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View of two tar paper homestead shacks. Assorted household utensils, including scrub board and tubs, to side., Vintage negative number : 5.

The James Fergus Family papers are divided into four subgroups: James Fergus; Andrew Fergus; Fergus Live Stock and Land Company; and miscellaneous. Papers (1857-1971) include biographical materials, incoming correspondence, outgoing correspondence, general correspeondence, financial records, legal documents, subject files, and miscellany., This collection is divided into four subgroups: James Fergus; Andrew Fergus; Fergus Live Stock and Land Company; and Miscellaneous., The James Fergus Subgroup includes biographical material (n.d.); incoming correspondence (1860-1900, n.d.) consisting of both personal and business correspondence; outgoing correspondence (1861-1899, n.d.), including letters to family, friends, and newspaper editors; financial records (1857-1897, n.d.), consisting of two ledgers of the Cone Butte and Moccasin Roundup (also referred to as the Moccasin and Cone Butte Roundup) which was a local cattlemen's association organized in 1884 for which Fergus served as secretary and president; legal documents (1884-1910); subject files (1889-1904), concerning the distribution of James Fergus' estate and the purchase of John H. Ming's horses; writings (1876-1892); miscellany (1858-1898, n.d.), including notebooks which include a wide variety of entries such as a list of fruit trees planted, descriptions of daily events, a list of hired men, costs of purchases, shopping lists, etc.; and clippings (1899, 1900, n.d.)., The Andrew Fergus Subgroup includes incoming correspondence (1881-1918, n.d.) containing both business and personal correspondence; outgoing correspondence (1886-1916); court papers (1910, 1919); minor financial records (1878-1911); legal documents (1879, 1906-1916) which are primarily crop leases; and miscellany (1879-1900), consisting primarily of notebooks which include brief entries of daily activities and counts of cattle by brand., The Fergus Live Stock and Land Company Subgroup includes general correspondence (1908-1923); financial records (1859-1931); legal documents (1895-1934); minutes (1895-1931); and miscellany (1898-1908). The subgroup contains material which pertains to James and Andrew Fergus' business interests including small amounts of financial material concerning James Fergus' business in Minnesota and the Fergus' ranching operations near Helena and in the Judith Basin. In addition to this financial material, the subgroup contains a small amount of correspondence and legal documents which concern the Company generally. Correspondence and legal documents which are addressed or pertain specifically to James or Andrew Fergus are filed in the appropriate subgroup. See particularly the correspondence in the Andrew Fergus Subgroup from Harry H. Marks., The Miscellaneous Subgroup is divided into eight series: incoming correspondence (1884-1912, n.d.), which is primarily personal correspondence of the Fergus and Gilpatrick families; outgoing correspondence (n.d.) of George Gilpatrick; miscellaneous correspondence (1887-1912), neither to nor from the Fergus family, or unidentified; financial records (1870-1872); legal documents (1898, 1921,1929); writings (n.d.); miscellany (1881-1931); and clippings (1870-1928, n.d.). (Manuscript Collection 28)

William Sellew (1853-1909) was a civilian scout for General Nelson A. Miles and General Armstrong Custer; a prospector; freighter; rancher; hotel owner; and a constable in Neihart, Montana Territory. His papers (1872-1909) include typescript copies of biographical writings and correspondence with his mother and other family members in Connecticut. [Transcript copies only.]., This collection consists of biographical writings and typescript copies of correspondence (1872-1909) with his mother in Connecticut. (Small Collection 331).

