Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Castle Mountain Cattle and Sheep Company Records, 1877-1971
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Castle Mountain Cattle and Sheep Company
- Title
- Castle Mountain Cattle and Sheep Company Records
- Dates
- 1877-197118771971
- Quantity
- 8.4 linear feet
- Collection Number
- Collection 536, MtBC, us (collection)
- Summary
- The Castle Mountain Cattle and Sheep Company Records consist of general correspondence, printed materials, legal documents, land and livestock papers, and organizational and financial records. Series have been assigned according to activity and function. General correspondence were kept primarily by ranch managers and refer to ranch operations and business. Printed Materials contains published documents collected by the Castle Mountain Cattle and Sheep Company. A number of these articles refer to the history and/or accomplishments of the Donahoe family and their ranch. The Livestock and Land series contains official certificates and registers for cattle and sheep as well as legal documents such as land deeds and mining claims. The ranch's Organizational Records contain articles of incorporation and company by-laws, stock share certificates and minute books for both the Castle Mountain Ranch and the Butte Brewing Company. Employee Records refer to insurance records for employee liability and Social Security filings. Employee names and payroll ledgers have been placed in the following series of Financial Records. Financial Records contains ledgers, account books, tax returns and banking records. The managers of the Castle Mountain Ranch collected documents significant to financial records, such as correspondence, receipts and relevant newspaper clippings, and placed them in yearly files labeled "Accounts." Many of these files remain in their original order. Any oversize documents, maps, machinery specs, etc. have been placed in oversize storage.
- 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
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The Castle Mountain Cattle and Sheep Company, located near White Sulphur Springs, Montana, has been operated as a corporate ranch since the late nineteenth century. Originally the Anderson Brothers Livestock Company, Michael Donahoe of Butte acquired the ranch in 1903 and changed the name to the Castle Mountain Livestock Company in 1906. The Donahoe family lived on the ranch until 1910 at which point they relocated to Seattle, Washington and left the ranch under the managership of Henry Melloy. In 1926 Jap Stewart took over ranch operations. He acquired sheep and additional Herefords, and consequently, changed the name of the ranch to Castle Mountain Cattle and Sheep Company. Jap Stewart resigned in 1941 and Michael Donahoe's children, Charles W. and Kathleen turned to their brother, Walter Donahoe to manage the ranch. The company actively acquired additional land holdings from 1910 through the mid-1960s. The ranch was sold in 1967 to Charles and Connie Nicholas of Dillon, Montana. At the time of this sale, the land holdings of the ranch comprised approximately 44 thousand acres. The ranch was once again sold in 1970 to Louis L. Ward of Kansas City, Missouri. The Donahoe family also owned the Butte Brewing Company.