Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Montana Council Of Defense records, 1916-1921
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Montana Council of Defense
- Title
- Montana Council Of Defense records
- Dates
- 1916-1921 (inclusive)19161921
- Quantity
- 6 linear feet
- Collection Number
- RS 19
- Summary
- The Montana Council of Defense was established during World War I to coordinate county war efforts. It also investigated cases of alleged disloyal activities. Records (1916-1921) include minutes, correspondence, subject files, testimony and exhibits for hearings and special investigations, membership lists, and correspondence of various county councils of defense. Correspondence has been digitized and is available on the Montana Memory Project.
- 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 is 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.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The Montana Council of Defense was established in response to an order by President Woodrow Wilson which set up the National Council of Defense and requested each state to set up a state Council. Initially Governor Samuel V. Stewart appointed the Council by executive action. However, because of the lack of clear legal authority,the difficulty county Councils of Defense had in enforcing their regulations, and the desperate need for the state to purchase seed grain, the governor called a special session of the legislature in February 1918. The legislature officially established the Council in an act passed on February 20, 1918. The Montana Council of Defense was empowered, until the end of World War I, to "do all acts and things not inconsistent with the Constitution of laws of the State of Montana, or of the United States, which are necessary of proper for the public safety and for the protection of life and public property... and perform all acts and things necessary or proper so that the military, civil and industrial resources of the State may be most efficiently applied toward maintenance of the defense of the State and nation... and toward the successful prosecution of [the] War...." In order to carry out its duties the Council was put in charge of all organizations in the state that were involved with war work, including charitable associations. The Council was required to terminate its affairs within three months of the end of the war.
The Council was composed of the Governor and Commissioner of Agriculture and Publicity, serving ex officio, plus nine citizens appointed by the governor, at least three of whom had to be farmers. The Council was empowered to appoint a three member council in each County to coordinate local work.
Initially the Council concerned itself primarily with agricultural production which increased by 30%. The Council also promoted patriotic local meetings to boost enthusiasm for the war to counteract Montana's strongly anti-war labor unions, radical farmers, and large immigrant population. It was this war propaganda campaign which gradually led to the suppression of all dissent with which the Council eventually became identified. Many sedition trials were held and people identified as radicals or of questionable loyalty were publicly ostracised. Many of the problems of agricultural production for the War were drought-caused and could only have been solved, if at all, by direct government action. During 1918 the decline of Montana agricultural communities which culminated in the early 1920s, began. In spite of efforts by the Council to encourage agriculture, farm failures increased and the economy which agriculture supported also declined.
With the Armistice signed in November 1918, the Council quickly ceased active functioning although it was not formally dissolved until July 1921 after the United States had signed a treaty with Germany.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The bulk of the records consist of general correspondence and subject files. The correspondence (1917-1920) of the statewide office of the Montana Council of Defense is primarily with the National Council of Defense and with county councils, concerning their day-to-day work. There is also some correspondence with a variety of individuals, county agricultural extension agents, and state agencies. the subject files cover the broad range of the Council's activities, including agricultural programs, patriotism, war relief, conscientious objectors, the German language, loyalty and sedition, and demobilization. In addition there are financial records, minutes (April 1917-August 1921), proceedings, testimony in the Von Waldru case, and miscellany.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society Library and Archives. The Library and Archives 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 Library and Archives, Helena, Montana.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1 / 1 | A (correspondents include Allyn and Bacon, American
Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief, American Committee for Devastated France,
American Electric Railway Association War Board, American Protective League, and
American Railway Express Company, |
1917-1919 |
1 / 2 | Beaverhead County Defense Council |
1917-1918, undated |
1 / 3 | Big Horn County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
1 / 4 | Blaine County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
1 / 5 | Broadwater County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
1 / 6 | Ba-Be (correspondents include M. D. Baldwin and J. G.
