Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Montana Water, Electric Power and Mining Company Records, 1891-1906
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Montana Water, Electric Power and Mining Company
- Title
- Montana Water, Electric Power and Mining Company Records
- Dates
-
1891-1906 (inclusive)18911906
- Quantity
- 2 linear feet of shelf space
- Collection Number
- MC 314
- Summary
- The Montana Water, Electric Power and Mining Company was formed to develop water power from Flint Creek to provide electric power to mines in the Philispburg region. Records consist of interoffice correspondence (1897-1905) between company agents in Philipsburg and corporate officers in St. Louis, Missouri; general correspondence (1897-1905) with suppliers and others; scattered financial, legal, and organizational records; power house and load records (1900-1905); and weekly reports (1900-1905)
- Repository
-
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov - Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The Flint Creek Electric Power Company was incorporated in August 1891 by Thomas T. Baker, Joseph H. Harper and Alden J. Bennett to develop electric power from Flint Creek Falls for use by the mines in Philipsburg, Granite, Anaconda, and surrounding areas. The water would also be used to flume wood and other materials. The company was capitalized at $25,000. The company began to build a dam but was unable to complete it. By 1899 the company was owned equally by Edgar I. Holland, Werner Ziegler, and James Willoughby. That year the owners of the Granite-BiMetallic Consolidated Copper and Silver Mining Company, Paul A. Fusz and his partners incorporated the Montana Water, Electric Power and Mining Company under Missouri law. The new company bought the property of the older company, and kept Holland and Ziegler on as agent and superintendent, respectively. The new company, incorporated for $500,000, had the resources of the Granite-BiMetallic at their disposal, and completed the construction of the dam, the flumes, and the power house. The dam, built of stone masonry just above Flint Creek Falls, flooded Georgetown Flats forming Georgetown Lake. Wooden flumes carried the water down the canyon to the power house, which generated electricity using Pelton water wheels. The power plant came into full operation in 1901. In 1907 the owners sold the plant to the Amalgamated Copper Company, parent corporation of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company. The company formally dissolved March 6, 1909.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Records consist primarily of interoffice correspondence (1897-1905) between the St. Louis, Missouri, and Philipsburg, Montana, offices. Correspondents include Paul A. Fusz, Werner Ziegler, Edgar I. Holland, and John R. Lucas. General correspondence (1897-1906) includes letters from the companies providing equipment for the plant, including the Pelton Water Wheel Company, the Montana Electric Company, and Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. Other records include minor financial materials; a deed (1899) transferring the property from the Flint Creek Electric Power Company to the Montana Water, Electric Power and Mining Company; articles of incorporation and annual reports to the Secretary of State; a power house and load record (1900-1905), and weekly reports (1900-1905) of agent E.I. Holland which also include interoffice correspondence. [Additional records are included in the Anaconda Copper Mining Company Records (MC 169) and the Montana Power Company Predecessor Company Records (MC 268)]
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection
Interoffice Correspondence Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 1-12 | Home Office (St. Louis office to
Philipsburg office: correspondents include Paul A. Fusz, E.I. Holland, Werner
Ziegler; also includes copies of incoming letters to St. Louis office)
|
Dec. 1897- Feb. 1906 |
| 2 / 1 | Home Office (St. Louis office to
Philipsburg office: telegrams) |
1899-1905 |
| 2 / 2-3 | Home Office ( Philipsburg office
to St. Louis office: letterpress books) |
Feb. 1903- Mar. 1904, May-Dec. 1905 |
General Correspondence Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 5 | A (correspondents include Abner
Doble Company, American Electric Company, American Impulse Wheel Company)
|
1899-1904 |
| 2 / 6 | E.H. Burlingame (Butte City
Water Company) |
1900 |
| 2 / 7 | B (correspondents include F.W.
Bacorn, J.S. Baker, Thomas T. Baker, Big Blackfoot Milling Company, W.H. Blair,
W.D. Boyce and Company, Frank D. Brown, W.A. Burkholder, B.F. Butler, Butte
General Electric Company, Butte Lighting and Power Company) |
1899-1904 |
| 2 / 8 | C (correspondents include J.H.
Calderhead, A.E. Carter, Central Manufacturing Company, Chicago Great Western
Railway, Collins Land Company, R.A. Cook, G.W. Craven, Crocker-Wheeler Company)
|
1899-1904 |
| 2 / 9 | Deer Lodge County offices
|
1899-1903 |
| 2 / 10 | D-F (correspondents include Daly
Bank and Trust Company, Lee C. Degenhart, F.P. De Wilde, J.M. Eaton, Electrical
World and Engineer, First National Bank Missoula, Forbis and Evans, Fulton Bag
and Cotton Mills) |
1899-1903 |
| 2 / 11 | G-I (correspondents include
General Electric Company, M.H. Gerry, Gillette-Herzog Manufacturing Company,
John Gillie, D.H. Hamilton, Joseph H. Harper, W.E. Headley, Max Hebgen, Helena
Water and Electric Power Company, D.J. Hennessy Mercantile Company, J.H.
