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This week we present a newly acquired collection of Montana archives. Most of these archives come from the Stuart MacKenzie Collection of Montana ephemera. Stuart MacKenzie, collector and dealer, put together massive collections of correspondence, company files and town documents, creating an outstanding Montana library. The archives offered in this list consist of correspondence, receipts, invoices, eye-catching letterheads and other ephemera from the territorial and early statehood days of Montana. Archives include those of liquor distributors, livestock commission agents, and lumber companies, and from locations such as Butte, Dillon, Anaconda, Virginia City and Missoula. Please call the store for more images and information regarding these archives.
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Thank you,
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Back of Beyond Books
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A. M. Holter Hardware Company Archive [Territorial and Early Statehood Montana]
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Archive of material from the businesses of Anton M. Holter, the father of the lumber business in Montana. This archive includes 12 binders of manuscript letters, orders and receipts, most on company billhead and dated between the 1870s and 1890s. Each binder has between 50 and 125 sleeves; most sleeves contain multiple items. There are approximately 1500 items. Correspondence has expected wear and soiling but overall the archive is in very good condition. Holter family papers are found at the Montana Historical Society and the Library of Congress.
This archive of material surrounds the A. M. Holter Hardware Company, a business influential in the social and economic development of Montana Territory. A treasure trove of information for the Montana historian, this archive contains correspondence from Montana businesses during its territorial and early statehood days. Anton Martinius Holter (1831-1921) has an impressive resume. "The father of the lumber business in Montana" was a member of the first territorial council, first state legislature, first school board of Helena, and invested widely in mines, ranches, real estate and lumber businesses throughout the state. Holter arrived in America from Norway in 1854 and worked as a carpenter in the Pikes Peak gold rush. In 1863 he and Alex Evinson (Holter & Evinson Company) established the first sawmill in Montana at Ramshorn Gulch near Virginia City, and later set up lumber yards in Nevada City, Helena, Great Falls, Sun River and Fort Benton. In 1867 Holter established a general merchandise company in Helena, A. M. Holter & Brother, which in 1886 became the A. M. Holter Hardware Company. The A. M Holter Hardware Company sold general hardware, mining and railway supplies, and is considered one of the oldest commercial businesses of its kind in the northwest. Other enterprises Holter participated in included the Virginia City Water Company (established in 1865 with Samuel T. Hauser) and the United Missouri River Power Company (promoter). He was also a heavy speculator in mining properties across the West including the Mullan Pass Coal Company, Elkhorn Mining Company, the Maginnis Mining Company, the Seven Devils Mining District, Helena and Victor Mining Company, Blue Canyon Coal Company, Helena and Frisco Mining Company, and the Little Ben Mining Company (all in Montana).
The material found in this archive shows the success and extent of the A. M. Holter Hardware Company. Eleven of the twelve binders contain correspondence written by Montana businesses to the A. M. Holter Hardware Company. Some of the towns represented in these documents include Livingston, Elkhorn, Missoula, Cokedale, Blossburg, Horr, Toston, Avon, Anaconda, Helena, Augusta, Radersburg, Boulder and Jefferson City. Some of the businesses seen in the archive (many with great letterhead) include J. W. Eberl, general blacksmith and wagon maker, of Augusta, John E. Keating & Son of the Keating Mine in Radersburg, A. W. Miles, hardware and implements, of Livingston, Louis I. Blood, dealer in lumber, of Avon, Riverside Stock Farm in Toston, Cook & Woldson, railroad contracts of Toston, Montana Coal and Coke Company of Horr, Mullan Pass Coal Company of Blossburg, Elkhorn Trading Company, and the Missoula Mercantile Company. Many of these companies are of historical significance in Montana history and could be their own subset in the archive. For example, the Missoula Mercantile Company dominated the town's wholesale and retail trade from 1885 to 1920 and at the turn of the century was the largest mercantile business located between Seattle and Minneapolis. Orders are mostly for mining material; from bolts and buckets to rubber hoses and blasting powder. An example from the C. & D. Mining & Smelting Co. of Elkhorn: "Please send us by freight 3 best axe handles, 1 nozzle for 1 inch hose, 1 doz. clamps for 1 inch hose, 2 half hatchets. We think your price on inch rubber hose is rather high. Yours truly C & D Co." Two binders contain 1870s lumbering material from Holter's early lumberyard and sawmill businesses; this includes promissory notes, accounts, and statements for lumberyards, sawmills and mines. One binder with about 25 items contains letters, on company letterhead, from A. M. Holter to fellow businessman, A .P. Loberg (?) of Victor, Montana. The content of these letters is about mining in Victor, for example: "A. P. Loberg, yours of 29 at hand. Ship the concentrating ore to Corbin on the Wickes branch. If the strike in The Tunal is holding out would it not be well to put more men to work in that place that is if it will pay expenses, Yours truly A. M. Holter". A fantastic record of early Montana businesses from a leading Helena businessman. 023713. $4,750
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Archive of R. C. Halliday, Liquor Distributor in Dillon, Montana [Territorial Montana and Idaho]
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This archive includes 4 binders of manuscript correspondence dating to the late 1880s and 1890s. There are approximately 200 items. Only a few items were written on letterhead. Letters have expected soiling and wear; the archive is in very good condition overall. The University of Idaho has a small holding of Halliday letters.
