Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
George A. Bruffey papers, 1863-1928
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Bruffey, George A., 1842-1928
- Title
- George A. Bruffey papers
- Dates
- 1863-1928 (inclusive)18631928
- Quantity
- 3.3 linear feet of shelf space
- Collection Number
- MC 71 (collection)
- Summary
- George Bruffey (1842-1928) was a Livingston, Montana, rancher, Fish Creek general mercantile store owner, and Butte miner. His papers (1863-1928) include business records (1871-1889) for the George A. Bruffey Mercantile Company, and the Fish Creek Stage Station. Also included are drafts of his autobiography, Eighty-one Years in the West; diaries and writings; and miscellaneous correspondence.
- 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 - Access Restrictions
-
Collection open for research.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
George A. Bruffey, a native of Pocahontas County, Virginia, was born September 24, 1842. When he was two, his family moved to Missouri. Three years later they moved to Marion County, Iowa, where he remained until he was twenty. By 1862, Bruffey traveled to Denver, Colorado, and within a year became part of a freight team headed for the Salmon, Idaho Territory, mines. Once there, the wagon party agreed to continue to Alder Gulch where Bruffey engaged in mining until 1866. Subsequently he moved to the Jefferson River country where he herded cattle, became involved in an unsuccessful toll road venture between Butte and Boulder City, and briefly returned to mining. In 1869, he started the George A. Bruffey Mercantile Company at Fish Creek Station, Madison County, on the Salt Lake Road. He married Matilda Ridlen, a childhood acquaintance, on February 12, 1871. In 1872, Bruffey was elected to the territorial legislature from Madison County. He also served as the Fish Creek postmaster from 1876 until 1889. In 1889, he moved to Park County where he bought a ranch ten miles southeast of Livingston and started a dairy and stock ranch. He was elected in 1896 to the state legislature from Park County. In later life Bruffey became active in the Society of Montana Pioneers. In 1911, his wife died, survived by ten of her eleven children. Bruffey continued to live near Livingston and, in 1925, published his autobiography, Eighty-one Years in the West. George A. Bruffey died in October 1928.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Papers. 1863-1928. 3.3 linear feet. The majority of the papers consists of financial records (1871-1889) for the George A. Bruffey Mercantile Company, Fish Creek, Montana. Also included are Bruffey's drafts for Eighty-one Years in the West, various writings, diaries, clippings, and miscellaneous correspondence. There is a small subgroup of records of Louis Keysser, whose estate was administered by Bruffey.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.
Preferred Citation
Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Arranged by subgroup and series. Some material housed in oversize folder in archives map case. Some material housed in manuscript volumes. See inventory below for more information.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection
Biographical Material Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1 / 1 | Biographical sketches |
1907, 1913 |
General Correspondence Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1 / 2 | Bruffey family (includes Mary F. Bruffey, George A.
Bruffey, Primus Bruffey, Matilda Bruffey, unidentified grand-daughter) |
1863, 1891, 1925 |
1 / 3 | A-H (correspondents include W.C. Alumquist, Auerbach
and Company, E.J. Bowen, Thomas H. Carter, Christmas Gift Mining Company, Charles E.
Davies, S.A.J. Dorn, Squire Elder, R.S. Ellison, Henry Ford, P.H. Gohn, William
Goodyer, E. Gouyhuour [?], W.E. Hargrave) |
1863-1926 |
1 / 4 | K-W (correspondents include Louis Keyser, Mrs. R.C.
