Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Davis Willson Papers, 1861-1915
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Willson, Davis, 1841-1915
- Title
- Davis Willson Papers
- Dates
- 1861-191518611915
- Quantity
- 2 linear feet
- Collection Number
- Collection 1076, MtBC, us (collection)
- Summary
- The Davis Willson Papers consist of his diary kept during his journey to Montana in 1866 and newspaper clippings from the Montana Post and other publications that were primarily written by Willson. The diary describes a trip from Canton, NY, to the Penwell Ranch in the Gallatin Valley, May 7 - September 6, 1866. The newspaper clipping topics include Indian activities, descriptions of Bozeman and the upper Yellowstone valley, Montana politics, and national politics during Reconstruction. The papers also include a handwritten letter from S.P. Moore, Acting Surgeon General, Confederate States Army, dated Richmond, Virginia, August 5, 1861, to General Robert E. Lee requesting quinine.
- Repository
-
Montana State University Library, Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections
Montana State University-Bozeman Library
Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT
59717-3320
Telephone: 4069944242
Fax: 4069942851
- Access Restrictions
-
This collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Davis Willson (1841-1915) was a Presbyterian minister, newspaperman, merchant, land office agent, and early Montana pioneer. He came to the territory in 1866 from Canton, New York and became one of the first residents of the town of Bozeman. He wrote a series of articles for the Montana Post at Virginia City during the 1860s and 1870s describing Indian and mining activities in the area. After serving as register of the U.S. Land office at Bozeman he prepared for the ministry and was ordained in 1889. Willson organized churches at Hamilton and Springhill, Montana.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Willson papers consist of his diary kept during his journey to Montana in 1866 and newspaper clippings from the Montana Post and other publications that were primarily written by Willson. The diary describes a trip from Canton, NY, to the Penwell Ranch in the Gallatin Valley, May 7-September 6, 1866. The party brought trade goods for the settlements in Montana. The men included Charles V. Rich, Charles C, Frank Rich, Perry Jones, Perry Earl, Frank, L.W. Tuller, Haldeman, Whoren (or Whorner). Wagon trains traveled with included Phillips and Freelands, Creightons, Kirkenkdolphs, Whitneys. Train captains mentioned were Charles V. Rich and John Freeland. People mentioned were Barton and Hustad (scalped on the Bozeman Trail mentioned in July 29), A.T. Huickley, Jennie Sanderson, J.H. Nuly, Charlie Caldwell, Rutan, Phillips, Oscar Penwell. There is a good description of the approach to the Gallatin Valley. The newspaper clipping topics include Indian activities, descriptions of Bozeman and the upper Yellowstone valley, Montana politics, and national politics during Reconstruction. The papers also include a handwritten letter from S.P. Moore, Acting Surgeon General, Confederate States Army, dated Richmond, Virginia, August 5, 1861, to General Robert E. Lee requesting quinine.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Acquisition Information
The Davis Willson papers were donated to Special Collections by Mrs. Robert Adams of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in July 1973. The papers were created or collected by Davis Willson during his lifetime in Bozeman, Montana. Upon his death in 1915 the items went to his son, Frank G. Willson of Massachusetts. His daughter, Martha Davis Adams had final possession before donating them to Special Collections.
Processing Note
This collection was processed 2009 March 5
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/1 | Diary | May 7-September 6, 1866 |
| 1/2 | Diary transcription | |
| 1/3 | Clippings
Funeral Oration, (Avant Courier), for Charles V. Rich; Advertisement for Willson's
opening of an office as U.S. Land and Mining Attorney; "Some history-leading up to
staking our tent in Bozeman. Taken from the diary of Rev. Davis Willson" Republican
Courier; "Opportunities today are unsurpassed says pioneer..." Bozeman Courier;
Obituaries.
|
1896, 1912-1913 |
| 1/4 | Clippings
Newspaper columns written (with related clippings probably by another reporter). Indian
problems in Montana which related to Bozeman.
|
1867-1869 |
| 1/5 | Clippings
Newspaper columns written about Bozeman and the upper Yellowstone (Emigrant Gulch).
Includes Avant Courier.
|
1867-1874 |
| 1/6 | Clippings
Political problems after the Civil War...impeachment of Pres. Andrew Johnson.
|
|
| 1/7 | Clippings
Mr. and Mrs. Lester S. Willson. "Things I saw Yesterday" by A.K. Yerkes. Politics in
Montana Territory.
|
|
| 1/8 | Military letter, S.P. Moore, C.S.A. | 1861 August 5 |
| 1/9 | Printed ephemera |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Frontier and pioneer life-Montana
- Indians of North America-Press coverage-Montana
- Journalists-Montana
- Montana post
- Pioneers-Montana-Diaries
- Quinine
- Ranches-Gallatin Valley (Wyo. and Mont.)
Personal Names
- Lee, Robert E. (Robert Edward), 1807-1870-Correspondence
- Moore, Samuel Preston, 1813-1889-Correspondence
Corporate Names
- Confederate States of America-Army-Medical supplies
Geographical Names
- Bozeman (Mont.)
- Canton (N.Y.)
- Gallatin River Valley (Wyo. and Mont.)
- Montana-Newspapers
- Montana-Politics and government
- United States-Politics and government-1865-1877
- Virginia City (Mont.)-Newspapers
- West (U.S.)-Description and travel
- Yellowstone River Valley-Description and travel
Form or Genre Terms
- Clippings-Montana
- Diaries
Kim Allen Scott, 2009
December 30, 2016
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