This archive contains correspondence written to R. C. Halliday, a liquor distributor and general merchandiser in Dillon, Montana, from his customers in Montana and Idaho. Almost all correspondence regards orders and payments of liquor. Written during the territorial and early statehood days of Montana and Idaho, this archive contains a great record of southwestern Montana and eastern Idaho businesses. Richard C. Halliday went to Montana in the early 1880s and for a time was a passenger conductor for the Utah and Northern Railroad. In 1885 he established a wholesale liquor operation in Dillon, Montana that he operated until 1896. Letters were written from locations in Idaho such as Idaho Falls, Eagle Rock, Junction, Nicholia, Rexburg and Salmon City; and towns in Montana such as Rochester, Allerdice, Argenta, Bannack, Virginia City and Anaconda. Mostly mining towns, they would need a good supply of liquor, cigars and cards. Names of some businesses included in this archive are Thos. A. Fox & Co. of Argenta, French & Kenney of Salmon City, Perry Chapin (or Clapin) of Bannack, Carhartt & Ackroyd of Bannack, M. A. Berger, dealer of general merchandise, of Allerdice, Dan and Richard Gallagher of Allerdice, and Walker Kellogg of Virginia City. An example of a letter written to Halliday: "Salmon City, Idaho, Aug. 19th, 1886, Messrs Halliday & Co., Dillon, Montana. We enclose $203.50. Please ship to us 500 Victoria cigars. If not too much trouble wish you would get for us and ship via Red Rock, one sack 50 or 60 lbs twine for McCormick Binder and 2 sacks granulated sugar. Balance of money please apply on act. Very truly, French & Kenney, Salmon City, Idaho." A great archive of material for the Montana and Idaho historian. 023715. $1,200
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Madison County, Montana Correspondence [Early Montana Statehood] |
A collection of approximately 75 items of correspondence from businesses in Madison County, Montana. Items are dated from the late 1880s to 1910. Correspondence is housed in two modern binders. Overall in very good condition with light soiling and wear.
This archive of material comes from businesses in Madison County, Montana mostly dating to the first two decades of statehood. Madison County is located in southwestern Montana and was founded in 1865 as one of the nine original Territorial counties. Many of the towns in the county were established during the Montana gold rush in the 1860s. Towns represented in this archive include Silver Star, Ruby, Ferguson, Willow Creek, Mammoth, Meadow Creek (McAllister), Lakeview, Pony, Glendale, Jeffers, Junction City, Lewis, Washington Gulch, Washington Bar, Sand Creek, Salisbury, Revenue, and Adobetown. Most correspondence is from one business to another; ordering general merchandise, making payments to accounts, and requesting money or information. Businesses represented in the archive include (but are not limited to) Harrison Ranch of Ferguson, L. F. Hare of Willow Creek, Mrs. A. E. Petit dealer in general merchandise in Ruby, U. S. Mining and Power Company in Mammoth, Burnside & Forsyth liquor dealers, Montana Hydraulic Mining Company of Washington Bar, and Chas. M. Metzel dealer of thoroughbred cattle and horses in Puller Springs (great graphic of cattle brand on letterhead).
One letter of note is from Geo. W. Shaw to E. W. Knight of the First National Bank in Helena. He writes "In the Mountains near Salisbury, April 5th, 1882" about being unable to get back to Wickes for over a week, how ranchers have started plowing, and a $200 payment. Shaw worked as an auditor for the Alta-Montana Mining Company at Wickes and later manufactured baking powder and pancake flour. There are also a few items dealing with legal and governmental matters such as: a note from Henry H. Mood, member of the House of Representatives from Madison County writing that a copy of the codification of the laws of Montana was received from Territorial auditor J. P. Woolman (dated to 1880); a letter from J. C. Mahoney, Office of the superintendent of schools of Montana County, to the Territorial auditor, J. P. Woolman (dated to 1886). A diverse archive of material from Madison County with great research potential. 023716. $450
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Hundreds of Butte, Montana Letterheads and Billheads from the Late 19th Century to Early 20th Century |
Over 315 business letterheads, billheads, receipts and other documents from businesses and organizations in and around the Butte, Montana area. No envelopes are included. Overall condition is very good with slight tears and fold creases.