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Castle Mountain Records consist of general correspondence, printed materials, legal documents, land and livestock papers, and organizational and financial records. Series have been assigned according to activity and function. General correspondence were kept primarily by ranch managers and refer to ranch operations and business. Printed Materials contains published documents collected by the Castle Mountain Cattle and Sheep Company. A number of these articles refer to the history and/or accomplishments of the Donahoe family and their ranch. The Livestock and Land series contains official certificates and registers for cattle and sheep as well as legal documents such as land deeds and mining claims. The ranch's Organizational Records contain articles of incorporation and company by-laws, stock share certificates and minute books for both the Castle Mountain Ranch and the Butte Brewing Company. Employee Records refer to insurance records for employee liability and Social Security filings. Employee names and payroll ledgers have been placed in the following series of Financial Records. Financial Records contains ledgers, account books, tax returns and banking records. The managers of the Castle Mountain Ranch collected documents significant to financial records, such as correspondence, receipts and relevant newspaper clippings, and placed them in yearly files labeled "Accounts." Many of these files remain in their original order. Any oversize documents, maps, machinery specs, etc. have been placed in oversize storage.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Series 1 General Correspondence, 1928-1950
Series 2 Printed Materials, 1942-1967
Series 3 Livestock and Land Records, 1887-1967
Series 4 Organizational Records, 1899-1967
Series 5 Employment Records, circa 1940-1966
Series 6 Financial Records, 1900-1972
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series 1: General Correspondence, 1928-1950Return to Top
General Correspondence contains the incoming and outgoing letters of Castle Mountain Cattle and Sheep Company managers, Jap Stewart and Walter Donahoe and foreman, J.H. O'Rourke. Letters have been grouped according to employee and then arranged chronologically. Correspondence refer primarily to financial matters and prospective land purchases.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | Donahoe, Walter A. |
1928 |
1/2 | Donahoe |
1941 |
1/3 | Donahoe |
1942 |
1/4 | Donahoe |
1943 |
1/5 | Donahoe |
1944 |
1/6 | Donahoe |
1945 |
1/7 | Donahoe |
1946-1948 |
1/8 | Donahoe |
1949-1950 |
1/9 | O'Rourke, J.H. |
1919 |
1/10 | Stewart, Jap |
1941 |
Series 2: Printed Materials, 1942-1967Return to Top
Printed Materials contains published documents collected by the Castle Mountain Cattle and Sheep Company. Materials have been arranged alphabetically by title. File 14 of "Miscellaneous Newspaper Articles" contains information on local ranching conditions and interests. Other newspaper articles are scattered throughout the "Accounts" files in the Financial Records series; keeping with Castle Mountain's filing system, these articles remain in "Accounts" since they give pertinent information on the financial pursuits of the ranch. An asterisk indicates oversize materials which have been removed and placed in oversize storage.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/11 | "Crystallized Facts about Sugar Beets" |
1950 |
1/12 | "Donahoe Family Have Been Long-Time Residents of
Meagher County"
(The Meagher County News)
|
September 21, 1967 |
1/13 | "Law Makers of Montana" |
1953; 1955 |
1/14 | Miscellaneous Newspaper Articles* |
1940s-1960s |
1/15 | "Montana House of Representatives--Roster" |
1947 |
1/16 | "Rules of the Senate" |
1947; 1953; 1955 |
Series 3: Livestock and Land, 1887-1967Return to Top
The Livestock and Land series has been organized according to subject and arranged alphabetically with the exception of livestock records which have been placed at the end of the series. Some overlap in materials has been unavoidable. Nearly all files contain legal paperwork and documentation. Livestock records and certificates are located in boxes 4 and 5. These documents have been separated according to document type and then arranged chronologically. An asterisk indicates oversize materials which have been placed in oversize storage.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