Anton M. Holter (1831-1921) was a pioneer Helena, Montana, lumberman and founder of the A.M. Holter Hardware Company. Papers (1831-1921) include correspondence, and organizational and financial records relating to mining, agriculture, lumber, real estate, and oil interests of three generations of the family, headed successively by Anton M. Holter, Norman B. Holter, and Norman J. "Jeff" Holter. Many of the enterprises were in partnership with Samuel T. Hauser. Interests include the A.M. Holter Hardware Company; Holter Realty; Holter Research Foundation; Judith Farms; Montana Flour Mills; and the Helena and Frisco, Helena and Victor, and Maginnis mining companies, This collection is arranged into several major subgroups. The first group is for the Holter Family and allied families. The second major group is for the Holter Family Enterprises. The remainder of the collection consists of records of numerous companies grouped together in categories, including Mining subgroups, Lumber and Timber subgroups, Agriculture subgroups, Real Estate and Investment subgroups, Mercantile subgroups, Oil subgroups, Utility and Transportation subgroups, and Miscellaneous subgroups. Within each subgroup the basic arrangement is alphabetical by the name of the company., The Holter Family Subgroup of the collection contains correspondence and other materials relating to individual family members. Within this subgroup is a series of family correspondence, which contains letters written between various Holters. The correspondence between Anton M. Holter and his sons, primarily Norman, Edwin, and Aubrey, and the correspondence between the three brothers, provides invaluable information concerning the many facets of the family's business activities and investments. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to read this family correspondence regardless of the topic of interest., The greatest value of the collection is its completeness and its century-long time span coverage. The materials serve to provide invaluable information on the Holter family; the family companies, particularly the A.M. Holter Hardware Company; the growth and development of Helena and vicinity; and the lumber, ranching, and mining industries in the Northwest. The only weakness in the collection is the lack of any meaningful materials documenting the political activities of the period. The name index accompanying this inventory is not meant to be a complete listing of all materials in the collection, but attempts to provide some guidance in relating companies and individuals. No effort was made to include the three main Holters, Anton, Norman, or Jeff, in the index. (Manuscript Collection 80).

Couple standing next to young girl holding doll, on horseback in front of homesteaders' cabin. Picnic, Cabin Creek.

Robert Hogmire leans against cabin, his son Ned holds two horses, on the N.B. Hogmire Homestead, near Mildred, Montana; two men, dog and two horses in front of small log cabin; horse in distance., Eastern Montana.

Diaries, correspondence, and other materials of Cornelius Hedges and other family members. Cornelius Hedges subgroup consists of correspondence, diaries (1849-1857, 1863-1893, 1906-1907), financial records, legal documents, speeches, and writings. There are subgroups for Cornelius Hedges, Jr., Alvina and Dennis Hedges, Edna Smith Hedges, Wyllys A. Hedges, and other family members; and for the Bald Butte Mining Company and the Masonic Order.

Emily Meredith was a pioneer resident of Bannack, Montana Territory. Her papers consist of a reminiscence entitled "By wagon from Bannack City to the Bitter Root Valley [1862-1863]"; a letter (April 30, 1863) to her father describing living conditions in Bannack; miscelleous writings; and biographical materials from her college alma mater, Hamline University of Michigan., This collection consists of a handwritten volume of reminiscences by Emily Meredith, including a recollection of a wagon trip from Bannack City to the Bitterroot Valley in 1862 (undated), and two stories entitled "The Miners Meeting" (undated), dealing with the same period; a typescript copy of a reminiscence by Emilv Meredith (undated), "The Annual Buffalo Hunt of the Nez Perces"; "Reminiscences of Frederick A. Meredith and Emily R. Meredith by their daughter, Ellis Meredith" (undated); a letter from Emily Meredith to her father (April 30, 1863) re her experiences in Montana; an unaddressed and unsigned letter (September 6, 1863) describing the Merediths' trip from Bannack to the Bitterroot Valley; and a certificate of appointment (1867) as notary public for Frederick A. Meredith. (Small Collection 288)

Records of Pierre Chouteau, Jr. and Company and several predecessors. Records include diary/journals of Fort Benton trading post (1854-1856) kept by Andrew Dawson and Alexander Rose; and Fort Sarpy and elsewhere (1855-1856) kept by James Chambers, as well as typed transcripts of both journals; letter from Pierre Menard to Pierre Chouteau (21 Apr. 1810), written from the Three Forks of the Missouri, describing an attack on Menard's party by a group of Blackfeet; and copies of correspondence by chief agents at Fort Union for the American Fur Company (1834-1835) and post inventories representing operations of the Chouteau firm.