Butte, Montana was established in 1864 initially as a mining camp and would become one of the largest copper boomtowns in the American West. Butte experienced rapid development in the late 19th century, becoming a major industrial, economic and cultural city. This collection of paper, primarily from the boom era of the late 19th and early 20th century, is a lens into the mining and business activities Butte experienced. A similar collection would take years to put together and comes from the Stuart Mackenzie Montana Ephemera Collection. Included are items from the Butte Carriage Works, J. E. Oppenheimer Produce, Fruits & Cigars, Butte Bartenders' Union, Imperial Paste Manufacturer & Mercantile Company, Elliott & Talbot Contractors & Builders. Additional letterheads of note include the Montana Catholic, Montana Iron Works, Montana Ore Purchasing Company, The Newborn Drug Company, A. Polk Fine Havana Cigars, Story Flour & Feed Company, The Tuttle Manufacturing & Supply Company, Unique Tailoring Company, Whatley's Cafe, and the Walsh & Craft Wholesale. Also represented in often elaborate and colorful letterheads are purveyors of furniture, meat, watches, dairy products, printers, florists, grocers, alcohol and early automobile dealers. Simply a tremendous collection of Butte, Montana paper with way too many unique letterheads and billheads to note all. 023717. $2,850
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Livestock Commission Agent Records of Montana Livestock
[Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries]
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Archive of approximately 375 trade receipts on excellent company billhead. Records date from the 1880s to 1910. Housed in five modern binders; each binder has between 50 and 125 sleeves; many sleeves contain multiple items. Light wear to some receipts but overall the archive is in very good condition. This substantial archive comes from the Stuart MacKenzie Montana Collection.
This is a large archive of livestock commission agent records documenting the sale of Montana livestock at the Union Stock Yards in Chicago, Illinois. These records are from the late 19th and early 20th centuries with most dating between 1890 and 1905. All records are on company billhead, most with spectacular graphics (one company billhead has an eye-catching advertisement on verso), and almost all records have drawings of cattle brands.
In the 1880s the livestock commission agent became a revolutionizing aspect of the livestock trade. The agent was the intermediary between the seller of the livestock, in this archive the Montana rancher, to the buyer. This removed the need for the Montana rancher or cattle company to market their own livestock, which was becoming increasingly difficult at the larger stockyards, and gave the agent a reasonable cut of the profit. In this archive almost all sales took place at the famed Union Stock Yards in Chicago, Illinois. Livestock commission merchants represented in this archive include Rosenbaum Bros. & Co., Rosenbaum-Buchanan Co., Evans-Snider-Buel Co., Wood Bros., Abner Piatt & Co., Rappal Bros. & Co., Mutual Live Stock Commission Co., Smith, Hass & Co., and Clay, Robinson & Company. A couple of transactions took place by Rosenbaum Bros. & Co. at the Union Stock Yards in South Omaha, Nebraska. All trade records have great graphics on billhead, location of stock yards, date, sold for (ie: the Montana cattle company), date of sale, purchaser, description or drawing of brand, type of livestock, weight, price, amount along with the commission agent's deductions and net proceeds of the seller. Most of these records document cattle sales but there are also some for hogs and sheep. Montana cattle companies and ranchers represented in this archive include (but are not limited to) Kohrs & Bielenberg of Galata, Pioneer Cattle Company of Oswego, Coburn Cattle Company of Malta, Benton & St. Louis Cattle Company, Montana Cattle Company, Shonkin Stock Association at Fort Benton, and D. Pratt of Billings. A fantastic archive of material for the Montana historian. 023718. $3,000
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Large Archive of Montana Estray Cattle Documents--W. G. Preuitt Montana Stock Growers' Association and Montana Board of Stock Commissioners Circa 1890s-1911
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Five binders containing over 300 letters of correspondence between cattle owners, Montana Board of Stock Commissioners, the Montana Stock Growers' Association and merchants. Most letters are hand written while others are typed. The majority of the letters are dashed off on blank paper but there are a good handful of letterheads representing ranches, plus letterheads from the State of Montana Recorder of Marks and Brands, Board of Stock Commissioners and Stock Growers' Association.
The problem of estray cattle and the sale of said cattle is front-and-center in discussion. Letters typically are cordial with an occasional underlying tone of anger. Open range cattle are constant problems for the owner when they are sold by someone other than the owner. Some brand fixing duly noted. The majority of letters are addressed to W. G. Preuitt who served as Secretary of the Montana Stock Growers' Association and served as arbiter of cattle brand disputes and the tracking of estray cattle shipped to market. When errant cattle were shipped to market, their brands and location of brands were noted and advertised widely within stock newsletters. If the rancher of that cow (although the following can qualify as estray in Montana: horse, mule, mare, gelding, colt, llama, alpaca, bison, cow, ox, bull, stag, steer, heifer, calf, sheep, or lamb) could prove they were the registered owner of that brand, payments (less handling and feed fees) would be forwarded to them. Most of these letters make claims for estray cattle; some clearly are part of on-going disputes. Included in a good many letters are manuscript drawings of the cattle brands in dispute and often the written history of the brand. If Preuitt found the claim to have merit, he would write on each letter, "OK to pay" and a check would be forwarded to the owner. Sometimes Preuitt would request further information or proof. It would be great fun to record all the various brands from these letters. This unusual archive gives us a glimpse into the Montana cattle industry and the importance of brands and methods of tracking branded animals and was part of the Stuart MacKenzie Montana Ephemera Collection. 023719. $2,750
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Small Archive of Livingston, Montana Letterheads and Billheads and Ephemera
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Archive collection of 19 unique Livingston, Montana billheads, letterheads and items of ephemera from the Stuart Mackenzie Montana ephemera collection. Highlights include 3 unused Garnier Cigar Co. Billheads, 3 Park County letterheads with typed content from the Sheriff's Office, a very nice Livingston High School Second Annual Commencement Program from 1894, and a Third Annual Commencement Program a year later. 023720. $100
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Archive of Billheads and Letterheads from Virginia City, Montana [Late 19th and Early 20th Century]
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Archive of approximately 200 billheads and letterheads dated from the 1870s to 1910s. Housed in modern three-ring binder. Archive has light to moderate soiling; overall very good condition. This substantial archive comes from the Stuart MacKenzie Montana Collection.
