Montana State Board Of Health, Division Of Environmental Sanitation Records, 1914-1965

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Montana Division of Environmental Sanitation
Title
Montana State Board Of Health, Division Of Environmental Sanitation Records
Dates
1914-1965 (inclusive)
Quantity
2.5 linear feet
Collection Number
RS 494 (Formerly RS 113)
Summary
This collection is a subgroup (Division) of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality records. The State Board of Health was the predecessor agency to the Department of Health and Environmental Sciences and later the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Public Health and Human Services. Please see the primary finding aid for more Montana Department of Environmental Quality records. This collection (1914-1965) pertains to the Montana State Board of Health's Division of Environmental Sanitation, and its predecessor the Sanitary Engineering Division. It consists of general correspondence, water lab reports, and subject files.
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 State Board of Health was established in 1901. In 1967, the Legislative Assembly created the State Department of Health. The State Board of Health continued in an advisory capacity, but the day-to-day administration of the state laws regarding public health and related matters was delegated to the new department. In 1971 the State Department of Health was abolished and replaced by a new Department of Health and Environmental Sciences. The State Board of Health continued as an advisory board, but was renamed the Board of Health and Environmental Sciences.

The Division of Water and Sewage was created in 1911. Its first director was W. M. Cobleigh. From the organization of the division until 1923, bacteriological and chemical examinations of water samples were carried on at the State Agricultural College in Bozeman. On July 1, 1923, the office and laboratory were moved to Helena and H. B. Foote became the division director. W. M. Cobleigh continued as a consultant. In the early years, work centered around installation of sewage treating plants to prevent pollution of streams, protect watersheds, and provide clean drinking water; creation of regulations governing preparation and submission of designs for sewer systems and treatment plants; and analyzing public and private water supplies. The division also analyzed water from swimming pools and reviewed heating, lighting, ventilating, and plumbing plans for new school buildings to insure a safe environment.

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the work of the Water and Sewage Division increased markedly because of the need to examine water supplies used in Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps and resettlement projects. Also during this period, the State Board of Health cooperated with the United States Public Health Service and the Work Projects Administration (WPA) in sponsoring the Montana Community Sanitation Program. The program was designed to eliminate insanitary devices by the construction of sanitary privies on public and private property wherever sewer systems were impracticable for any reason. On April 15, 1944, the division was renamed by the State Board of Health the Division of Sanitary Engineering because of the expansion of field work being done by the division and the development of sanitary engineering as a more clearly-defined field.

By 1944, the division was conducting field inspections of sewage disposal systems, stream pollution problems, and public swimming pools. The division also reviewed plans for public water supplies, public sewage and industrial waste disposal systems, and public swimming pools. Included in the studies of stream pollution problems was the mine and smelter wastes in the upper reaches of the Clark Fork River. The 1950-1952 biennium opened with a large number of staff vacancies, including the division director of the Sanitary Engineering Division. In May 1950 the State Board of Health and the State Board of Examiners reached a general agreement on the subject of adequate salaries for staff members of the State Board of Health. This general agreement served as the basis for initiating a department-wide reorganization.

As part of the reorganization, the Division of Sanitary Engineering and the Division of Food and Drug were combined to create a new Division of Environmental Sanitation. C. W. Brinck was appointed director of the new division on May 1, 1951. The new division was divided into three sections: water, sewage, and general sanitation. The Water Section was in charge of water supplies-- both public and private swimming pools, well drilling for public water supplies, and review of plans for waterworks, swimming pools, school buildings, and other public buildings. The Sewage Section was in charge of sewage disposal, stream pollution abatement, plan review, sewage plant systems, cesspool and septic tank cleaning, and garbage disposal. The General Sanitation Section was itself divided into two areas run by the sanitarian and by the chemist. Sanitary inspection services included inspections of restaurants, meat markets, food manufacturing, soft drink/ ice cream parlors, tourist camps, locker plants, camp sanitation, and mattress factories. The chemist was in charge of the laboratory, which conducted analyzes of water, sewage, soft drinks, meats, bakery products, canned goods, fruits for spray residue, insecticides and other poisons, drugs, and liquors.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This collection consists of three series: General Correspondence, Laboratory Records, and Subject Files. The General Correspondence (1914-1965) concerns the Cut Bank water system, various water treatment methods, mottling of tooth enamel, swimming pools, bacterium tularence, wells at Three Forks, and the Mutual Aid Program. The Laboratory Records consist of water lab reports for various Montana cities and towns (1942-1958). Included in the Subject Files are papers of the Montana Section of the American Water Works Association (1925-1949); analysis of the use of poly-phosphate in Hardin (1941-1942); chemical logs for Miles City (1932-1933); histories of the Billings and Great Falls waterworks; a lecture by W. M. Cobleigh on "Private Water Supplies: Their Selection, Protection, and Purification" (1920); the ordinance establishing the waterworks department in Kalispell (1914); a questionnaire on artificial ice plants (1926); and a sanitation evaluation of the Missoula City-County Health Department (1952). Selected printed materials were transferred to the Library. Photographs transferred to the Photo Archives include views of waterworks plants in Billings and Great Falls, Montana.