Kramer, Albert Moog, Northern Pacific Railway Company, G.C. Perkins, H.C. Reagan,
Society of Montana Pioneers, C.W. VanOrsdol, R. Lee Word) |
1877-1926, undated |
Diaries Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1 / 5 | Diary |
1896-1897, 1910 |
1 / 6 | Diaries (2 volumes) |
1925-1926 |
Financial Records Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1 / 7 | Account ledger: George A. Bruffey Mercantile Company |
1879-1881 |
2 / 1-2 | Account ledgers: George A. Bruffey Mercantile Company |
1882-1883 |
2 / 3-4 | Daybooks: George A. Bruffey Mercantile Company |
1878-1879 |
3 / 1-6 | Daybooks: George A. Bruffey Mercantile Company |
1879-1882 |
4 / 1-4 | Daybooks: George A. Bruffey Mercantile Company |
1882-1887 |
5 / 1-3 | Daybooks: George A. Bruffey Mercantile Company |
1887-1889 |
5 / 4 | Daybook: George W. Metcalf Feed and Sale Stables /
George A. Bruffey Feed and Sale Stables |
1889-1890 |
5 / 5-6 | Financial memorandum books |
circa 1862-1872 |
6 / 1 | Inventory book: George A. Bruffey Mercantile Company |
1882-1884 |
6 / 2 | Inventory of merchandise of J.H. Baker assigned to
George A. Bruffey |
December 1886 |
6 / 3 | Journal: George A. Bruffey Mercantile Company |
1877-1878 |
Volume | ||
1 | Journal: George A. Bruffey Mercantile Company |
1879-1880 |
Box/Folder | ||
6 / 4-5 | Journals: George A. Bruffey Mercantile Company |
1881-1882, 1888-1890 |
7 / 1 | Stock certificate for Montana Improved Spring Wheel
Company |
1915 |
7 / 2 | Miscellaneous (includes promissory note, freight
bill, invoices, A.O.U.W. assessment, assay report, subscription list for Eighty-One
Years in the West) |
1867-1926 |
Legal Documents Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
7 / 3 | Power of attorney for W.C. Rinehart's mining claims |
1865 |
7 / 4 | Miscellaneous (includes mining claim certificate;
lease; U.S. Land Office certificate) |
1864, 1914, 1916 |
Organization Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
7 / 5 | Record book: Montana Woolen Mill Company (includes
articles of incorporation, minutes, etc.) |
1877-1881 |
Photographs and Printed Material Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
7 / 6 | List of photographs transferred to the Photo
Archives; list of printed materials transferred to Library |
Writings Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
7 / 7-8 | Eighty-one Years in the West (handwritten draft): pp.
139-150 missing) |
circa 1925 |
7 / 9 | Eighty-one Years in the West (typewritten draft: pp.
1-63, 65-142 missing) |
circa 1925 |
7 / 10 | Eighty-one Years in the West (notebook) |
1921 |
8 / 1 | "Indian Wars" (stories) |
1926 |
8 / 2 | Mining in Butte |
undated |
8 / 3 | "My first Christmas" |
1925 |
8 / 4 | "Rivers" |
1921 |
8 / 5 | "A Story of the Gulch and Butte" |
1927 |
8 / 6 | Miscellaneous (includes many fragments of his
autobiography, poem about Bruffey by Dick Porter, poem "The Whistles on the Hill:
Miles J. Cavanaugh, Butte") |
1925, undated |
Miscellany Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
8 / 7 | Miscellaneous (includes invitation, oath of
allegiance, certificate) |
1863-1880 |
Oversize Folder | ||
MC 65-71 | South Carolina, Interstate and West Indian
Exposition Co. Commissioner for State of Montana Certificate [Map Case-See MC 65-71 Folder] |
1901 |
Clippings Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
8 / 8 | Miscellaneous (re proposed Yellowstone game preserve,
reminiscent interview, Jim Bridger, proposed pioneer monument, Perry McClain, 1864
census) |
1920-1928, undated |
LOUIS KEYSSER Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
8 / 9 | Journal: Louis Keysser Ranche |
1870-1875 |
8 / 10 | Stockbook: Louis Keysser Ranche (also includes
drafts of outgoing letters, daybook entries, etc.) |
1869-1875 |
Box/Folder | ||
8 / 11 | Mining claim certificates, deed |
1864-1866 |
8 / 12 | Louis Keysser Estate (includes court order, list of
notes due) |
1881 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Authors
- Clothing trade
- General stores
- Ranches
- Retail trade
- Stables
- Wool industry
Personal Names
- Bruffey, George A., 1842-1928 (creator)
Geographical Names
- Butte (Mont.)
- Fish Creek (Mont.)