This archive contains excellent billheads and letterheads from the legendary boomtown of Virginia City, Montana. Gold was discovered in Alder Gulch in May 1863 and by 1864 the small gold camp had become a booming city with about 10,000 residents. Virginia City was also Montana's first territorial capitol from 1865-1875. Content in this archive comes from Montana's territorial and early statehood days. The content in this archive is mostly orders, way bills, invoices and receipts from general merchandisers, banks, blacksmith shops, meat markets, saddle companies, etc. Some colorful billheads are from Fish Bros. Wagon Company, J. A. Folger & Co., Milkmaid Brand Condensed Milk, Frederick Kraemer, harness and saddle manufacturer, and a Mitchell Wagon broadside sold exclusively by S. R. Buford & Co. (you have to see them to appreciate them!). Many of the billheads and letterheads are for the S. R. Buford & Company, dealers in lumber, hardware and groceries, and there are also invoices made out to S. R. Buford. Simeon R. Buford (1846-1905) arrived in Virginia City in 1865 and by 1878 opened S. R. Buford & Company in partnership with Henry Elling. The Company became the largest store in Virginia City in the 19th century. There is a treasure trove of content like this to be found in the archive. Some of the other companies represented in this archive include H. W. Warmington, carriage and wagon maker, C. W. Rank & Co., druggists and stationers, Henry Elling, banker, Robert Vickers & Co, clothing and shoes, Mrs. E. L. Smith dealer in furnishings, fancy goods and millinery, P. A. Largey & Co. dealers in heavy and light hardware, The Madison Hotel, and C. L. Dabler, banker. A great set of letterheads and billheads from one of the country's richest gold mining areas. 023721. $1,000
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Archive of Correspondence from Radersburg, Montana Territory
[19th Century]
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Approximately 55 items of correspondence dated from the 1860s to the 1890s. Housed in modern binder. Overall in very good condition with light soiling. This excellent archive comes from the Stuart MacKenzie Montana Collection.
Although small, the content of this archive provides a great look at legal and businesses happenings in early Montana Territory days. Many of the letters would be excellent for the Montana historian and are worthy of further research. Some highlights from this archive include: 1) Ten letters from Hall & Boemne(?) to bankers L. H. Hershfield & Bro. in Helena, Montana concerning financial transactions - in a couple letters they mention sending gold dust in exchange for money 2) Twenty-five letters from J. E. Dougherty and E. J. Dougherty, dealers in general merchandise; most concerning payments (and disputes) to the First National Bank in Helena 3) An 1889 letter from Mrs. Lizzie Wilson asking recipient "T. N. B." to cash a warrant of payment and pay school teachers Mrs. Lucy A. Ginsley(?) of Willow Creek and Miss Lowrey 4) A letter from C. G. Hallbeck dated to 1875 mentions Reuben Rader, the namesake of Radersbur. Hallbeck writes an unknown recipient, "Mr. Rueben Rader wished me to have you ship by first chance 200 shingles, 250 ft flooring matched & planed, window sash for 2 10x12…" A great set of correspondence. 023722. $325
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Archive of Correspondence from Augusta, Montana
[Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries]
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Approximately 110 items of correspondence dated from the 1890s to the 1920s. Around 20 items were written on letterhead or billhead. Archive is housed in a modern binder. Overall in very good condition with light soiling and minor tears. This excellent archive is from the Stuart MacKenzie Montana Ephemera Collection.
Almost of all the content in this archive consists of correspondence between liquor dealers, hotels and general merchandisers of Augusta, Montana to the wholesale liquor dealer Bateman & Switzer Co. of Great Falls, Montana. There are some good company billheads and letterheads from Augusta companies such as H. R. Dunlop, general merchandise, Hotel Augusta, Phil. A. Manix, general merchandise, J. F. McKendrick dealer in dry goods and gents' furnishings, M. E. Manix, dealer in wines, liquors and cigars, Poster's Headquarters, dealer in wines, liquors and cigars, and A. W. Denton, manufacturer of lumber, lath and shingles. Augusta was a supply center for the cattle and sheep raising regions of upper Lewis & Clark County and the town site was dedicated in 1893. This is a great archive of material from this small town. 023732. $550
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Archive of Anaconda, Montana Letterheads and Billheads
[Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries]
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Archive of 40 items of correspondence and ephemera most dating from the 1880s to the 1910s (with a couple outliers of 1943 and 1968). Almost all correspondence is written on letterhead or billhead. Archive has light soiling and minor tears but is in very good condition overall. This archive is from the Stuart MacKenzie Montana Ephemera Collection.
