Archives West Finding Aid

Letters created or collected by Paul Ballinger Davidson, PhD and Marie Bunnell Davidson pertaining mostly to family and personal matters. Included are letters from Julia A. Reed, Jane "Grammy" Hardcastle Ballinger, Isaac "Ike" Hardcastle of the 32nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Merrill Smith Ballinger, Jenny Hardcastle, Irma "Babe" Davidson, Ella "Olla" Grote, Wells Seaman Davidson, Lucien L. Benepe, Julia Ballinger Henry, Esther Clorinda Weesner Bunnell, Brunette "Nettie" Ballinger, Lucy "Lulu" "Tat" Ballinger Davidson, Paul "Pogy" Ballinger Davidson, PhD, Marie "Bunny" Bunnell Davidson, Esther Lee Davidson Engstrom, Jane Davidson Schultz Klockman, Ella Jane Hardcastle, Basil Weesner, Mathew Densmore "Denny" Gruse, Florence "Torncy" Ballinger Hamilton, Tim M. Babcock Governor of Montana, and Senator Mike Mansfield. Letters were written from various locations in Montana, New York, Pennsylvania, Germany, Illinois, Indiana, Colorado, Missouri, Wisconsin, Washington D.C., Minnesota, Alabama, West Virginia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Washington, Michigan, South Carolina, California, Oregon, Ohio, Tennessee, and Idaho. Included are: an 1850 letter from Achilles Ballinger from Sacramento, California, letters from Isaac Hardcastle of the 32nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment while serving in the Civil War, Lucien L. Benepe while serving in World War I, Basil Weesner and M. D. "Denny" Gruse while serving in World War II, Tim M. Babcock Governor of Montana honoring Paul Ballinger Davidson as an "outstanding Montanan," as well as Senator Mike Mansfield congratulating Florence "Torncy" Ballinger Hamilton on her 96th and 97th birthdays, her contributions to the state, the 7th anniversary of Hillcrest's opening, and paying his condolences to Paul Ballinger Davidson and Kenyon Talcott on Florence's death. The correspondence has been arranged in a chronological order.

Literary productions pertaining to Paul Ballinger Davidson, Marie Bunnell Davidson, Wells Seaman Davidson, James McClellan Hamilton, Jane Davidson Schultz Klockman, Florence Ballinger Hamilton, Merrill G. Burlingame, R. R. Renne, Frances Lynn Turpin, among others. The series comprises a collection of magazine articles and clippings, magazines, newsletters, community literature, published materials, manuscripts, papers and essays, speeches, journals and reminiscences, music ribbons, drawings, and posters. It also includes poetry, educational paperwork, fraternity paperwork, membership cards, and certificates, dancing cards and labels, telegrams, notes and lists, post and greeting cards, pamphlets, holiday letters, invitations, material that deals with births, weddings, anniversaries, and deaths. There are newspaper clippings, address books, notebooks, memory and autograph books, scrapbooks, and literature dealing with World War I. Magazine articles and clippings in the series pertain to a variety of subjects ranging from political and government information to social information, to poetry and stories, to household improvement and arts and crafts, to antiques, etc. Texts in the series include a book by Merrill G. Burlingame of the history of Montana State College (MSU), a manuscript by James M. Hamilton regarding the history of Montana and the Lewis and Clark expedition, and several essays by Wells S. Davidson relating to financial matters. The series includes two unpublished journals; the first by Florence B. Hamilton, and the second by Frances L. Turpin. Both journals relate to their respective journeys through Yellowstone National Park; Hamilton's trip transpired in 1883, and Turpin traveled in 1895. The artwork includes a likeness of President George Washington. The literary productions have been arranged by subject types. This series contains the oversized materials that have been separated from the series, the separation is denoted by an asterisk (*) next to the folder from which material was removed. More information on the separations may be found listed under series 6, boxes 33 to 37.

Financial and legal documents pertaining to the estates of John Lawson Bunnell and Esther Clorinda Weesner Bunnell, Paul Ballinger Davidson, PhD and Marie Bunnell Davidson, Wells Seaman Davidson and Lucy "Lulu" Ballinger Davidson, Emma Grote Davidson, and James McClellan Hamilton and Florence "Torncy" Ballinger Hamilton. The material has been arranged alphabetically by last name of the individual's estate; within each estate the documents have been ordered chronologically.

Materials pertaining to Dr. Paul Ballinger Davidson's fellowship at the Mellon Institute in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Information covered within the series includes correspondence, patents, magazine articles, magazines, articles written by Dr. Davidson for the Mellon Institute News, published materials, photographs**, and paper samples collected and made by Dr. Davidson relating to the papermaking process. This series contains the oversized materials that have been separated from the series, the separation is denoted by an asterisk (*) next to the folder from which material was removed. A duplicate notation of an asterisk (**) refers to the photographs relating to the Mellon Institute Fellowship of Dr. Paul B. Davidson that have been included within the photograph series in box 32 folder 4. More information on the separations may be found listed under series 6 boxes 33 to 37. The materials have been ordered by subject type and within each type, chronologically when it was appropriate.

Individual photographs and photographic albums pertaining to the Hamilton, Ballinger, Davidson, Bunnell, McAfee, and Weesner families through direct lineage, indirect lineage, or friendship. The series has been arranged according to photographic type: formal individual portraits, formal group portraits, informal snapshots of individuals, informal snapshots of groups, snapshot images of miscellaneous scenery, and informal photographs of items of importance to the family. The photographs have been individually numbered from 1 through 1,615 and have been arranged as follows: individual portraits (alphabetically arranged by subject's name), 1-404; group formal portraits of females, 405-436; group formal portraits of males, 437-446; group formal portraits of males and females, 447-476; informal snapshots, 477-1,306; miscellaneous scenery and items, 1,307-1,520; additional photographs added after the initial identification and arrangement, 1,521-1,615. Many photographs which were unidentified during the initial processing of this collection have been subsequently marked by the donor. This series contains oversized images and materials separated from the previous series, the separation from the earlier series is denoted by an asterisk (*) next to the folder from which material was removed. A duplicate notation of an asterisk (**) refers to the photographs relating to the Mellon Institute Fellowship of Dr. Paul B. Davidson that have been included within the photograph series in box 32 folder 4.