World of Wakara (1962); Saints on the Sea, a Maritime History of Mormon Migration (1983); Ships, Saints, and Mariners: A Maritime Encyclopedia of Mormon Migration (1987); and A Man Named Alma (1988). Sonne married the former Elaine Wintch of Manti, Utah, and the couple have four sons, two physicians and two lawyers.
Scope and Content--Sonne Collection The majority of the Sonne collection is research on ships, steamboats, and sailing ships. Sonne collected a vast amount of research on individual sailing vessels, ship crews, and the passengers aboard the ships. The research in the collection form the basis of Sonne’s maritime history books, Saints on the Sea and Ships, Saints, and Mariners: A Maritime Encyclopedia of Mormon Migration. Boxes 1-13 contain files on individual ships, steamships, and steamboats. Included in the files are Mormon migration information, passenger lists, and even some journals. These ship files would be valuable for anyone interested in maritime history, Mormon migration, or even family history. Boxes 14-16 give more information on maritime history, including detailed information on the ship Brooklyn, the ship that carried the Mormon immigrants to California. Also in the collection are two boxes of Sonne’s correspondence concerning his books. Boxes 25-29 contain drafts of his books, including the publishers and author’s drafts and also an alphabetized master copy of the maritime encyclopedia in box 29. Other boxes contain research on other topics, including Native Americans (box 21), and prominent Mormon pioneers and frontiersmen (box 20). The Conway Sonne collection is a valuable source of information about maritime history, Mormon history, and Western American history, as well as a fascinating illustration of how an author organizes and develops a maritime history book.
Photographs from the collection were removed to be processed separately.
Box Inventory
Box 1: SHIPS, A-B Folder 1: Alacrity
Folder 2: Albert
Folder 3: Alesto
Folder 4: Amazon
Folder 5: America
Folder 6: American Congress
Folder 7: American Union
Folder 8: Antarctic
Folder 9: Argo
Folder 10: Arkwright
Folder 11: Artarevedre
Folder 12: Ashburton
Folder 13: Ashland
Folder 14: Athena
Folder 15: Belle Ward
Folder 16: Benjamin Adams
Folder 17: Berlin
Folder 18: Bridgewater
Folder 19: Britannia
Folder 20: B.S. Kimball
Folder 21: Buena Vista
Folder 1: Earl of Eglinton
Folder 2: Echo
Folder 3: Echo (British)
Folder 4: Electric
Folder 5: Ellen
Folder 6: Ellen Maria
Folder 7: Elvira Owen
Folder 8: Emblem
Folder 9: Emerald
Folder 10: Emerald Isle
Folder 11: Enoch Train
Folder 12: Emma Packer
Folder 13: Empire I
Folder 14: Empire II
Folder 15: Envelope
Folder 16: Erin’s Queen
Folder 17: Escort
Folder 18: Falcon
Folder 19: Fanny (Bark)
Folder 20: Foederis Arca
Folder 21: Forest Monarch
Folder 22: Francis A. Palmer
Folder 23: Frank Johnson
Folder 24: Franklin
Folder 25: Frederick
Box 4: SHIPS, G-H
Folder 1: Garrick
Folder 2: Gazelle
Folder 3: Gemsbok
Folder 4: General McClellan
Folder 5: General Wool