Hibbard, Henry Hubert, Thomas F. Hynes) |
1897-1903 |
| 2 / 12 | Johns-Manville Company
|
1902 |
| 2 / 13 | Howard Joslyn |
1900 |
| 2 / 14 | E. Knott |
1899-1900 |
| 2 / 15 | K-L (correspondents include John
E. Kilker, W.J. Krase, Lindsley Brothers Company, J.J. Lynch) |
1897-1901 |
| 2 / 16 | Montana Electric Company
|
1899-1902 |
| 2 / 17 | Montana Iron Works |
1900 |
| 2 / 18 | Montana Secretary of State
|
1899-1905 |
| 2 / 19 | M-N (correspondents include
Thomas C. Marshall, R.D. May, George H. McCoy, George T. McGuire, McHutton and
Cutter, L.S. McLure, Jesse B. Mellor, George Metcalf, Montana Ore Purchasing
Company, Montana Register of State Lands, W.E. Moore, Peter Mussigbrod, New
York Lubricating Company, Northern Pacific Railway Company, Northwest Electric
Engineering Company) |
1899-1905 |
| 2 / 20-21 | Pelton Water Wheel Company [most
letters are addressed to Granite-BiMetallic Consolidated Mining Company]
|
1899-1904 |
| 3 / 1 | P-R (correspondents include Pass
and Seymour, S. Perrington, F.C. Pierce, W.O. Pinger, John Poland, Arm Price,
Replogle Governor Works, Rix Compressed Air and Drill Company, John A.
Roebling's Sons, M.G. Rood, M.C. Ryan) |
1899-1902 |
| 3 / 2 | F.T. Sterling |
1901-1902 |
| 3 / 3 | S (correspondents include St.
Louis Electric Supply Company, St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company, Joseph
Salay, Sand Point Lumber Company, William B. Scaife and Sons, William Scallon,
Mary Schuh, F.H. Shay, Siemens and Halske Electric Company, Charles F. Sloane,
Standard Underground Cable Company, Stanley Electric Manufacturing Company,
A.H. Stephens, Switzer Brick and Terra-Cotta Company) |
1899-1905 |
| 3 / 4 | Frank Thoma |
1899 |
| 3 / 5 | T-U (correspondents include
Toole and Bach, John E. Tracy, P.D. Twohy, United States Bureau of Fisheries,
United States Land Office, United States Secretary of Interior) |
1900-1905 |
| 3 / 6 | Western Electric Company
|
1899-1905 |
| 3 / 7 | Westinghouse Electric and
Manufacturing Company [many letters are addressed to Granite-BiMetallic
Consolidated Mining Company] |
1899-1905 |
| 3 / 8 | George W. Wilson |
1897-1899 |
| 3 / 9 | W (correspondents include Thomas
Weir, Western Electrical Supply Company, Western Iron Works, Weston Electrical
Instrument Company, M.G. White, George B. Winston, R. Lee Word, |
1897-1899 |
Employment Records Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3 / 10 | Miscellaneous (includes accident
report, payroll, labor apportionment) |
1897-1903 |
Financial Records Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3 / 11 | Miscellaneous (includes bills of
lading, inventory, taxes, supply orders) |
1897-1903 |
Legal Documents Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3 / 12 | Deed: Flint Creek Electric Power
Company to Montana Water, Electric Power, and Mining Company |
1899 |
Organizational Records Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3 / 13 | Articles of incorporation and
annual report (includes predecessor Flint Creek Electric Power Company)
|
1891-1906 |
| 3 / 14 | Minutes: Flint Creek Electric
Power Company |
1899 |
Production Records Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3 / 15-20 | Power house and load record
|
1900-1905 |
Reports Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 1-2 | Weekly reports of agent E.I.
Holland (also includes interoffice correspondence to Home Office) |
1900-1903 |
| 5 / 1-2 | Weekly reports of agent E.I.
Holland (also includes interoffice correspondence to Home Office) |
1903-1905 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Dams--Design and construction
- Electric power plants
- Industrial accidents
- Water-Power
Geographical Names
- Georgetown Lake (Mont.)
- Granite County (Mont.)
- Philipsburg (Mont.)