This archive contains a great sampling of letterhead and billhead from businesses in Anaconda, Montana. Most correspondence relates to ordering and paying off invoices. Businesses represented in this archive include the Standard Publishing Company, Tuttle Manufacturing and Supply Company (nice graphic on billhead), Lee Goetschius, dealer in farm machinery, wagons and carriages, Copper City Commercial Company, Washoe Copper Company, Hoge, Daly & Co., bankers, Bitter Root Development Company (nice graphic), and the Anaconda Copper Mining Company. Of the few letters in the archive one stands out with the following sentence "…we in Anacond[sic] have had the calamity of having a drunken old imbecile for Post Master, about two months made plenty of trouble for us, am heartily glad his successor has been appointed." This letter was written by William Graham to E. W. Knight of the First National Bank in Helena on December 24th, 1885. Anaconda was established in 1883 by Marcus Daly, a copper magnate who made his wealth in Butte, Montana. Daly financed the construction of a smelter to process copper ore from his mines in Butte and thus the "smelter city" of Anaconda was born. 023733. $400
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Archive of Harrison, Montana Correspondence
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Small archive of 26 items of correspondence; most items are on letterhead or billhead. Five items are from the 1870s, the rest are dated between 1894 and 1920. Housed in a modern binder. Archive has light soiling and minor loss, else very good. This archive is from the Stuart MacKenzie Montana Ephemera Collection.
This archive contains correspondence from the town of Harrison, Montana. Harrison was established as a stage stop on the way to the mining boomtown of Virginia City, Montana. Most of the content in this archive is early 20th century business correspondence on company letterhead. Some companies represented include Mountain View Poultry Farm (great graphic of a rooster and hen), The Old Place, imported and domestic liquors, Harrison Mercantile Company, Warburton's General Store, Harrison Roller Mills, The Success Café and Harrison State Bank. There are only a few billheads with orders from the Harrison Milling Co. or John Roberts, general merchandise dealer. Some correspondence of note includes one order from H[enry] C. Harrison (namesake of the town) to P .V. Jackson in 1894, four promissory notes from the 1870s written to P. V. Jackson, and one 1879 note written to S. R. Burford of Virginia City from Henry Warner asking to send green apples. We could find little information on Harrison, so this archive could provide important framework for the Montana historian. 023734. $150
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Archive of Bedford, Montana Territory Correspondence
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This small archive contains 35 items of correspondence dated to the 1880s. Housed in modern binder. Letters have light toning, else very good. This archive is from the Stuart MacKenzie Montana Ephemera Collection.
The letters in this archive are from Montana's territorial days, written from Bedford located in Broadwater County. The content of the letters relates to farming and cattle business and banking in general. Letters were written to four prominent Helena businessmen, all of whom were directors of the First National Bank in Helena: T. H. Kleinschmidt, E. W. Knight, A. M. Holter, and S. T. Hauser. Letters were written by James Jobb, Mrs. E. Burch, D. C. Ballard, Leslie Willcox, A. A. Moore and G. Johnston. 023735. $65
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Archive of Pony, Montana Business Correspondence
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This archive contains approximately 75 letterheads, billheads and other manuscript correspondence dating from the 1870s to 1920s. Housed in a modern binder. Letters have light wear and soiling, else very good. This archive is from the Stuart MacKenzie Montana Ephemera Collection.
This archive contains correspondence to or from Pony, Montana businesses. Most material is dated between the 1890s and 1910s and is orders on billhead. About one-third of the content in this archive is on Pony, Montana billhead from companies such as Tinsley & Hanson, dealers in meats and produce and the Isdell Mercantile Co. (great graphic of a paint can on the billhead). About two-thirds of the material in this archive is on billhead and letterhead from businesses around the country to Pony, Montana businesses (many of these companies have great graphics on their billhead). These billheads provide a good look at what businesses in Pony were ordering. Also of note are six territorial Montana promissory notes from Thos. Jackson to P. V. Jackson written in the 1870s. This archive provides a diverse look at Pony businesses and would be an asset to the Montana collector or researcher. 023736. $425
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Archive of Missoula Mercantile Company Billheads and Letterheads
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Archive of documents from the Missoula Mercantile Company. Contains about 80 items that date between 1886 and 1923, with a majority from the 1890s. Items are a mix of typed and manuscript, all on Missoula Mercantile Company letterheads and billheads of various designs. The correspondence and bills all relate to business dealings in Missoula, throughout the state of Montana, and some businesses in other states. The Helena & Victor Mining Company and the Missoula Water Company appear most frequently. All paper is in good to very good condition with some creasing and toning as well as occasional small tears. Archive has been housed in modern black binder. Provenance is the Stuart MacKenzie Montana Ephemera Collection.