Folder 6: George Washington
Folder 7: George W. Bourne
Folder 8: Germanicus
Folder 9: Glasgow
Folder 10: Golconda
Folder 11: G.W. Kendall
Folder 12: Hanover
Folder 13: Harmony
Folder 14: Hartley
Folder 15: Henry
Folder 16: Henry Ellis
Folder 17: Henry Kelsey
Folder 18: Henry Ware
Folder 19: Hope
Folder 20: Horizon
Folder 21: Hudson
Folder 22: Humboldt
Folder 23: Huntress
Folder 24: Hyderadad
Box 5: SHIPS, I-J
Folder 1: Ianthe
Folder 2: Imam of Muscat
Folder 3: International
Folder 4: Isaac Allerton
Folder 5: Isaac Jeanes
Folder 6: Issac Newton
Folder 7: Italy
Folder 8: Jacob A. Westervelt
Folder 9: James Nesmith
Folder 10: James Pennell
Folder 11: Jan Van Hoorn
Folder 12: Jenny Ford
Folder 13: Jersey
Folder 14: Jessie Munn
Folder 15: John Bright
Folder 16: John Brightman
Folder 17: John Cumming
Folder 18: John Gilpin
Folder 19: John Gray
Folder 20: John J. Boyd
Folder 21: John M. Wood
Folder 22: John R. Skiddy
Folder 23: Joseph Badger
Folder 24: Josiah Bradlee
Folder 25: Julia Ann
Folder 26: Juventa
Box 6: SHIPS, K-Mexicana
Folder 1: Kenilworth
Folder 2: Kennebec
Folder 3: Liverpool
Folder 4: Lord Sandon
Folder 5: Louis Napoleon
Folder 6: Lucas
Folder 7: Lucy Thompson
Folder 8: Malay
Folder 9: Manchester
Folder 10: Marshfield
Folder 11: Medford
Folder 12: Martha Whitmore
Folder 13: Metka
Folder 14: Mexicana
Box 7: SHIPS, Milwaukie-Oxford
Folder 1: Milwaukie
Folder 2: Monarch of the Sea
Folder 3: Monsoon
Folder 4: Montezuma
Folder 5: Neva
Folder 6: Norfolk
Folder 7: North America
Folder 8: North Atlantic
Folder 9: Old England
Folder 10: Olympus
Folder 11: Onward
Folder 12: Oregon
Folder 13: Oxford
Box 8: SHIPS, P-S
Folder 1: Pacific
Folder 2: Palmyra
Folder 3: Paraita
Folder 4: Parthenon
Folder 5: Patrick Henry
Folder 6: Petrel
Folder 7: Providence
Folder 8: Ravaai
Folder 9: Rufus K. Page
Folder 10: Rochester
Folder 11: Rockaway
Folder 12: Rose of Sharon
Folder 13: Rowena
Folder 14: Royal Thistle
Folder 15: Sailor Prince
Folder 16: St. Mark
Folder 17: S. Curlin
Folder 18: Shannon
Folder 19: Sheffield
Folder 20: Siddons
Folder 21: Sidney
Folder 22: Susan Abigail
Folder 23: Susan Pardew
Folder 24: Swanton
Folder 1: Adelaide
Folder 2: Alex Scott
Folder 3: Amaranth
Folder 4: Amazon
Folder 5: Ariel
Folder 6: Atlantic
Folder 7: Balloon
Folder 8: Ben Bolt
Folder 9: Blackhawk
Folder 10: Chautauque
Folder 11: Chieftain
Folder 12: Cicero
Folder 13: Clara
Folder 14: Colorado
Folder 15: Columbus
Folder 16: Concordia
Folder 17: Congress
Folder 18: Constitution
Folder 19: Dahcota
Folder 20: Daniel Webster
Folder 21: Dove
Folder 22: El Paso
Folder 23: Emilie
Folder 24: Equinox
Folder 25: Erie
Folder 26: F.X. Aubrey
Folder 27: Galena
Folder 28: Goddess of Liberty
Folder 29: Golden State
Folder 30: Grand Turk
Folder 31: Highland Mary
Folder 32: Illinois I
Folder 33: Illinois II
Folder 34: Iowa
Folder 35: Isaac Newton
Folder 36: Isabel
Folder 37: James Robb
Folder 38: John Simonds
Folder 39: Josiah Lawrence
Folder 40: Julia Chouteau
Box 11: STEAMBOATS, L-V
Folder 1: L.M. Kennett
Folder 2: Michigan
Folder 3: Mary McDonald
