Archives West Finding Aid
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William J. Walsh diary, 1878 October 5-1884 February 20
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Walsh, William J., b. 1858
- Title
- William J. Walsh diary
- Dates
- 1878 October 5-1884 February 20
- Quantity
- 0.2 linear feet
- Collection Number
- 2423
- Summary
- The William J. Walsh Diary consists of a diary dated 1878-1884 and three financial record books from Walsh's later business operation in Bozeman dating 1903 to 1924. Walsh writes about many of the dances, musical events, theatrical productions, and other social events in Bozeman and Virginia City from 1878 to 1884. Walsh periodically includes what the weather was like, the price of goods he bought, and letters he received and wrote.
- Repository
-
Montana State University Library, Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections
Montana State University-Bozeman Library
Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT
59717-3320
Telephone: 4069944242
Fax: 4069942851
- Access Restrictions
-
This collection is open for research.
- Languages
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
William John Walsh was a native of the east, possibly Boston, and was born September 19, 1858. He moved to Bozeman in the late 1870s working several odd jobs for prominent Bozeman pioneers such as Lester S. Willson, Walter Cooper, and John Young. In July 1879 he moved to Virginia City where he worked as a clerk for W. P. Armstrong and later as an enumerator of the census for Big Hole District of Beaverhead County. He moved back to Bozeman in July 1880 to work as a clerk for Lester S. Willson. Walsh was an avid reader as well as participating in various musical and theater events in Bozeman. He helped organize a literary society and was also involved in local chautauquas. In later years he operated his own mercantile business in Bozeman, eventually selling to the McCracken firm on January 25, 1924.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The William J. Walsh diary provides insight from a young man on the social life and customs in Bozeman in the 1880s. Walsh writes about many of the dances, musical events, theatrical productions, and other social events in Bozeman and Virginia City from 1878 to 1884. He also talks about various young ladies he escorted to these events. Walsh periodically includes what the weather was like, the price of goods he bought, and letters he received and wrote. He also talks about a few disputes in the local saloons that he witnessed or heard about. The collection is supplemented with three financial record books from Walsh's later business operation in Bozeman which date from 1903 to 1924.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | Diary | 1878-1884 |
| 1 | 2 | Ledger book | 1903-1924 |
| 1 | 3 | Cash book | 1917-1921 |
| 1 | 4 | Cash book | 1921-1924 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Bars (Drinking establishments)
- Bars (Drinking establishments)--Montana
- Frontier and pioneer life
- Frontier and pioneer life--Montana--Bozeman
- Frontier and pioneer life-Montana-Virginia City
- Pioneers--Montana--Bozeman--Diaries
- Pioneers--Montana--Virginia City (Mont.)--Diaries
- Social life and customs
Geographical Names
- Bozeman (Mont.)
- Bozeman (Mont.)--Social life and customs--19th century
- Montana
- Virginia City (Mont.)--Social life and customs--19th century
Form or Genre Terms
- Diaries
- Diaries
- Diaries--Montana--Bozeman
- Diaries--Montana--Virginia City
Kim Allen Scott
2009
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