A few years after the Montana gold rush of 1862, Edwin L. Bonner and his business partner Daniel J. Welch created Missoula's second general store. Following a merger with a competitor, a federal investigation of monopolies in Montana, and several changes in ownership and branding, the Missoula Mercantile Company was officially born in 1885. The company had a three-story brick building in downtown Missoula and came to dominate the town's wholesale and retail trade until around 1920. As can be seen in this archive, "The Merc" was a one-stop shop with an inventory that included hardware, plumbing supplies, farm equipment, furniture, home goods, and groceries. Many of the orders in this archive deal with various construction materials. Though the building was demolished in 2017, it is remembered as an important part of Missoula's history. Around the turn of the century, when this archive largely based, the Missoula Mercantile Company was known as the largest mercantile business located between Seattle and Minneapolis. 023747. $750
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Archive of Business Licenses from Beaverhead County, Montana
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Small archive of business licenses issued in territorial Montana. Contains 68 individual licenses, a property assessment, and one unused sheet of licenses all from Beaverhead County. Licenses are handwritten on printed forms. All date to 1867, except for the assessment from 1881. The forms measure 4 ¾ x 4 inches and were printed on sheets of four. Three licenses are separated, 16 are on sheets of four, 34 are cut in half horizontally and string bound in a packet, and 15 were cut vertically then string bound in another packet. Businesses include various merchants, liquor dealers, stables, and ranches. Businesses dealing with alcohol, both dealers and brewers feature prominently. All are in good to very good condition with mild soiling and toning as well as minor creasing and chipping. Archive is housed in modern black binder. Provenance is the Stuart MacKenzie Montana Ephemera Collection.
Beaverhead County is located in the southwestern corner of Montana, bordering the continental divide. The sparsely populated county is dominated by public land, including the Beaverhead Deer-Lodge National Forest and Red Rocks Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. Its economy is largely based around cattle and hay production. The county was founded in 1865 as one of Montana's nine original counties. Bannack, the original county seat and Montana's first territorial capital, is now a popular ghost town. Its namesake is a rock formation noted as a landmark by the Lewis and Clark expedition after Sacajawea explained the Shoshone name. These licenses are from before Montana achieved statehood, and are all marked as being from the territory of Montana. The earliest license in the collection is number 109 while the latest is number 4500. Overall, this is an intriguing archive from a place with a key role in the early history of Montana's settlement. 023748. $300
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Archive of Millard F. Trogdon Papers [Montana]
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Small archive of documents from Millard F. Trogdon of Yellowstone County, Montana. Contains 11 items including a newspaper, four handwritten documents, and six typed documents. Items date between 1894 and 1909. Newspaper is the supplement for the July 19, 1894 issue of The North Wilkesboro News (North Carolina) with a lengthy article on the history of the Trogdon Family. Newspaper is in fair condition with extensive chipping and tearing as well as light toning. All other documents relate to Millard Trogdon and his business dealings in Montana. There are three small handwritten notes dealing with the sale of livestock, one of which has significant chipping that slightly impacts content while the other two are in very good condition with only minor creasing and soiling. The other handwritten item is a long document (multiple sheets glued together, measures about 36 x 8 inches) discussing the mortgage of Millard Trogdon's personal property, namely 1200 sheep. Good condition with light toning and a few tears on folds. Typed items are a property statement, an indenture for a real estate sale, a rental agreement about fencing, a document granting Trogdon power of attorney, a business partnership agreement for a hardware store, and a contract for sale of cattle. Four documents are multiple sheets, three of which are affixed to thicker backing paper using small rivets. All typed documents are in good to very good condition with some toning, creasing, and small tears. Archive is housed in modern black binder. Provenance is the Stuart MacKenzie Montana Ephemera Collection.
Millard F. Trogdon (1857-1936) was one of 15 children of a pioneer family that moved to Iowa from North Carolina. He continued the westward push, settling in Yellowstone County, Montana, near Billings. This archive offers an interesting look at his business dealings with livestock as the focus. 023749. $250
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Archive of Letterheads from Elkhorn, Montana
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Small archive of documents and correspondence from Elkhorn, a mining town in Jefferson County, Montana. Contains 15 items, all handwritten on various letterheads. Items date between 1887 and 1903 with most from the 1890s. There are two short letters from the surgeons of the Elkhorn Mine (1888 and 1891), one bill from Henry J. Schreiner, Dealer in Dry Goods, Groceries and General Merchandise (1903), three documents from the C. & D. Mining Co. (1890 and 1891), one letter from wood and charcoal contractors (1891), one letter from the superintendent of Jefferson County public schools (1887), and seven items from the Elkhorn Trading Company including one blank invoice and six letters (1894-1896). All items are in good to very good condition with only minor toning and creasing. Archive is housed in modern black binder. Provenance is the Stuart MacKenzie Montana Ephemera Collection.
Elkhorn, now considered a ghost town, had a population of 10 as of the 2010 census and has two buildings preserved as a state park. Silver was discovered in the Elkhorn Mountains in the 1860s, and pioneer capitalist A. M. Holter of Helena developed a mine in 1875 that quickly created a prosperous town. The town peaked in the in the 1880s with about 2500 residents, boasting numerous business and public buildings including the Fraternity Hall and Gillian Hall that still stand today. The winter of 1888-1889 brought a diphtheria epidemic, the price of silver began falling in 1892, and eventually rail service ceased. By the early 1900s the town was largely abandoned; the post office closed in 1924 as the mine struggled to stay open. This archive provides a fascinating window into a Montana mining town experiencing the rapid shift from boom times to abandonment. 023750. $200
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Archive of Documents from Yellowstone County, Montana
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Small archive of documents from Yellowstone County, Montana, largely related to the Rocky Fork & Cooke City Railway Co. and the towns of Laurel and Joliet. Contains 21 items; including four handwritten items on different billheads, two typed items on letterheads, eight items with handwriting on printed forms, five letters on lined paper, and one black and white print of Dr. A. J. Hunter's Hot Springs Hotel in the Yellowstone Valley. Items vary widely in age dating between 1887 and 1931 with a few items being undated. Seven items are invoices from the Rocky Fork & Cooke City Railway Co. , two are indentures (one relates to a real estate sale while the other is a deed of mining claim) , five letters or invoices from different businesses (Ogle Hardware Company, Walter R. Westbrook, J. W. Gardner, Bair-Collins Co., and M. Smith & Co. ), and six letters to S. R. Buford & Co. All items are in good to very good condition with minor toning and creasing. Archive is housed in black binder. Provenance is the Stuart MacKenzie Montana Ephemera Collection.