Folder 4: Mermaid
Folder 5: Mustang
Folder 6: Louisa
Folder 7: Louis Philippe
Folder 8: Mameluke
Folder 9: Mandan
Folder 10: Maid of Iowa
Folder 11: Nautilus
Folder 12: Nauvoo
Folder 13: Niagra
Folder 14: Oceana
Folder 15: Omaha
Folder 16: Osprey
Folder 17: Oswego
Folder 18: Polar Star
Folder 19: Pride of the West
Folder 20: Rapids
Folder 21: Saluda
Folder 22: Raritan
Folder 23: Robert Campbell
Folder 24: Sacramento
Folder 25: St. Croix
Folder 26: St. Mary
Folder 27: Samuel Gaty
Folder 28: Saranak
Folder 29: Senator
Folder 30: Statesman
Folder 31: Sunshine
Folder 32: Uncle Sam
Folder 33: United States
Folder 34: United States (Huron)
Folder 35: Washington City
Folder 36: West Point
Folder 37: West Wind
Folder 38: William Penn
Folder 39: Valley Forge
Box 12: STEAMSHIPS (SS), A-H
Folder 1: SS Abyssinia
Folder 2: SS Ada Hancock
Folder 3: SS Africa
Folder 4: SS Alameda
Folder 5: SS Alaska
Folder 6: SS Arizona
Folder 7: SS Atlantic
Folder 8: SS Aurora
Folder 9: SS Australia
Folder 10: SS Australsian
Folder 11: SS Baltic
Folder 12: SS British King
Folder 13: SS Cimbria
Folder 14: SS City of Antwerp
Folder 15: SS City of Baltimore
Folder 16: SS City of Berlin
Folder 17: SS City of New York
Folder 18: SS City of Sydney
Folder 19: SS City of Washington
Folder 20: SS Colorado
Folder 21: SS Dakota
Folder 22: SS Edinburgh
Folder 23: SS Eideren
Folder 24: SS Etna
Folder 25: SS Excellencen
Folder 26: SS Geisir
Folder 27: SS Glasgow
Folder 28: SS Hansa
Folder 29: SS Hellespont
Box 13: STEAMSHIPS (SS), I-Z
Folder 1: SS Iberia
Folder 2: SS Idaho
Folder 3: SS John Bull
Folder 4: SS Kangaroo
Folder 5: SS Knickerbocker
Folder 6: SS L.N. Huidt
Folder 7: SS Lion
Folder 8: SS Loven
Folder 9: SS Manhattan
Folder 10: SS Mararoa
Folder 11: SS Mariposa
Folder 12: SS Mild
Folder 13: SS Minnesota
Folder 14: SS Montana
Folder 15: SS Nevada
Folder 16: SS Nevada—Continued
Folder 17: SS Niagra
Folder 18: SS Obotrit
Folder 19: SS Otto
Folder 20: SS Pauline
Folder 21: SS Roland
Folder 22: SS Scotia
Folder 23: SS Skandinavien
Folder 24: SS Sea Bird
Folder 25: SS Slesvig
Folder 26: SS Transit
Folder 27: SS Troubadour
Folder 28: SS United Kingdom
Folder 29: SS Viken
Folder 30: SS Virginia
Folder 31: SS Wisconsin
Folder 32: SS Wonga Wonga
Folder 33: SS Wyoming
Folder 34: SS Zealandia
Box 14: SHIP INFORMATIO, MISC.
Folder 1: Ship Officers and Crew
Folder 2: Steamboats of the Inland Waterways
Folder 3: Sailing Ships Information
Folder 4: Ship Conditions
Folder 5: Shipping Lines
Folder 6: Sailing Statistics
Folder 7: Ship Research Correspondence (Archives and Museums)
Folder 8: Ship Terms and Definitions
Folder 9: Maritime Notes
Folder 10: “A Saga of Steam” article
Folder 11: Steamboats Misc.
Box 15: BROOKLYN (SHIP) INFORMATION
Folder 1: Passenger Information
Folder 2: Passenger Lists
Folder 3: Passenger Information, Continued
Folder 4: Passenger Information, Continued
Folder 5: Passenger Information, Continued
Folder 6: Brooklyn Ship Detail
Box 16: BROOKLYN (SHIP) GENERAL HISTORY
Folder 1: General History and Misc.