Bates) |
1917-1919 |
1 / 7 | Bi-Bri (correspondents include Parmly Billings
Memorial Library, Bitter Root Valley Irrigation Company, and the City of Bozeman) |
1917-1920 |
1 / 8 | Bro-By (correspondents include Broadwater County
officials, Fred O. Brose, and John G. Brown) |
1917-1919 |
1 / 9 | Carbon County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
1 / 10 | Carter County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
1 / 11 | Cascade County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
1 / 12 | Chouteau County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
1 / 13 | Councils of Defense (other states) |
1917-1919 |
1 / 14 | Custer County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
1 / 15 | Ca-Cl (correspondents include W. A. Campbell; Cascade
County officials; Chicago Daily News; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway
Company, and Choteau mayor) |
1917-1920 |
1 / 16 | Co-Cy (correspondents include Commission for Aid
Civil and Military, and Custer County Bank) |
1917-1920 |
1 / 17 | Dawson County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
1 / 18 | Deer Lodge Defense Council |
1917-1919 |
1 / 19 | D (correspondents include The Dakota Farmer, E. C.
Day, and M. M. Donohue) |
1917-1920 |
1 / 20 | E (correspondents include Eagles (BPOE) and John M.
Evans) |
1917-1919 |
1 / 21 | Fallon County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
1 / 22 | Fergus County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
1 / 23 | Flathead County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
1 / 24 | F (correspondents include Farmers and Merchants State
Bank, Farm Products Limited, T. F. Finch, and Fox Film Entertainment) |
1917-1918 |
1 / 25 | Gallatin County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
1 / 26 | Granite County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
1 / 27 | Ga-Gl (correspondents include H. C. Gardiner, Glasgow
Chamber of Commerce, and the City of Glasgow) |
1917-1918 |
1 / 28 | Go-Gy (correspondents include Grand Army of the
Republic, Sheridan Post; Grandin Investment Company; City of Great Falls; Great Falls
Commercial Club; Great Northern Railway Company; and A. L. Grinnell) |
1917-1918 |
1 / 29 | Hill County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
1 / 30 | Ha-Hi (correspondents include Walter G. Hanna, Hardin
Chamber of Commerce, W. F. Henningsen, and Hill County officers) |
1917-1918 |
1 / 31 | Ho-Hu (correspondents include Norman B. Holter and
Charles H. Hunt) |
1917-1919 |
1 / 32 | I (correspondents include First National Bank of
Ismay) |
1917-1918 |
1 / 33 | Jefferson County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
1 / 34 | J (correspondents include Albert Johnson) |
1917-1919 |
2 / 1 | K (correspondents include F. S. Kalberg, Kalispell
Chamber of Commerce, Charles J. Kelly of Daly Bank & Trust Company, George R.
Kirkpatrick, Karl Knudsen, and Elmer Kuros) |
1917-1920 |
2 / 2 | Lewis and Clark County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
2 / 3 | Lincoln County Defense Council |
1918, undated |
2 / 4 | La-Le (correspondents include the League to Enforce
Peace, N. T. Lease and Lewis and Clark County Attorney Lester H. Loble) |
1917-1920 |
2 / 5 | Li-Ly (correspondents include Libby Patriotic Defense
League, F. S. P. Lindsay, Sidney M. Logan, and Frank S. Lusk) |
1917-1920 |
2 / 6 | Madison County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
2 / 7 | Meagher County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
2 / 8 | Mineral County Defense Council |
1917-1918, undated |
2 / 9 | Missoula County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
2 / 10 | Musselshell County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
2 / 11 | Montana - County Extension Agents |
1917-1919, undated |
2 / 12 | Montana - various State Boards and Agencies |
1917-1920 |
2 / 13 | Mc-Ma (correspondents include J. B. Martel and the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts) |
1917-1920 |
2 / 14 | Me-Mi (correspondents include Melstone officers,
Merchants National Bank, Mildred State Bank, the City of Missoula, and the Missoula
Chamber of Commerce) |
1917-1920 |
2 / 15 | Mo-My (correspondents include the Montana Lumber
Manufacturers Association, the Montana State Press Association and Henry L. Myers) |
1917-1918 |
2 / 16 | N (correspondents include the National Security
League, the State of North Dakota, Northern Pacific Railway Company, and L. A.