The Rocky Fork & Cooke City Railway Co. Was formed in 1886 to construct a rail line from the Northern Pacific main line at Tilden to coal fields near Red Lodge. The line was completed in 1889 and resulted in population growth for towns along the line, which included both Laurel and Joliet. Many of the items in this archive deal with The Rocky Fork & Cooke City Railway Co. paying for various services and materials during the construction of the rail line. An interesting piece for those interested in the history of railroads in Montana. 023751. $200
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Archive of Raymond Cattle Company Documents and Correspondence
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Archive of documents, correspondence, and ephemera connected to the Raymond Cattle Company in the town of Sheridan in Madison County, Montana. Contains approximately 70 items, both typed and manuscript. Archive has a wide date range with items as early as 1889 and others as late as 1961. Archive is largely in very good condition with occasional wear and soiling. Housed in modern black binder. Provenance is the Stuart MacKenzie Montana Ephemera Collection.
Archive includes four maps (three hand-drawn) of the town of Sheridan and Raymond Cattle Company property; extensive correspondence, some on letterheads; grazing permits from the U. S. Forest Service; tax returns (mostly from the 1940s and '50s) ; and an uncaptioned black and white portrait. Notable letterheads include Swastika Farms; The Thorton in Butte; Mayo, Sachs & Co. ; The First National Bank of Butte; W. A. Clark, an attorney from Virginia City; Bozeman Production Credit Association; and Northern Pacific Railway Company. Earlier documents from around the turn of the century are from or addressed to Winthrop Raymond, and later documents, including all the tax returns, have the name of Delilah E. Raymond. Most items relate to the financial dealings of the company and the family with documents concerning loans, real estate, taxes, and mortgages making up the majority of the archive. The latest items from 1961 details the transfer of land from the Raymond family to the Sheridan Emergency Hospital with an agreement to provide care for Delilah Raymond. Winthrop Raymond is referred to as the founder of the town of Sheridan in Joaquin Miller's History of Montana. He moved to Montana with his family in 1865 when he was in his teens. After arriving in Virginia City, he and his brother opened a wholesale grocery house. They were successful and soon expanded into banking and the import and breeding of horses and cattle. In 1889, Winthrop sold his interest in the company to his brother and moved to Ruby Valley where he purchased over 1000 acres of land. He improved and sold lots, platting the town site of Sheridan. Winthrop had three children, including Delilah Ellen. This archive offers a fascinating view of the business and finances of a family that was deeply connected to many aspects of economic life in Sheridan and Madison County. 023752. $700
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Archive of Civil War Veteran Ralph Wallace Pension Documents
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Small archive of documents and correspondence relating to an increase in pension for Ralph B. Wallace of Madison County, Montana. Contains 16 items, three of which are manuscript while the rest are typed. Items all date to the mid-1920s. All items are in very good condition with some toning and minor creasing. Housed in modern white binder. Provenance is Stuart Mackenzie Montana Ephemera Collection.
Includes affidavits from numerous people attesting to the poor health and helplessness of Civil War veteran Ralph Wallace, a copy of an application form, and a few pieces of correspondence. Attorney James A. Flint organized the effort and sent sworn statements from different residents of Pony, Montana to the U. S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Pensions. Sworn statements were provided by neighbors and acquaintances all noting various health issues suffered by Wallace. On April 14, 1926, Winfield Scott, commissioner of the Bureau of Pensions, sent a message to Flint stating that Wallace's pension was increased to $72 per month. Notably there is also a request from December, 1926 asking for another increase to $90 per month. No response to the last request is present in the archive.
Ralph B. Wallace served as Sergeant Major in the 1st Regiment of the Michigan Light Artillery in the American Civil War. He then spent more than 25 years living in the town of Pony in Madison County, Montana. There Wallace worked in mining, stock-raising, and the practice of law. His lawyer notes he had no known living relatives nor the income required to afford care for his failing health. This small archive provides an interesting look at a Civil War veteran's attempts to receive care and support while living in rural Montana. 023753. $50
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Archive of Belt, Montana Billheads and Correspondence
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Large archive of billheads and correspondence from Belt in Cascade County, Montana. Contains 95 items on printed billheads and letterheads as well as over 50 manuscript items on lined paper and a couple pieces of ephemera. Items date to around the turn of the century, largely between 1894 and 1918. Archive is in very good condition with some toning and creasing. Housed in modern white binder. Provenance is Stuart Mackenzie Montana Ephemera Collection.
