Ithamar M. (Ithamar Martindale) Howell

Born in 1866 and deceased in 1920, Ithamar Martindale Howell is chiefly remembered today for A Review of the Resources and Industries of the State of Washington, 1909. His work has been preserved through Project Gutenberg and listed by The Online Books Page, which makes him of particular interest to readers exploring regional history and public-facing nonfiction from the period.

Available sources also identify him as a public figure in Washington State, serving as secretary of state as well as writing about the region's development. That overlap helps explain the tone and purpose of his best-known book: it is not just descriptive, but part history, part economic survey, and part portrait of a growing state at the start of the twentieth century.

For modern listeners, Howell's writing offers a snapshot of how Washington wanted to present itself in 1909—full of promise, resources, and momentum. Even when read mainly for its historical value now, his work preserves the voice of an era when state identity, industry, and civic pride were tightly linked.