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Montana Livestock Sanitary Board records, 1907-1967

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Montana Livestock Sanitary Board
Title
Montana Livestock Sanitary Board records
Dates
1907-1967 (inclusive)
Quantity
9 linear feet
Collection Number
RS 500 (Formerly RS 61)
Summary
This collection is a subgroup (Board) of the Montana Department of Livestock records, RS 500. Please see the primary finding aid for more Montana Department of Livestock records. These Montana Livestock Sanitary Board records (1907-1967) consist of correspondence, financial records, legal documents, reports, subject files, and miscellany for the Board, plus subgroups on foot-and-mouth disease, and tuberculosis. (Artifacts, maps, printed material, and photographs have been transferred to the Museum, Library, and Photograph Archives respectively.)
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.
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Historical Note

The Montana Live Stock Sanitary Board was established in 19O7 and consisted of three members: the president of the Board of Stock Commissioners, the president of the Board of Sheep Commissioners, and the president of the State Board of Health. The State Veterinarian served as secretary and executive officer of the Board. The Board was empowered to govern quarantines, establish and maintain livestock sanitary regulations, direct and regulate the slaughter of all diseased animals, provide for meat inspection, and provide for the payment of indemnity when required.

In 1921 the legislature increased the size of the Board to include all six members of the Livestock Commission, with the chairman of the Commission serving as chairman of the Board. The Board was also given additional powers, including the power to regulate the importation of livestock, the eradication and control of livestock diseases, and the movement and quarantine of animals infected with contagious diseases within the state. Additional powers were gradually granted by succeeding legislatures. In 1931 the Board got the power to inspect and grade meat; in 1949 the Board assumed the regulation of Montana's rendering plants; and in 1953 the Board began the supervision of garbage feeders and artificial inseminators.

The Montana Veterinary Research Laboratory, at Montana State College in Bozeman, was organized in 1929, as a cooperative effort of the Montana Livestock Sanitary Board, the Montana Experiment Station, the Montana Stockgrowers Association, and the Montana Woolgrowers Association. The laboratory was established to investigate diseases of range cattle and sheep.

Dr. William J. Butler was appointed state veterinary surgeon on March 4, 1913. He resigned in 1948 and was followed by Dr. Howard F. Wilkins (1948-1954) and Dr. Hadleigh Marsh (1954-1956). In 1956 Dr. J.W. Safford became state veterinarian and served until 1973.

The Montana Live Stock Sanitary Board was abolished in 1971, and its functions were transferred to the newly created Board of Livestock, which vested these responsibilities in the Department of Livestock, Animal Health Division, headed by the State Veterinarian.

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Content Description

The Montana Livestock Sanitary Board Records consist of general records from the Board, as well as records specific to two distinct programs overseen by the Board. The collection has been organized into four subgroups; three representing the records of the Board and its programs, and the fourth a listing of any items transferred to another program within the Montana Historical Society.

The Montana Live Stock Sanitary Board subgroup contains interoffice correspondence (1911-1922, 1957-1959) between the state veterinarian and other administrative officials and the field veterinarians around the state; general correspondence (1911-1922, 1956-1959) arranged into Montana correspondence, out-of-state correspondence, and topical correspondence; and outgoing circular letters (1913-1915, 1925-1929, 1957). This subgroup also includes financial records (1917-1968); legal documents (1922-1937); legislative materials (1957-1959); minutes of the Board (1956-1959); press releases (1959); annual reports (1919-1928); weekly field reports (1915-1918) of assistant state veterinarians; speeches and writings (1956-1959) of Dr. J.W. Safford and other Board employees; a subject file (1921-1961) on Bang's Disease, the State Laboratory Building Commission, and other topics; miscellany; and clippings.

The Foot-and-Mouth Disease subgroup contains general correspondence (1914-1915) documenting the successful efforts of the Board to combat the 1914 epidemic of this disease in Montana. The largest number of letters are with ranchers and homesteaders hoping to bring cattle and horses into the state and inquiring about quarantine regulations.

The Tuberculosis subgroup documents the Board's Tuberculosis Control Program during the 193Os. Earlier efforts to control this disease are partially documented in the general correspondence of the Montana Live Stock Sanitary Board subgroup. This subgroup contains general correspondence, legal documents, reports, and miscellany.

The Separations subgroup contains a list of the artifacts, maps, printed material, and photographs which have been transferred to the Museum, Library Map Collection, Library, and Photograph Archives respectively.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society Library & Archives. The Library & 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 & Archives, Helena, Montana.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is arranged by subgroup and then by series.

Location of Collection

18:7-6

Processing Note

In 2024, the various collections of the Department of Livestock were integrated under one collection identifier, RS 500, in order to help facilitate access, reduce redundancy in the Montana Historical Society Library & Archives catalog, and to follow best archival practices.

Collections from the Department of Livestock's Divisions and Boards that were previously treated as separate entities are now integrated into this collection, RS 500. Rather than reprocessing over 50 linear feet of Livestock materials, MTHS staff decided to keep the past arrangement of those collections/finding aids and provide access to them via links in this 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 Content Note carefully to determine if this subgroup/sub-subgroup pertains to your research needs.

Acquisition Information

Acquisition information is available upon request.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Agriculture and state
  • Cattle--Diseases
  • Coyotes
  • Dairying
  • Foot-and-mouth disease
  • Horses--Diseases
  • Predatory animals--Control
  • Sheep ranches--Montana
  • Swine--Breeding
  • Veterinarians--Montana
  • Veterinary hygiene
  • Veterinary medicine

Geographical Names

  • St. Ignatius (Mont.)
  • Wyoming

Finding aid prepared by MTHS Staff; Updated by Lindsey Mick
2004; 2024

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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