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Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Thomas Cruse papers, 1841-1956
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Cruse, Thomas, 1836-1914
- Title
- Thomas Cruse papers
- Dates
- 1841-1956 (inclusive)18411956
- Quantity
- 10 linear feet of shelf space
- Collection Number
- MC 36
- Summary
- Thomas Cruse was a Helena, Montana, miner, banker, and businessman. This collection (1841-1956) consists of incoming correspondence; legal and financial records; maps; reports; and miscellany. Records for Cruse's various enterprises are divided into nine subgroups including the Thomas Cruse Savings Bank; Thomas Cruse Estate; Thomas Cruse Mining and Development Company; etc.
- 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.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Thomas Cruse was born in County Cavan, Ireland, in 1836. He immigrated to America in 1856, spent seven years in New York, and then traveled to California by steamer in 1863. He prospected for gold throughout the California, Nevada, Idaho, and Montana mining regions for several years without success. In 1876, he discovered a rich lode, at Marysville, Montana, which became famous as the Drumlummon Mine and yielded millions in gold and silver. Cruse sold the mine in 1882 to the London Company Associated in England for nearly one and one-half million dollars. This company reorganized as Montana Company, Limited to operate the mine. Cruse formed the Thomas Cruse Savings Bank in Helena in 1887 and expanded his investment and mining enterprises into cattle and sheep ranching and oil speculation in Montana. Cruse married the sister of Montana's Senator Thomas H. Carter, Margaret Carter, in 1886. Cruse became one of the leading philanthropists in Montana. He was noted especially for his large contribution toward the construction of the Saint Helena Cathedral in Helena. Thomas Cruse died December 21, 1914.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection contains incoming and outgoing correspondence, financial records, legal documents, reports, and miscellany dealing with Cruse's various activities (1882-1914), including the Thomas Cruse Savings Bank and the N Bar Ranch. The collection also documents the Thomas Cruse Estate and the Thomas Cruse Mining and Development Company, which was formed from many of the Cruse holdings. Other subgroups represent key individuals active in the various Cruse organizations: Fred T. Cruse, Mamie T. Cruse, Richard Cruse, William J. Cruse, William Scallon, and William J. Sweeney. The collection documents mining activity in Montana (1879-1956), Montana banking (1887-1916), and Montana cattle and sheep ranching (1890-1913).
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
Arrangement
Arranged by subgroup and series. Some material housed in oversize folder in archives map case. Some material housed in manuscript volumes. See inventory below for more information.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection
Thomas Cruse Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Biographical Materials |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 1 | Vital statistics photocopies from
Cruse Family Bible (original bible transferred to Museum) |
1886 |
Incoming Correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 2-4 | B - C (includes Frank Cruse, Micheal
Cruse) |
1880, 1892-1894, 1900-1901 |
| 1 / 5 | D - F |
1893, 1899-1900 |
| 1 / 6 | H - I |
1894, 1898-1901 |
| 1 / 7-9 | Montana Company, Limited |
1882-1887, 1890 |
| 1 / 10 | Montana National Bank, Helena |
1893 |
| 1 / 11-16 | O - S (includes W.J. Sweeney) |
1893-1894 1911 |
| 1 / 17 | T - W |
1884, 1893-1895, 1903 |
| 1 / 18 | Unidentified (includes reports of
detective "R.H." tailing an African American man) |
1892 |
| 1 / 19 | Post Cards (includes Bishop John P.