2/1 | Brands |
1899-1961 |
2/2 | County Business* |
|
2/3 | Forest Permits* |
|
2/4-5 | Forest Permits |
|
2/6 | Highway Contracts, Correspondence and
Maps* |
|
2/7 | Irrigation* |
1941-1958 |
2/8 | Land* |
|
2/9 | Land Deeds* |
|
2/10 | Land Leased |
|
2/11 | Land Leased |
|
2/12 | Land Leased (cont.) |
|
3/1 | Land Ownership Records* |
1887-1941 |
3/2 | Land Ownership Records (cont.) |
1887-1941 |
3/3 | Land Purchased* |
1918-1960 |
3/4 | Leases and Rents: Contracts and
Correspondence |
|
3/5 | Leases and Rents: Contracts andCorrespondence
(cont.) |
|
3/6 | Leases and Rents: Receipts |
|
3/7 | Mining Claim (Jap Stewart) |
1937; 1939; 1941 |
3/8 | Shearing |
1952 |
3/9 | Water
(copies)
|
1878-1949 |
3/10 | Water |
1950-1967 |
3/11 | Wool Weights |
|
3/12 | Sire Book--Private Herd Register: Cattle and
Sheep |
1898-1902 |
3/13 | Register: Cattle, Sheep, Fences etc. |
1930s-1940s |
4/1 | American Hereford Record, Livestock Certificates: Cows
and Bulls |
1917; 1919-1922 |
4/2 | Livestock Certificates: Cows and Bulls |
1923-1924 |
4/3 | Livestock Certificates: Cows and Bulls |
1925-1926 |
4/4 | Livestock Certificates: Cows and Bulls |
1927 |
4/5 | Livestock Certificates: Cows and Bulls |
1929; 1930 |
4/6 | Livestock Certificates: Cows |
1931 |
4/7 | Livestock Certificates: Bulls |
1931 |
4/8 | Livestock Certificates: Cows and Bulls |
1932 |
4/9 | Livestock Certificates: Cows and Bulls |
1933 |
4/10 | Livestock Certificates: Cows |
1934 |
4/11 | Livestock Certificates: Bulls |
1934 |
4/12 | Livestock Certificates: Cows and Bulls |
1935 |
4/13 | Livestock Certificates: Cows and Bulls |
1937-1938 |
4/14 | Livestock Certificates: Cows |
1938 |
4/15 | Livestock Certificates: Cows and Bulls |
1939-1942 |
4/16 | Livestock Certificates: Cows and Bulls |
1944-1946; 1948 |
4/17 | Miscellaneous Registered Bull Certificates and
Correspondence |
1945-1951 |
4/18 | Livestock Contracts |
1940; 1941 |
4/19 | Livestock Inventory |
1935 |
4/20 | Sheep Inventory |
1942 |
4/21 | Livestock Vaccinations and Inventories |
1950s |
4/22 | Livestock Vaccinations and Inventories |
1960s |
Box | ||
5 | Application for Livestock
Certification Receipt Booklets |
1929-1930 |
April-June 1930 | ||
June-August 1930 | ||
February-May 1931 | ||
April-June 1931 | ||
August 1931-May 1932 | ||
April-July 1932; April-March 1933 | ||
April-June 1933 | ||
April-July 1933 | ||
April-September 1934 | ||
May 1933; January 1934-May 1934 | ||
April-May 1934; March-June 1935 | ||
May-September 1935; April-May 1937 | ||
April-May 1937; May-June 1941 | ||
5 | Livestock Sales/Receipts of
Certificate Transfer Booklets |
|
Miscellaneous Buyers |
1929-1932 | |
Hill, Ebert Sheep Company |
1930 | |
Ebert Sheep Company, J.B. Kendrick, and
Miscellaneous Buyers |
1930 | |
T.H. Tice, U.S. Government, and Miscellaneous
Buyers |
1931-1934 | |
Ebert Sheep Company |
1932 | |
U.S. Indian Service, T.H. Tice, and Miscellaneous
Buyers |
1933-1937 | |
N.P. de Mauriac |
1937 |
Series 4: Organizational RecordsReturn to Top
Organizational Records have been separated according to document type and, with the exception of oversize materials in Box 6, have been arranged alphabetically. The series includes articles of incorporation, bylaws, meeting minutes and stock certificates for both the Castle Mountain and the Butte Brewing Company. The minutes are extensive. The writings found in Walter Donahoe's Daily Record Books are minimal.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
box-oversize | ||
6 | Minute Book: Castle Mountain Livestock
Company |
1899-1919; 1940-1942 |
Minute Book: Castle Mountain Cattle and Sheep
Company |
1926-1941 | |
6 | Minute Book: Butte Brewing Company |
1900-1957 |
6 | Payroll Sheets
(From Box 15, file 6)
|
|
Box/Folder | ||
7/1 | Articles of Incorporation and Meeting
Minutes
(scant)
|
1911-1942 |