Nutting) |
1917-1918 |
2 / 17 | O (correspondents include Odd Fellows and I. D.
O'Donnell) |
1917-1919 |
2 / 18 | Park County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
2 / 19 | Phillips County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
2 / 20 | Powder River County Defense Council |
1919 |
2 / 21 | Powell County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
2 / 22 | Prairie County Defense Council |
1917-1919 |
2 / 23 | Pa-Pe (correspondents include the Park County Chamber
of Commerce, Charles V. Peck, Herbert M. Peet, and Lewis Penwell) |
1917-1920 |
2 / 24 | Ph-Pu (correspondents include A. J. Plumer) |
1917-1919 |
2 / 25 | Q |
1917-1918 |
2 / 26 | Ravalli County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
2 / 27 | Richland County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
2 / 28 | Rosebud County Defense Council |
1917-1919 |
2 / 29 | R (correspondents include Jeannette Rankin, American
Red Cross, Red Lodge Chamber of Commerce, O. E. F. Redfern, W. B. Rhoades, Richland
County Attorney, Anna Ridgeway, and Ronan State Bank) |
1916-1919 |
2 / 30 | Sanders County Defense Council |
1917-1919 |
2 / 31 | Sheridan County Defense Council |
1917-1919 |
2 / 32 | Silver Bow County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
2 / 33 | Stillwater County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
2 / 34 | Sweet Grass County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
2 / 35 | Sa-Sl (correspondents include C. H. Sands, Samuel
Sanburn, Security State Bank, and Sheridan County officers) |
1917-1920 |
2 / 36 | Sm-Sy (correspondents include Stillwater County
officers, J. Stanley Smith, and Sweet Grass County) |
1917-1919 |
3 / 1 | Teton County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
3 / 2 | Toole County Defense Council |
1918-1919 |
3 / 3 | T (correspondents include L. P. Teague for Telephone
Society, Jessie S. Thompson, and Thompson Falls Community Club) |
1917-1920 |
3 / 4 | U. S. Agriculture Department - Commerce Department |
1917-1919 |
3 / 5 | U. S. Council of National Defense (A-F) |
1917-1919 |
3 / 6 | U. S. Council of National Defense (G-Po) |
1917-1918, undated |
3 / 7 | U. S. Council of National Defense (Pu-W) |
1917-1919, undated |
3 / 8 | U. S. Food Administration - Labor Department |
1917-1919 |
3 / 9 | U. S. Federal Loan Bank - War Industries Board |
1917-1919 |
3 / 10 | U (correspondents include Union Pacific System,
United Mine Workers of America, and United Spanish War Veterans) |
1917-1919 |
3 / 11 | Valley County Defense Council |
1917-1920 |
3 / 12 | V (correspondents include H. E. Vomhoff) |
1917-1919 |
3 / 13 | Wheatland County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
3 / 14 | Wibaux County Defense Council |
1917-1918 |
3 / 15 | W (correspondents include Woodrow Wilson, Thomas J.