Carroll; Lizzie and Will Cruse; Father Victor Day; Mame Cruse; Anna
Olson; Nettie Rosenbaum; Sister Rose Vincent; Sister M. Cecilia of
St. Vincent's Academy; Sophie and Charles Watkins) |
1905, 1912-1913 |
Outgoing Correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 1 | Montana Company, Limited |
1882-1886 |
| 2 / 2 | Miscellaneous |
1889, 1893 1902, 1914 |
Court Papers |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 3 | Miscellaneous: affidavit re Comer
Lodge; subpoena; judgement Montana Mining Company vs Charles Mayger |
1884, 1886, 1895 |
Financial Records |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 4 | Dividend reports of Montana Company,
Limited |
1884-1889 |
| Volume | ||
| 1-3 | General ledgers |
1885-1899, 1909-1914 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 5 | Promissory notes |
1880-1884 |
| 2 / 6 | Time book |
1895 |
| Volume | ||
| 4-5 | Trial balance book (includes Thomas
Cruse estate) |
1914-1921 |
Legal Documents |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 7 | Affidavits of annual representation |
1900-1909 |
| 2 / 8 | Agreements with Catholic Church |
1911, 1916 |
| 2 / 9 | Agreements: miscellaneous |
1882-1884 1887, 1896 1898 |
| 2 / 10 | Bills of sale |
1886, undated |
| 2 / 11 | Contracts |
1896, 1898 |
| 2 / 12 | Declarations of trust |
1882 |
| 2 / 13 | Declaratory statements: lode
locations, lode mining claims, mill sites, placer locations, quartz
locations, tunnel sites |
1879-1901 |
| 2 / 14-15 | Deeds |
1869, 1879-1889 |
| Oversize Folder | ||
| 1 | Deeds [Map Case] |
1869, 1879-1889 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3 / 1-4 | Deeds |
1891-1914 |
| 3 / 5 | Indentures: Resurrection Cemetery
Association; Judith Farms Company |
1913 |
| 3 / 6 | Letters of agreement with A.H.
Mallory |
1882-1883 |
| 3 / 7 | Mortgages |
1880, 1884 |
| 3 / 8 | Patents: assignments of patents |
1883-1903 |
| Oversize Folder | ||
| 1 | Patents: assignments of patents [Map
Case] |
1883-1903 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3 / 9 | Patents: "Method of Extracting Gold
and Silver from their Ores" |
1898 |
| 3 / 10 | Penobscot Mining Company |
1898, 1909 |
| 3 / 11 | Resolutions: Montana Company, Limited |
1885, 1887 |
| 3 / 12 | Settlement with H.C. Cotter in re
Mary Margaret Cotter |
1914 |
| 3 / 13 | Titles: abstract to "Topsy" Lode,
etc.; memorandum re "Frank Kratky", "Gold Hill", and "Fold Rocky
Hill" claims |
1900 |
| 3 / 14 | Wills |
1897, 1914 |
| Oversize Folder | ||
| 1 | Miscellaneous |
1864, 1889, 1913 |
Maps, Photographs, Printed Materials:
|
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3 / 15 | List of materials transferred to the
Library and Photo Archives |
undated |
Reports |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 1 | "Drum Lummon gold & Silver Mine,
Montana", by John Darlington (with maps) |
November 1, 1882 |
| 4 / 2 | Helena Daily Business Report No. 22
(in re sale of placer claim deed to S. Foster by Thomas Cruse) |
June 26, 1894 |
| 4 / 3-6 | The Montana Company, Limited |
1883-1885, 1887-1889, 1893 |
| 4 / 7 | "Report to Thomas Cruse by G.C.