7/2 | By-laws and Meeting
By-laws and 1926 Stockholder's Meeting
|
1926 |
7/3 | Certificates for Stock Shares
Castle Mountain Live Stock Company and Castle Mountain Cattle and Sheep Company
|
|
7/4 | Certificates for Stock Shares: Butte Brewing
Company |
|
7/5 | Company Letterhead and Blank Resolution
Sheets |
|
Box | ||
7 | Castle Mountain Cattle and Sheep Company Official
Seal |
|
7 | Walter A. Donahoe's Daily Record Books |
1939-1946 |
7 | Robert P. Greer's Daily Record Book |
1941 |
8 | Walter A. Donahoe's Daily Record Books |
1947-1959 |
8 | Pages from Walter A. Donahoe's Record
Books |
1961-1962 |
8 | Walter A. Donahoe's Misc. Notebooks |
circa 1940s |
Series 5: Employment RecordsReturn to Top
Employment Records contains the professional records regarding Castle Mountain employees from the 1940s to the mid-1960s. Auto and Building Insurance records give little information on specific employees, however, they do indicate conditions of ranch life. A detailed accounting of Employee Payroll records has been placed in the Financial Records series.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
9/1 | Auto Insurance |
1963-1966 |
9/2 | Employee's Liability Insurance |
1940s |
9/3-4 | Employee's Liability Insurance (cont.) |
1940s |
9/5 | Employee's Liability Insurance |
1950s |
9/6-7 | Employee's Liability Insurance (cont.) |
1950s |
9/8 | Employee's Liability Insurance |
1960s |
9/9 | Insurance for Ranch Buildings |
|
10/1 | Social Security |
1950-1952 |
10/2 | Social Security |
1954-1958 |
10/3 | Social Security |
1959-1962 |
10/4 | Social Security |
1963-1966 |
Series 6: Financial RecordsReturn to Top
Container(s): Box 11-22
Financial Records contains documents referring to the financial transactions of Castle Mountain. The series contains ledgers, account books, tax returns, banking and employee payroll records. With the exception of the "Accounts" files, documents have been separated according to subject and function, and then placed in alphabetical order. The "Accounts" files were designed and designated by the Castle Mountain Ranch records manager. These files contain a range of financial documents including: financial correspondence, receipts, relevant newspaper clippings, etc. They have been arranged chronologically. An asterisk indicates oversize materials which have been placed in oversize storage.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
11/1 | Accounts |
1909-1916 |
11/2 | Accounts |
1926-1928 |
11/3 | Accounts |
1929-1931 |
11/4 | Accounts |
1932-1933 |
11/5 | Accounts |
1934-1936 |
11/6 | Accounts |
1937-1939 |
11/7 | Accounts |
1940-1941 |
11/8 | Accounts |
1942 |
11/9 | Accounts |
1943 |
11/10 | Accounts |
1944 |
11/11 | Accounts |
1945 |
11/12 | Accounts |
1946 |
12/1 | Accounts |
1947 |
12/2 | Accounts |
1948 |
12/3 | Accounts |
1949 |
12/4 | Accounts |
1950 |
12/5 | Accounts |
1951 |
12/6 | Accounts |
1952 |
12/7 | Accounts |
1953 |
12/8 | Accounts |
1954 |
12/9 | Accounts |
1955-1956 |
13/1 | Accounts |
1957-1958 |
13/2 | Accounts |
1959-1960 |
13/3 | Accounts |
1961 |
13/4 | Accounts |
1962 |
13/5 | Accounts |
1963 |
13/6 | Accounts |
1964 |
13/7 | Accounts |
1965 |
14/1 | Accounts |
1966 |
14/2 | Accounts |
1967 |
14/3 | Accounts |
1968-1971 |
14/4 | Appraisal and Assessments*
Appraisal of Estate and Property Assessments
|
1965 |
14/5 | Automobiles: Tax Assessment, Repairs |
1957-1965 |
14/6 | Depreciation Schedule of Assets* |
1920s-1960s |
14/7 | Employee Meals: Costs and Charges* |
|
14/8 | Gasoline Tax Refund |
|
14/9 | Hay--Freight |
1919-1920 |
14/10 | Hay and Supplement Feed* |
|
14/11 | Hay and Supplement Feed (cont.) |
|
14/12 | Improvements |
1949-1960 |
15/1 | Machinery Receipts |
1958-1962 |
15/2 | Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Bean |
1951-1953 |
15/3 | Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Bean |
1954-1955 |