Walsh, Flathead County War Congress, United Committee on War Temperance Activities,
West's history, B. C. White, City of Wolf Point, Montana Woman's Christian Temperance
Union, and Lincoln Working) |
1917-1919 |
3 / 16 | Yellowstone County Defense Council |
1917-1919 |
3 / 17 | Y - Z (correspondents include Young Women's Christian
Associations and Young Men's Christian Associations) |
1917-1919 |
3 / 18 | unidentified and form letters |
1917-1918 |
Subject Files Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
3 / 19 | Agricultural Programs |
1918 |
3 / 20 | Alien Property |
1918 |
3 / 21 | Amalgamation |
1918 |
3 / 22 | American Protective League |
1918 |
3 / 23 | Americanization |
1918-1919 |
3 / 24 | Armenian and Syrian Relief |
1918 |
3 / 25 | Building Permits |
1918 |
3 / 26 | Buying Campaign |
1918 |
3 / 27 | Chain Letters |
1918 |
3 / 28 | Children |
1918 |
3 / 29 | Choruses and Community Singing |
1918 |
3 / 30 | Civil Rights Bill - Soldiers and Sailors |
1917-1918 |
3 / 31 | Conscientious Objectors |
1918 |
4 / 1 | Coordination |
1918 |
4 / 2 | Councils of Defense, Community |
1918-1919 |
4 / 3 | Councils of Defense, County |
1918 |
4 / 4 | Councils of Defense, State |
1918-1919 |
4 / 5 | Crop Destruction |
1918-1919 |
4 / 6 | Demobilization |
1919 |
4 / 7 | Demobilization, Vocational Training |
1918 |
4 / 8 | Desertion and A.W.O.L. |
1918-1919 |
4 / 9 | Draft |
1918 |
4 / 10 | Economy and Thrift |
1918 |
4 / 11 | Exemption Boards |
1917 |
4 / 12 | Espionage Law |
1918 |
4 / 13 | Field Division |
1918 |
4 / 14 | Food Storage Houses |
1918 |
4 / 15 | Ford Tractors |
1918 |
4 / 16 | Four Minute Men |
1918 |
4 / 17 | Fuel Conservation |
1917-1918 |
4 / 18 | Gardens |
1917-1918 |
4 / 19 | German Books and German Speaking |
1917-1918 |
4 / 20 | Health, Sex, and Venereal Disease |
1918-1919 |
4 / 21 | Honor Rolls |
1918 |
4 / 22 | Highway Transportation |
1918 |
4 / 23 | Housing |
1918 |
4 / 24 | Labor |
1918-1919 |
4 / 25 | Labor Day |
1918 |
4 / 26 | Labor Shortages |
1917-1918, undated |
4 / 27 | Labor Shortage Laws |
1918-1919, undated |
4 / 28 | Legal Committees |
1918 |
4 / 29 | Libraries and Schools, German Book Removal |
1918 |
4 / 30 | Liquor |
1918 |
4 / 31 | Loyalty and Sedition |
1918 |
4 / 32 | Mayors - Public Speaking Ordinances |
1918 |
4 / 33 | Motor Transportation |
1918 |
4 / 34 | Newspapers, Weekly |
1918 |
4 / 35 | Nurse Reserve Campaign |
1918 |
4 / 36 | Orders |
1918 |
4 / 37 | Patriotic Meetings |
1918 |
4 / 38 | Photographs |
1918 |
4 / 39 | Photographs, Members of Defense Council |
1919 |
4 / 40 | Posters |
1918 |
4 / 41 | Predatory Animals |
1918 |
4 / 42 | President's Mediation Commission |
1918 |
4 / 43 | Public Information Committee |
1918 |
4 / 44 | Railroads - Order No. 4 |
1918 |
4 / 45 | Retail Merchants |
1917-1918 |
4 / 46 | Soldiers' Property Rights |
1918 |
4 / 47 | Soliciation of Funds |
1917-1918 |
4 / 48 | Speakers' Bureau |
1918 |
4 / 49 | State Fairs |
1918 |
4 / 50 | Professor Walter Templeton Case |
1918-1919 |
4 / 51 | Threshing Machines |
1918 |
4 / 52 | Transportation Taxes |
1918 |
5 / 1 | U.S. Army and Navy |
1918-1919 |
5 / 2 | U.S. Commercial Economy Board |
1918 |
5 / 3 | U.S. Council of National Defense; Bulletins |
1918 |
5 / 4 | U.S. Council of National Defense; Circulars |
1918 |
5 / 5 | U.S. Council of National Defense; General Letters |
1918 |
5 / 6 | U.S. Council of National Defense; Women's Division |
1917-1918 |
5 / 7 | U.S. Federal Reserve |
1917 |
5 / 8 | U.S. Forest Service |
1918 |
5 / 9 | U.S. Interior Department; Bureau of Education |
1916-1917, undated |
5 / 10 | U.S. Labor Department; Boys' Working Reserve |
1917-1918 |
5 / 11 | U.S. Shipping Board |
1918 |
5 / 12 | U.S. War Industries Board |
1917-1918 |
5 / 13 | United War Work Campaign |
1918 |
5 / 14 | War Chest Campaign |
1918 |
5 / 15 | War Defense Fund |
1918 |
5 / 16 | War Legislation |
1918 |
5 / 17 | War Risk Insurance |
1918-1919 |
5 / 18 | War Savings |
1917-1918 |
Clippings Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
5 / 19 | Miscellaneous |
1918, undated |
Financial Records Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
5 / 20 | Statements and miscellaneous accounts |
Nov., 1918-July, 1919 |
Organization Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
5 / 21 | Minute volume |
Mar., 1918-Aug., 1921 |
5 / 22 | Minutes, orders and resolutions |
Apr., 1917-July, 1918 |
5 / 23 | Minutes and orders |
Aug. 12, 1918 |
5 / 24 | Minutes, orders, petitions, testimony and
communications |
Sept. 9, 1918 |