Swallow M.D. Oil Springs Park County (now Carbon), Montana" |
1894 |
Miscellany |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 8 | Letter to Miss Cruse from West Point
Cadet "Allen" |
undated |
| 4 / 9 | Miscellaneous: includes American
Mining Congress certificate of membership; New York Catholic Club
membership book; Thomas and Margaret Cruse wedding invitation |
1886, 1894, 1902 |
| Oversize Folder | ||
| 1 | Miscellaneous [see above description
Map Case] |
1886, 1894, 1902 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 10 | Miscellaneous: map and description of
Helena lots |
1893 |
Clippings |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 11 | The Mining World and Engineering
Record |
1895 |
The Thomas Cruse Savings Bank Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Incoming Correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 12-13 | B-W |
1892-1897 |
Outgoing Correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 14 | Miscellaneous |
1893-1894, 1897, 1913 |
Organization |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 15 | Articles of association |
1887 |
| 4 / 16 | Bylaws |
1902, undated |
Miscellany |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 17 | The Thomas Cruse Savings Bank account
book; drafts |
1910, 1915 |
N Bar Ranch Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
General Correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 5 / 1 | Miscellaneous |
1896-1911 |
Financial Records |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 5 / 2 | Account ledger |
1887-1888 |
| 5 / 3 | Check blanks |
undated |
| 5 / 4 | Inventories of livestock |
1891-1896 |
| 5 / 5 | Inventories |
undated |
| 5 / 6 | Journal (including account and
miscellaneous records) |
1887-1898 |
| 5 / 7 | Receipts for cattle purchased |
1892, 1898 |
Maps |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 5 / 8 | List of maps separated to Library |
undated |
Thomas Cruse Estate Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Incoming Correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 5 / 9-12 | A-G |
1915-1921 |
| 5 / 13 | Hoyt, B.F. |
1918-1919 |
| 5 / 14 | Hunt, William H. |
1915 |
| 5 / 15-17 | I-W |
1915-1919 |
| 5 / 18 | Miscellaneous |
1917-1919, undated |
Outgoing Correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6 / 1-4 | Miscellaneous |
1915-1919, undated |
Court Papers |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6 / 5 | Inventory and appraisement of real
and personal property |
1915, 1917, undated |
| 6 / 6 | Petition for and decree of final
distribution |
1921 |
| 6 / 7 | Writs of attachment |
1915 |
Financial Records |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6 / 8 | Bank deposit account book |
1915-1921 |
| 6 / 9 | Donations and expenses list |
1915-1916 |
| Volume | ||
| 7 | General ledgers |
1914-1920 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6 / 10 | Receipt: estate payments in Ireland |
1915-1916 |
| 6 / 11 | Receipt: sale of stock |
1916 |
| 6 / 12 | Tax receipts |
1915-1917 |
| 6 / 13 | Vouchers: payments to Catholic Church |
1915 |
Legal Documents |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6 / 14 | Agreement with Catholic Church in re
mausoleum |
1915 |
| 6 / 15 | Agreements |
1898, 1915, 1917, 1921 |
| 6 / 16 | Bill of sale to C.W. Colgrove |
1919 |
| 6 / 17 | Certificates of location |
1915 |
| 6 / 18 | Deeds |
1898, 1920 |
| 6 / 19 | Powers of attorney |
1915-1919 |
Maps |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6 / 20 | List of maps transferred to Library |
undated |
Miscellany |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6 / 21 | Brunton Oil, Gas, and Development
Company |
1917 |