15/4 | Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Bean |
1956-1960 |
15/5 | Miscellaneous |
|
15/6 | Payroll* |
1908-1914; 1933-1946 |
15/7 | Purchases |
1900-1905 |
15/8 | Receipts "A" |
1920-1925 |
15/9 | Receipts "B" |
1920-1926 |
15/10 | Receipts "C", and Donahoe, Charles |
1920-1926 |
15/11 | Receipts "E-F" |
1920-1926 |
15/12 | Receipts "G" |
1920-1926 |
15/13 | Receipts "H-J" |
1905-1926 |
15/14 | Receipts "K-L" |
1902-1926 |
15/15 | Receipts "M" |
1920-1926 |
15/16 | Receipts "N-O" |
1920-1926 |
15/17 | Receipts "P-Q" |
1920-1925 |
15/18 | Receipts "R" |
undated |
15/19 | Receipts "S" |
1920-1925 |
15/20 | Receipts "T-V" |
1920-1925 |
15/21 | Receipts "W" |
1920-1926 |
16/1 | Sales--Cattle |
1938-1944 |
16/2 | Sales--Cattle |
1945-1951 |
16/3 | Sales--Cattle |
1953-1958 |
16/4 | Sales--Cattle |
1959-1966 |
16/5 | Sales--Miscellaneous |
1940s-1950s |
16/6 | Sales--Sheep |
1941-1957 |
16/7 | Sales--Sheep |
1958-1966 |
16/8 | Sales--Wool |
1942-1946 |
16/9 | Sales--Wool |
1947-1949 |
16/10 | Sales--Wool* |
1950-1957 |
16/11 | Sales--Wool |
1958-1966 |
17/1 | Stock/Investments--Walter Donahoe |
1941-1943 |
17/2 | Stone House Rent, etc. |
|
17/3 | Tax Receipts--Montana |
1912; 1925-1942 |
17/4 | Tax Receipts--Montana |
1943-1966 |
17/5 | Timber Sales |
1957-1961 |
17/6 | Timber Sales |
1961-1965 |
17/7 | World War II Prices and Stamps* |
|
Box | ||
18 | General Ledger |
1936-1945 |
18 | General Ledger |
1936-1945 |
18 | General Ledger |
1938-1939 |
18 | General Ledger |
1940 |
18 | General Ledger |
1941 |
18 | Estate Register |
1938-1939 |
18 | Miscellaneous Ledger Sheets |
1931-1945 |
18 | "Remarks" Sheets for Checking Account
Records |
1933; 1935; 1939 |
18 | General Journal Sheets |
1960 |
19 | Check Stubs |
1935-1948; 1952; 1956-1958; 1964-1966 |
Box/Folder | ||
20/1 | Bank Statements |
1925 |
20/2 | Bank Statements |
1926 |
20/3 | Bank Statements |
1927 |
20/4 | Bank Statements |
1928 |
20/5 | Bank Statements |
1929 |
20/6 | Bank Statements |
1930 |
20/7 | Bank Statements |
1931 |
20/8 | Bank Statements |
1932 |
20/9 | Bank Statements |
1933 |
20/10 | Bank Statements |
1934 |
20/21 | Bank Statements |
1935 |
20/22 | Bank Statements |
1936 |
21/1 | Bank Statements |
1937 |
21/2 | Bank Statements |
1938 |
21/3 | Bank Statements |
1939 |
21/4 | Bank Statements
(incomplete)
|
1943-1947 |
21/5 | Bank Statements
(incomplete)
|
1951; 1953-1954 |
box-folder-oversize | ||
22/1 | From Box 1, file 14: Newspaper Articles |
1940s-1960s |
22/2 | From Box 2, file 2: County Business |
|
22/3 | From Box 2, file 3: Forest Permits |
|
22/4 | From Box 2, file 6: Highway Contracts |
|
22/5 | From Box 2, file 9: Castle Mountain Livestock Company
Map |
|
22/6 | From Box 2, file 10: Land Deeds |
|
22/7 | From Box 3, file 1: Land Ownership Records |
|
22/8 | From Box 3, file 3: Land Purchased |
|
22/9 | From Box 14, file 4: Assessments of
Property |
|
22/10 | From Box 14, file 6: Depreciation of
Assets |
|
22/11 | From Box 14, file 7: Employee Meals |
|
22/12 | From Box 14, file 10: Specs for Sliding Hay
Stacker |
1910 |
22/13 | From Box 15, file 6: Payroll Sheets |
|
22/14 | From Box 16, file 10: Wool Futures Prices |
|
22/15 | From Box 17, file 3: Tax Returns |
|
221/6 | From Box 17, file 4: Tax Returns |
|
22/17 | From Box 17, file 7: World War II Prices and
Stamps |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Brewing industry-Montana-Butte
- Ranches-Montana-Meagher County
- Ranching-Montana-Meagher County
- Sheep ranches-Montana-Meagher County
Family Names
- Donahoe family
- Donahue family
Geographical Names
- White Sulphur Springs (Mont.)
Form or Genre Terms
- Business records-Montana-Butte
- Business records-Montana-Meagher County
Other Creators
-
Corporate Names
- Anderson Brothers Livestock Company (creator)
- Butte Brewing Company (creator)
- Castle Mountain Livestock Company (creator)