Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Montana State Capitol Commission Records, 1895-1917
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Montana State Capitol Commission
- Title
- Montana State Capitol Commission Records
- Dates
- 1895-1917 (inclusive)18951917
- Quantity
- .5 linear feet of shelf space
- Collection Number
- RS 65
- Summary
- The Montana State Board of Examiners served ex officio as the Montana State Capitol Commission to oversee the planning and construction of the state capitol building. Records consist of correspondence (1895-1903); minutes (1895-1902, 1909-1912); an agreement (1909) for the construction of new wings; a history and description (1917) of the building; a listing and description of the paintings in the building; and a visitors' register (July 4, 1902) for the dedication ceremony.
- 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.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The Montana Board of Capitol Commissioners was established by the 1895 Legislature. The Board, consisting of the governor, secretary of state, and attorney general, was given the power to review proposals submitted by contractors for the construction of a capitol building or for modifying an existing building for use as a capitol. To be approved, the building must be in a convenient location, be available by October 1, 1896, be large enough to house all state offices, and be fire-proof, with vaults for the storage of state archives. The state would then lease the building for five years. The Board signed an initial contract with George R. Mann for the building. In 1897 the law was amended to provide for the construction of a permanent capitol building for not more than $300,000. The legislature authorized the cancellation of George R. Mann's contract and the solicitation of new bids. The board was increased to five members to consist of the governor and four citizens appointed by the governor, only one of whom could be from Helena. The 1897 legislature authorized the issuance of thirty year bonds in the amount of $350,000 for the construction of the capitol building. The cornerstone of the capitol was laid July 4, 1899 on land donated by a consortium of Helena real estate men
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Records consist primarily of minutes of the Commission (1895-1912). In addition, there is general correspondence (1895-1903), an agreement (1909) for the addition of the Capitol wings, and history and description of the Capitol, a listing and description of the paintings in the Capitol, and register (1902) of visitors attending the dedication of the Capitol.
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
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection
General Correspondence Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 1 | Miscellaneous (correspondents include D. Pedretti's
Sons; J.H. Kent, Architect; Richard Lockey[?] re donation of land) |
1895-1903 |
Legal Documents Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 2 | Agreement with Charles S. Haire and John G. Link for
building of addition onto Capitol |
1909 |
Minutes Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | ||
| Vol. 1 | Minutes of State Capitol Commission |
1895 July - 1902 July |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 3 | Minutes of State Capitol Commission |
1909 March - 1910 January |
| 1 / 3a | Documents removed from March 1909 minutes for
preservation reasons |
1909 March |
| 1 / 4 | Minutes of State Capitol Commission |
1910 February - 1912 January |
Miscellany Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 5 | History and description of Capitol Building by M.L.
Rickman |
1917 |
| 1 / 6 | Listing and description of paintings in the Capitol
Building |
undated |
| Volume | ||
| Vol. 2 | Register of visitors attending the dedication of the
State Capitol Building |
1902 July 4 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Architecture--Montana--Helena
- Architecture--designs And Plans
- Capitols--Montana
- Helena (Mont.)--Buildings, structures, etc.
- West (U.S.) in art
Finding aid prepared by MHS Staff
2004
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