Folder 2: Brooklyn History and Cape Horn History Material
Box 17: CORRESPONDENCE
Folder 1: Letters Concerning Sonne’s book, A Man Named Alma, part 1
Folder 2: A Man Named Alma correspondence, part 2
Folder 3: A Man Named Alma correspondence, part 3
Folder 4: Letters Concerning Sonne’s book, Saints on the Sea, part 1
Folder 5: Saints on the Sea correspondence, part 2
Folder 6: Letters Concerning Sonne’s book, Ships, Saints, and Mariners, part 1
Folder 7: Ships, Saints, and Mariners correspondence, part 2
Folder 8: Ships, Saints, and Mariners correspondence, part 3
Folder 9: Coreespondence with Scott Peterson
Box 18: CORRESPONDENCE
Folder 1: Letters Concerning Sonne’s book, Knight of the Kingdom, part 1
Folder 2: Knight of the Kingdom correspondence, part 2
Folder 3: Correspondence with Sonne’s family and biographical information
Box 19: RESEARCH ON PROMINENT INDIVIDUALS
Folder 1: Elijah Barney Ward
Folder 2: William Fotheringham
Folder 3: “The World of Richard Ballantyne”
Folder 4: Richard Ballantyne, Notes and Misc.
Folder 5: “Along the Way”: A Play Based on the Life of Richard Ballantyne
Folder 6: Manuscript: “William Fotheringham, History of His Life and Labors”
Folder 7: Journal of Noah Rogers, 1843-1845
Folder 8: Miles Goodyear
Box 20: MORMON FRONTIERSMEN AND PROMINENT PIONEERS
Folder 1: Call, Anson
Folder 2: Conover, Peter
Folder 3: Hamblin, Jacob
Folder 4: Huntington, Dimick B.
Folder 5: Jones, Nathaniel
Folder 6: Mormon Frontiersmen, Various Individuals
Folder 7: Mountain Men, Various Individuals
Folder 8: Smith, Lot
Folder 9: Pioneers of San Bernadino
Box 21: NATIVE AMERICAN RESEARCH
Folder 1: Arapane
Folder 2: Research Notes on Indian Individuals
Folder 3: Profiles of Indian Individuals
Folder 4: Research Notes and Telephone Numbers of Historians
Folder 5: Tuba, Hopi Chief
Folder 6: Winnemucca, Chief of the Paiutes
Folder 7: Washakie, Shoshone Chief
Folder 8: Misc. on Native Americans, part one
Folder 9: Misc. on Native Americans, part two
Box 22: MARITIME AND SEAPORT RESEARCH
Folder 1: “The Sea”: maritime history articles
Folder 2: Research on Juan Fernadez Island
Folder 3: Liverpool: research on the city, article from LDS Ensign
Folder 4: Liverpool: more research, including ships leaving port
Folder 5: Liverpool: maps, brochure, and an article by Sonne about Liverpool
Folder 6: Emigration: general history
Folder 7: Perpetual Emigration Fund
Folder 8: Mission to India notes
Folder 9: The Amsterdam Company
Folder 10: “Across the Deep”: notes on Mormon migration
Box 23: MORMON HISTORY ASSOCIATION MATERIAL AND MIXCELLANEOUS
Folder 1: Misc.: maps, newsletters, and article by Robert Louis Stevenson
Folder 2: Misc. research: Mormonism in Great Britain, history of Scandinavian mission
Folder 3: Libraries and Museums
Folder 4: IRA Account Information
Folder 5: Untitled beginning draft of a fictional work
Folder 6: Mormon History Association material, part one: articles, pamphlets, misc.
