Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Ranney Yale Lyman Papers, 1901-1979
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Lyman, Ranney Yale, 1880-1952
- Title
- Ranney Yale Lyman Papers
- Dates
- 1901-1979 (inclusive)19011979
- Quantity
- .5 linear feet of shelf space
- Collection Number
- MC 222
- Summary
- Ranney Lyman (b. 1880) was a cadastral surveyor in South Dakota and Montana for the U.S. General Land Office and its successor, the Bureau of Land Management. His papers consist of a biography (1954) and reminiscence (1970) by Lyman's wife Mabel Kelsey Lyman; general correspondence (1916-1953); survey diaries (1913-1950); financial records; and lists (1903-1949) of survey crew members.
- 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.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Ranney Yale Lyman was born in Mulberry Corners, Geauga County, Ohio, on February 29, 1880, the son of E.C. Lyman, a farmer. When R.Y. was only eight months old, the family moved to Huron, Dakota Territory, where he attended both public school and college. He was a member of the first graduating class of Huron College in 1903, with a major in surveying. During his summer vacations and after graduation Lyman worked as a contract cadastral surveyor for the General Land Office, first on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, and after 1903 in Montana. In 1910 the General Land Office ended its contract work and hired permanent surveyors. From then until his retirement in 1950, Lyman worked as a cadastral surveyor for the General Land Office, and its successor the Bureau of Land Management. In 1905 Lyman married Grace May Kelsey. After Grace died giving birth to their second child, Lyman married his wife's sister Mabel. They had two daughters in addition to the two sons of Lyman's first marriage. R.Y. Lyman died January 16, 1952.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Ranney Yale Lyman Papers consist of a biography of Lyman by his wife Mabel Kelsey Lyman, a reminiscence (1970) also by her, general correspondence (1916-1953), survey field diaries (1913-1950), expense account books (1914-1922; 1946-1948), a record of Lyman's employment as a surveyor (1901-1950), lists of survey crew members and locations (1903-1949), and miscellany.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection
Biographical Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 1 | "Ranney Yale Lyman his life, his
work, and his family", by Mable Kelsy Lyman (includes two sets of notes and
completed biography) |
1954 |
| 1 / 2 | Mabel Kinsey Lyman reminiscence
|
1970 |
General Correspondence Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 3 | Miscellaneous (includes
Charles Wilcox; Y.A. Ranney; Frank Bird Linderman re Pryor townsite; Bureau of
Land Management, et al.) |
1915-1953 |
| 1 / 4 | Letters of congratulations re
birthday and retirement of R.Y. Lyman and replies (also includes family news,
etc.) |
Jan-Mar 1950 |
| 1 / 5 | Letters of condolence on death
of R.Y. Lyman |
Jan-Feb 1952; Dec. 1953 |
Miscellaneous Correspondence Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 6 | E.C. Lyman to Beadle County
Historical Society (re family history and history of Huron, South Dakota area)
[typescript] |
c.1930 |
Diaries Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 7-12 | Survey field diaries (24
books) |
1913-1935 |
| 2 / 1-2 | Survey field diaries (5
books) |
1936-1950 |
Financial Records Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 3-5 | Expense account books (8
books) |
1914-1918, 1920-1922, 1946-1948 |
Photographs Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 6 | List of photographs
transferred to Photo Archives |
Printed Materials Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 7 | List of printed
materials transferred to Library |
Speeches, and Writings Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 8 | Miscellaneous (re
cadastral engineering, rectangular system of surveying, Huron College Founders
Day) |
1950-1951 |
| 2 / 9 | Miscellaneous (re
Pryor townsite, Crazy Mountains, solar transit settings) |
n.d. |
Miscellany Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 10 | Birthday cards,
etc. |
n.d. |
| 2 / 11 | Employment
record |
1901-1950 |
| 2 / 12 | Funeral memorial
book, poems, etc. |
Jan. 1952 |
| 2 / 13 | List of
artifacts transferred to Museum |
|
| 2 / 14 | List of Lyman
family members with addresses |
1979 |
| 2 / 15 | List of
surveying crew members and location |
1903-1949 |
| 2 / 16 | U.S. Department
of Interior certificate for meritorious service |
1950 |
| 2 / 17 | Miscellaneous
|
n.d. |
Clippings Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 18 | Miscellaneous
(re honors, retirement and death of R.Y. Lyman, Plenty Coups State Park)
|
1950,1952, 1971 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Public lands--Surveys--Montana
- Surveyors--Montana
Geographical Names
- Crazy Mountains (Mont.)
- Huron (S.D.)
- Pryor (Mont.)
Finding aid prepared by Ellie Arguimbau, 1990.
2005
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