5 / 25 | Minutes, testimony, agreements and communications |
Oct. 7, 1918 |
5 / 26 | Minutes, statements and testimony |
Nov. 25, 1918 |
5 / 27 | Minutes, report and communications |
Feb. 10, 1918 |
5 / 28 | Minutes, resolutions and communications |
Jul. 26, 1918 |
5 / 29-32 | Miscellaneous communications from meetings |
1918-1919, undated |
Exhibits Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
5 / 33 | Oscar Rohn Case |
1919 May-June |
Proceedings Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
5 / 34 | Joint Sessions, State and County Councils |
1918 May 27-29 |
6 / 1 | Carbon County Defense Council meeting |
1918 July 1 |
Legal Documents Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
6 / 2 | William Dunne Case, subpoena |
1918 June 3 |
Testimony Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
6 / 3 | Von Waldru Case, testimony (vol. 1) |
1918 May-June |
6 / 4 | Von Waldru Case, testimony (vol. 1, duplicate) |
1918 May-June |
6 / 5 | Von Waldru Case, testimony (vol. 2) |
1918 May-June |
Miscellany Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
6 / 6 | Forms, memoranda, notes, etc. |
1917-1918, undated |
Ephemera Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
6 / 7 | British Houses of Parliament Reports |
1915-1918 |
6 / 8 | National Defense Council Proceedings |
1917 |
6 / 9-10 | Various state council pamphlets |
1917-1919, undated |
6 / 11 | Miscellaneous |
1918-1919, undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Censorship
- Civil defense
- County agricultural agents
- German Americans
- Germans
- Patriotism
- Sedition
- World war, 1914-1918--Censorship
- World war, 1914-1918--Public opinion
- World war, 1914-1918--War work
Geographical Names
- Beaverhead County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Big Horn County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Blaine County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Broadwater County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Carbon County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Carter County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Cascade County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Chouteau County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Custer County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Dawson County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Deer Lodge County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Fallon County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Fergus County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Flathead County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Gallatin County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Granite County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Hill County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Jefferson County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Lewis And Clark County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Lincoln County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Madison County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Meagher County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Mineral County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Missoula County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Musselshell County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Park County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Powder River County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Prairie County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Ravalli County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Richland County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Rosebud County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Sanders County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Sheridan County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Silver Bow County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Stillwater County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Sweet Grass County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Teton County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Toole County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Valley County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Wheatland County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Wibaux County (Mont.)--Politics and government
- Yellowstone County (Mont.)--Politics and government