Folder 7: Mormon History Association material, part two: 1988-1989 MHA information
Box 24: ILLUSTRATION AND PRINT INFORMATION FOR SONNE’S BOOKS
Folder 1: Photos of sea captains
Folder 2: Ship print lists, part one
Folder 3: Ship print lists, part two
Folder 4: Copies of Illustrations
Folder 5: Copies of Pictures
Folder 6: Print info. and correspondence concerning pictures for Sonne’s books
Folder 7: Pamphlets and booklets of ship illustrations
Folder 8: Magazines of maritime history; ship illustrations
Box 25: 1ST DRAFT OF SAINTS ON THE SEAS
Folder 1: Preface and Chapter One: “Across the Deep”
Folder 2: Chapter Two: “The Gathering”
Folder 3: Chapter Three: “A Saga of Sail”
Folder 4: Chapter Four: “Queens of the Rivers”
Folder 5: Chapter Five: “Greyhounds of Steam”
Folder 6: Chapter Six: “EBB Tide”
Folder 7: Reference and notes
Folder 8: Revision notes and a review of the book
Box 26: SAINTS OF THE SEAS ADDENDUMS
Folder 1: Introduction, second draft
Folder 2: Footnotes
Folder 3: Appendix A: List of Emigrant Companies
Folder 4: Appendix B: Emigrant Vessels
Folder 5: Appendix C: Ship Building Locations
Folder 6: Appendix D: Death Toll at Sea
Folder 7: Appendix E: Emigrant Voyages
Folder 8: Appendix F: Passage Times
Folder 9: Appendix G: Steamboats Used by Mormon Emigrants
Folder 10: Appendix H: Mormon Emigrants Carried by Steamship Lines
Folder 11: Appendix I: Total Mormon Passenger Carried by Individual Emigrant Vessels
Folder 12: Appendix J: Largest Mormon Emigrant Company
Folder 13: Appendix K: Masters of Emigrant Steamship voyages
Box 27: AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER DRAFTS OF A MAN NAMED ALMA
Folder 1: Correspondence to Horizon Publishers, notes on revision
Folder 2: A Man Named Alma, publisher’s draft, Preface and Chapter One
Folder 3: Publisher’s draft, chapters 2-4
Folder 4: Pub. draft, chapters 5-7
Folder 5: Pub. draft, chapters 8-10
Folder 6: Pub. draft, chapters 11-12, reference notes
Folder 7: A Man Named Alma, author’s draft, Preface and Chapter One: The Time Before
Folder 8: Chapter Two: “Son of Soil”
Folder 9: Chapter Three: “The Call”
Folder 10: Chapter Four: “Pillars of Light and Darkness”
Folder 11: Chapter Five: “Web of Light”
Folder 12: Chapter Six: “Main Street in Zion”
Folder 13: Chapter Seven: “Turning Point”
Folder 14: Chapter Eight: “Talons of War”
Folder 15: Chapter Nine: “Ravaged Europe”
Folder 16: Chapter Ten: “Dedicated Servant”
Folder 17: Chapter Eleven: “A Man For All Seasons”
Folder 18: Chapter Twelve: “Evening Shadows” and reference notes
Box 28: AUTHOR’S DRAFT OF SHIPS AND SAINTS: MARITIME ENCYCLOPEDIA
Folder 1: Introduction and Section I, Ships: Alacrity-Dracut
Folder 2: Section I continued: Earl of Eglinton-Italy
Folder 3: Section I continued: Jacob A Westervelt-Montezuma
Folder 4: Section I continued: Neva-Zetland
Folder 5: Section II: Steamboats
Folder 6: Section III, Steamships: Abyssinia-Hellespont
Folder 7: Section III continued: Iberia-Zealandia and references
Box 29: MASTER COPY (ALPHABETIZED SHIPS) FROM SHIPS AND SAINTS
Folder 1: Bibliographic notes on primary sources
Folder 2: Bibliographic notes on secondary sources, part 1
Folder 3: Bibliographic notes on secondary sources, part 2
Folder 4: Name and addresses of museums and archives
Folder 5: Chief Walker research notes, part 1
Folder 6: Chief Walker research notes, part 2
Folder 7: Chief Walker research notes, part 3
For more information: 435/797-2663; Manuscript Librarian.
Special Collections & Archives, Merrill Library, Utah State University Libraries, Utah State University 84322-3000
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