Majority of items are addressed to the Bateman-Switzer Company, a liquor wholesaler in Great Falls, Montana, with orders for various alcoholic products. Notable and eye-catching billheads include Sheridan & Bemis, Printers; Belt Amusement Association; Pratts Food; Anaconda Copper Mining Company; Belt Farmers Mills & Elevator Co. ; Belt Cigar Factory; Belt Hardware Co. ; The Anaconda Stables; The Family Liquor Store; Enterprise Coal Mine; The Oriental, Choice Wines, Liquors and Cigars; Engdahl & Redpath, Dealers in Furniture, Carpets and House Furnishings; The Belt Valley Times; Frank Rush, Dealer in Fruit, Confectionery, Cigars and Tobacco; and many others. Ephemera pieces are a print of picture of Belt in 1899 and an invitation to a masque ball.
The town of Belt originated as a mining camp near the site of Montana's first coal mine with its post office opening in 1885. It is now part of the Great Falls metropolitan area. David Bateman and German immigrant Jacob Switzer set up a wholesale liquor store in Great Falls in 1890 and incorporated the Bateman-Switzer Company in 1898. The company was forced to shut down in 1916 when Montana passed a statewide ban on alcohol manufacture and sales. This archive covers the most of the company's history and shows its wide-reaching business connections throughout the mining town of Belt. 023754. $1,000
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Archive of the Bateman-Switzer Company, Liquor and Cigar Wholesaler in Montana
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Large archive of correspondence between the Bateman-Switzer Company, a liquor and cigar wholesaler in Great Falls, Montana, and various other companies. Contains approximately 250 items, dating between 1891 and 1914. Archive is largely in very good condition though some items show a degree of toning and creasing. Housed in modern white binder. Provenance is the Stuart MacKenzie Montana Ephemera Collection.
Includes extensive correspondence both typed and manuscript, mostly on printed letterheads from distilleries, distributors, and liquor importers throughout the country. Also includes forms from U. S. Internal Revenue, Gauger's Certificates for different spirits, a bill of lading from the Illinois Central Railroad Company, a large folded sheet advertising Mida's Financial Index Directory for 1910, numerous telegrams, and many receipts and invoices. Company letterheads include Eagle Liqueur Distilleries (Ohio) , Rock Spring Distilling Co. (Kentucky) , Continental Distributing Co. (Washington), The Mumm Champagne & Importation Co. (New York) , J. G. Mattingly Co. Distillers (Kentucky), The E. G. Lyons & Raas Co. (California) , A. B. Rudolph & Co. (Toronto, Canada), S. Rosenbloom & Company (Pennsylvania), and many others too numerous to list.
The Bateman-Switzer Co. letterhead describes the company's services as "Wine Merchants. Wholesale Liquors and Cigars. Bar Glassware and Furnishings. Billiard Supplies. Imported and Domestic Cordials. Manufacturer of Carbonated Beverages." The back of the letterhead extols the business opportunities to be found in the industry and agriculture of Great Falls, Montana, a place it calls "Pittsburg of the West." This archive offers an outstanding look at the business and politics of selling liquor in Montana around the turn of the century. 023755. $800
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Archive of Billheads from Dillon, Montana
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Large archive of billheads and checks sent to and from the Sebree, Ferris & White Company, Forwarding and Commission Merchants in Dillon, Montana. Contains approximately 250 individual items, dating between 1879 and 1891. Items are in good to very good condition with some minor toning and creasing as well as occasional damp staining. All items are hand-written on printed forms, many are stamped as "Paid." There are canceled checks, bills of lading, and invoices included in this archive. The Union Pacific Railway Co.; Henry Elling, a banker in Virginia City; and S. R. Buford & Co., a merchant in Virginia City, appear most frequently, though many other businesses and Montana cities are mentioned as well. As a forwarding and commission company, the items all relate to the cost of shipping various goods via railroad and wagon. Early documents list only B. F. White, but around 1881 the company changed its name to Sebree, Ferris & White Co. Housed in modern black binder. Provenance is the Stuart MacKenzie Montana Ephemera Collection.
The town of Dillon was founded in 1880 in Beaverhead County, Montana. It was a railroad town that was originally known as "Terminus" since it was the northern-most point of the then unfinished Utah and Northern Railroad. By 1881 the town was renamed in honor of Union Pacific Railroad President Sidney Dillon, a change that can be seen in this archive. Dillon soon became a shipping hub, a central location serving a number of nearby mining towns, including Bannack and Virginia City. According to a 1980 centennial edition of the Tribune-Examiner (now the Dillon Tribune) , Sebree, Ferris & White "operated the largest freight outfit ever assembled in the West consisting of 2000 wagons, several thousand head of horses, mules and oxen." Benjamin F. White played a key role in founding the town of Dillon, served two terms as mayor, and established the community's first bank. White also served as the final governor of the Montana Territory and oversaw the transition from territory to state in 1889. This substantial archive shows one freight company's wide-reaching influence over the commerce of territorial Montana. 023756. $320
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Contact
Back of Beyond Books
Andy Nettell, Proprietor
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800.700.2859
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May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.
Edward Abbey
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