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 Library & Archives, Helena, Montana.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The collection is arranged by series.

Location of Collection

22:6-7

Processing Note

In 2024, the various collections of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality were integrated under one collection identifier, RS 494, in order to help facilitate access, reduce redundancy in the MTHS catalog, and to follow best archival practices.

Collections from Montana Department of Environmental Quality's various Divisions and Bureaus that were previously treated as separate entities are now integrated into this collection, RS 494. Rather than reprocessing over 150 linear feet of DEQ materials, MTHS staff decided to keep the past arrangement of those collections/finding aids, and provide access to them via links through the central finding aid. This decision has allowed the MTHS archival staff to maintain intellectual control over the collection, while removing the need to reprocess it. It also keeps State Agency finding aids at manageable sizes. Please read the scope and content note carefully to determine if this subgroup/sub-subgroup pertains to your research needs.

Acquisition Information

Acquisition information is available upon request.

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 / 1-12
Cut Bank water system
1914-1965
1 / 13
Water treatment methods
1925-1943
1 / 14
Mottling of tooth enamel
1932
1 / 15
Swimming pools
1924-1934
1 / 16
Bacterium tularence
1940
1 / 17
Three Forks wells
1938
1 / 18
Mutual Aid Program
1942-1943

Photographs Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1 / 19
List of photographs transferred to the Photo Archives
undated

Printed Materials Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1 / 20
List of printed material transferred to the Library
undated

Laboratory Records Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Volume
Vol. 1-2
Water lab reports, Montana cities and towns: Series K
1942 July - 1944 June
Vol. 3-4
Water lab reports, Montana cities and towns: Series L
1944 July - 1946 June
Vol. 5-6
Water lab reports, Montana cities and towns: Series M
1946 July - 1948 June
Vol. 7-8
Water lab reports, Montana cities and towns: Series N
1948 July - 1950 June
Vol. 9-10
Water lab reports, Montana cities and towns: Series O
1950 July - 1952 June
Box/Folder
2 / 1-5
Water lab reports, Montana cities and towns: untitled
1953-1958

Subject Files Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
3 / 1-3
American Water Works Association, Montana Section (includes constitution, minutes, proceedings, and programs)
1925-1949
3 / 4
Analysis of the use of poly-phosphate, City of Hardin Water Department
1941-1942
3 / 5
Chemical logs, Miles City
1932-1933
3 / 6
"Field and office standards," Montana State Highway Commission
1939
3 / 7
Histories of Billings and Great Falls waterworks
1925, 1939
3 / 8
Lecture, "Private Water Supplies: Their Selection, Protection, and Purification," by W.M. Cobleigh
1920
3 / 9
Montana Sewage Works Association program
1946
3 / 10
Montana Water Well Drillers Association program
1949
3 / 11
"Northern Pacific Railway, specifications and general plans of Minnesota State Board of Health governing the construction and maintenance of small railroad water supplies and instructions for the submission of plans and specifications of water and sewerage systems"
1922
3 / 12
Ordinance # 302, (re establishing Kalispell Water Works Department)
1914
3 / 13
Questionnaire: artificial ice plants
1926
3 / 14
"Requiring that all Public Water Works Operators and Employees submit to certain examinations to determine their fitness physically to carry on the duties of their employment," Dept. of Public Health, Division of Water and Sewage special report
1922
3 / 15
"Sanitation Evaluation Report on the Missoula City-County Health Department"
1952
3 / 16
School for Water Works Operators programs
1936, 1938, 1939
3 / 17
Water Works Men (minutes)
1925

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Municipal water Supply
  • Sewage--Purification
  • Water--Purification
  • Water-Supply

Geographical Names

  • Cut Bank (Mont.)--Politics and government
  • Great Falls (Mont.)
  • Hardin (Mont.)
  • Kalispell (Mont.)
  • Miles City (Mont.)
  • Missoula (Mont.)
  • Missoula County (Mont.)
  • Three Forks (Mont.)