Thomas Cruse Mining And Development Company Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Incoming Correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6 / 22-28 | A-W |
1914-1946 |
Outgoing Correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6 / 29-31 | Miscellaneous |
1919-1946, undated |
Court Papers |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 7 / 1 | City of Helena vs Thomas Cruse Mining
and Development Company, et al |
1938-1942, undated |
| 7 / 2 | Thomas Cruse Mining and Development
Company vs A.F. Vaughn, et al |
1922, 1926, undated |
| 7 / 3 | Miscellaneous |
1917-1941 |
Financial Records |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 7 / 4-13 | Annual and monthly statements |
1910-1941 |
| 8 / 1 | Annual and monthly statements:
Franklin Mine |
1916-1917 |
| 8 / 2 | Claims against the company |
1916, undated |
| 8 / 3 | Inventory and list of equipment |
undated |
| 8 / 4 | Lands held by company |
1915-1938, undated |
| 8 / 5 | Legal fees |
1913, 1926, 1937, 1941 |
| 8 / 6 | Ore payments: Bald Mountain Mine |
1933, 1937 |
| 8 / 7 | Ore payments: Belmont Mines |
1934-1936, 1941-1942 |
| 8 / 8-12 | Ore payments: Franklin Mine |
1913, 1915-1918, 1933-1943 |
| 8 / 13 | Ore payments: Jackson Creek Mine |
1901-1902 |
| 8 / 14 | Ore payments: Kennedy Mine |
1934 |
| 8 / 15 | Ore payments: North Star Mine |
1902-1903; 1932 |
| 8 / 16 | Ore payments: Springhill Mine |
1940 |
| Oversize Folder | ||
| 1 | Payroll: Franklin Mine [Map Case] |
1916-1918 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 9 / 1 | Property owned by Thomas Cruse Mining
and Development Company and T.C. Power Company |
1936 |
| 9 / 2 | Receipt book: Jackson Creek Mine |
August 1896- August 1897 |
| 9 / 3 | Recapitulation statement |
undated |
| 9 / 4 | Royalty remittance: Franklin Mine |
1938 |
| 9 / 5 | Smelter reports: Franlin Mine |
1916-1917 |
| 9 / 6 | Tax receipts |
1922, 1931-1943 |
| 9 / 7 | Miscellaneous |
1865, 1882-1934 |
| 9 / 8 | Miscellaneous: Franklin Mine |
1912, 1914, 1932 |
Legal Documents |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 9 / 9 | Affidavit of annual representation |
1920 |
| 9 / 10 | Affidavit of publication |
1917-1943 |
| 9 / 11 | Contracts |
1921-1931 |
| 9 / 12 | Deeds |
1919, 1920, 1938 |
| 9 / 13 | Land and water use agreement with
Montana Power Company |
1928 |
| 9 / 14-15 | Leases |
1918-1921, 1925-1934 |
| 9 / 16 | Mortgages |
1919 |
| 9 / 17 | Notice of debt |
1933 |
| 9 / 18 | Notice of quartz locations |
1922 |
| 9 / 19 | Powers of attorney |
1919 |
Maps |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 9 / 20 | List of maps transferred to the
library |
undated |
Production Records |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 10 / 1-5 | Assay reports |
1900-1902, 1908-1911 |
| 10 / 6 | Assay reports: Bald Mountain Mine |
1913, 1932-1936 |
| 10 / 7-9 | Assay reports: Franklin mine |
1913-1915, 1931 |
| Oversize-folder | ||
| 1 | Assay reports: Franklin mine
[blueprint of drilling location in Map Case] |
1913-1915, 1931 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 10 / 10 | Assay reports: Jackson Creek Mine |
1902 |
| 10 / 11 | Assay reports: North Star Mine |
1902-1903, 1933-1942 |
| 10 / 12 | Assay reports: mill cleanup, etc. |
1900-1942 |
Organization |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 11 / 1 | Articles of incorporation |
1916, 1956 |
| 11 / 2 | Board meetings |
1917, 1919, 1931, 1937, undated |
| 11 / 3 | Notice to stockholders |
1924-1935 |
| 11 / 4 | Records index book |
undated |
| 11 / 5 | Stockholders list |
1933, undated |
Reports |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 11 / 6-7 | Future mining feasibility study:
Franklin Mine |
1917, 1928 |
| 11 / 8 | "Report on Franklin Mine" by W.J.
Cooke |
August 1, 1917 |
| 11 / 9 | "Report on Work Done Since August
1st, 1917", by W.F. Word |
April18, 1918 |
Miscellany |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 11 / 10-11 | Memoranda (re Cruse properties) |
1936-1943, undated |
| 11 / 12 | Ore shipman memoranda (re Franklin
Mine) |
1913-1914 |
Richard Cruse Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
General Correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 12 / 1 | W.G. Hunter |
1935-1936 |
Incoming Correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 12 / 2 | A-C |
1911-1914, 1929-1941 |
| 12 / 3 | D-G |
1911, 1916, 1927-1943 |
| 12 / 4 | H-M (photographs included) |
1910-1916, 1921-1942 |
| 12 / 5 | N-S |
1909, 1926-1941 |
| 12 / 6 | T-W |
1904, 1906, 1911-1935 |
Outgoing Correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 12 / 7-8 | Miscellaneous |
1919-1933, 1937-1942 |
Financial Records |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 12 / 9 | Cancelled checks |
1916-1933 |
| 12 / 10 | Promissory notes |
1915, 1926 |
| 12 / 11 | Receipts |
1939, 1941-1943 |
| 12 / 12-13 | Tax receipts |
1918-1943 |
Legal Documents |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 12 / 14 | Will of Thomas Cruse (of County
Cavan, Ireland) |
1937 |
| 12 / 15 | Miscellaneous |
1903, 1906, 1910 |
Printed Materials |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 12 / 16 | Brotherhood of the Protective Order
of the Elks |
1917-1939 |
| 12 / 17 | Catholic Church |
1939-1942 |
| 12 / 18 | Knights of Columbus |
1913-1940, undated |
| 12 / 19 | Miscellaneous |
1932, 1939, 1943 |
Ephemera |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 12 / 20 | Order of Scottish Clans dues book |
1930-1939 |
| 12 / 21 | "I Am the Light, the Life, the Way"
(a poem dedicated to the memory of Margaret Cruse) |
1913 |
Clippings |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 12 / 22 | Miscellaneous |
1923-1945, undated |
William J. Cruse Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Legal Documents |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 12 / 23 | Miscellaneous |
1895, 1912-1913 |
Fred T. Cruse Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Outgoing Correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 12 / 24 | Miscellaneous |
1904 |
Mamie M. Cruse Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Legal Documents |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 12 / 25 | Divorce decree |
1911 |
William Scallon Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Incoming Correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 13 / 1 | A-B |
1922-1945 |
| 13 / 2 | W.P. Caubu |
1936-1942 |
| 13 / 3 | Collins Land Company |
1939 |
| 13 / 4 | W.J. Cooke |
1923-1939 |
| 13 / 5 | Carrie B. Cruse |
1936, 1941, undated |
| 13 / 6 | Cruse Gold Company |
1938-1941 |
| 13 / 7 | William J. Cruse |
1936, 1941 |
| 13 / 8 | John F. Delvin |
1922-1924, 1939-1942 |
| 13 / 9 | F |
1935-1946 |
| 13 / 10 | G-J |
1925-1940 |
| 13 / 11 | K-M |
1927-1943 |
| 13 / 12 | M-O |
1922-1944 |
| 13 / 13 | P-R |
1923-1942 |
| 13 / 14 | S |
1922, 1941 |
| 13 / 15 | T |
1922-1941 |
| 13 / 16 | U.S. Foreign Service; U.S. Interior
Department |
1937-1941 |
| 13 / 17 | W |
1937-1941 |
| 13 / 18 | Unidentified |
1931 |
Outgoing Correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 13 / 19-21 | Miscellaneous |
1922-1928, 1930-1942, 1944-1946 |
William J. Sweeney Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Financial Records |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 13 / 22 | Cancelled checks |
1890-1891 |
| 13 / 23 | Deposit book |
1894-1897 |
| 13 / 24 | Expense book |
1889 |
Legal Documents |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 13 / 25 | Miscellaneous |
1882-1900, undated |
Reports |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 13 / 26 | "Field Notes of the Survey of the
Mining Claim of William J. Sweeney" (Confident Lode), John W. Wade |
1892 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Cattle Raising--Montana [Central]
- Mines and mineral resources--Montana--Lewis and Clark County
- Banks and banking--Montana--Helena
Personal Names
- Cruse, Thomas, 1836-1914 (creator)
Geographical Names
- Drumlummon Mine (Marysville, Mont.)
- Gallatin County (Mont.)
- Helena (Mont.)--Commerce
- Helena (Mont.)--Religious life and source=lcsh"> Marysville (Mont.)
- N Bar Ranch (Mont.)
- Park County (Mont.)
- St. Helena Cathedral (Helena, Mont.)
Finding aid prepared by MHS staff.
2004
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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