Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Montana Liquor Control Board Records, 1933-1962
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Montana Liquor Control Board
- Title
- Montana Liquor Control Board Records
- Dates
- 1933-1962 (inclusive)19331962
- Quantity
- 5 linear feet of shelf space
- Collection Number
- RS 23
- Summary
- These Montana Liquor Control Board records (1933-1962) consist of interoffice and general correspondence, case files, legal documents, printed materials, reports, subject files, and miscellany.
- 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 Liquor Control Act, passed in 1933 by the Twenty-third Legislative Assembly, created the state liquor control system as one of the nation's seventeen "monopoly" states. Within its monopoly the state of Montana operated liquor stores, licensed individual purchases and retailers, exercised regulatory powers, and merchandised alcoholic beverages. The sale of beer was administered by the Board of Equalization, while state liquor stores were under the jurisdiction of a board composed of the governor, the attorney general, and the secretary of state.
At the time of the enactment of the Liquor Control Act, only the sale of beer was permitted in Montana's taverns. In 1937 the passage of the Retail Liquor Act amended the 1933 legislation permitting the sale of liquor-by-the-drink and packaged liquor by licensed taverns. Simultaneously, the administration of state liquor stores was transferred to the newly created Montana Liquor Control Board (MLCB), which consisted of three members appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. The first meeting of an appointive Liquor Control Board was held on April 5, 1937. The MCLB appointed an administrator who handled the day-today operation of the state liquor control system, but who was answerable to the board.
The MCLB employed a team of inspectors, also called examiners, who worked under a chief inspector and his assistants. The principal duty of the inspectors was to screen applicants for liquor licenses by making a thorough investigation of the applicant's eligibility under state regulations. The inspectors also made two or three annual, on-site inspections of the premises where beer and liquor licenses were in operation.
As a result of the reorganization of state government following the ratification of Montana's 1972 Constitution, the MCLB was abolished by the 1973 Legislative Assembly, and its functions were transferred to the State Department of Revenue's Liquor Division.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
These records consist of interoffice correspondence (1938-1960) concerned primarily with the day-to-day operations of the MLC Board with its attorneys, board members, examiners, and other functionaries; general correspondence (1933-1960) arranged alphabetically by correspondent and subject, dealing with MLCB transactions with federal and state government agencies, state liquor store vendors, and the general public; case files (1933-1944) which focus in large part on those court cases which determined the board's regulatory powers and the limits on those powers; legal documents (1938); printed material (1940); reports (c.1950-1962); subject files (1934-1956), including a sampled file, "Thompson's Place, Gold Creek, Powell County," representative of the licensing process; and miscellany (1933-1959). Artifacts, maps, photographs, and printed materials have been transferred to the Museum, Library Map Collection, Photo Archives, and Library respectively.
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
Interoffice Correspondence Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 1 | Attorney for the Board [Paul W. Smith]
(includes opinions) |
1944-1949 |
| 1 / 2 | Attorney for the Board [Wesley W. Wertz] |
1952-1953 |
| 1 / 3 | Attorney for the Board [H. J. Luxan] |
1953-1956, 1959-1960 |
| 1 / 4 | Claims Clerk (includes "Recapitulation of
Transportation Claims Filed 1942 through 1944") |
1946-1956 |
| 1 / 5 | Examiner [H. O. (Halvor) Ekern] |
1941-1952 |
| 1 / 6 | Examiner [Dell A. Lloyd] |
1953-1959 |
| 1 / 7 | Examiner [Bruce O. Mefford] |
1953-1959 |
| 1 / 8 | Examiner [Frank J. Winzeler] |
1952-1957; 1959 |
| 1 / 9 | Examiners [Clyde C. Bowers, George Fowlie
Jr., Chris W. Morgensen, Stuart H. Nicholson, E. F. Patterson] |
1945-1959 |
| 1 / 10 | Law Enforcement Division |
1938 |
| 1 / 11 | Law Enforcement Department |
1944-1958 |
| 1 / 12 | Montana Liquor Control Board Chairman [A.
E. McFatridge] |
1943 |
| 1 / 13 | Montana Liquor Control Board Chairman [J.
E. Rafn] |
1953-1960 |
| 1 / 14 | Montana Liquor Control Board Members [H.
R. Carlson, Oakley E. Coffee, Ashton Jones] |
1953-1960 |
| 1 / 15 | Opinions [T. H. MacDonald, Assistant
Administrator] |
1942 |
| 1 / 16 | Store auditors [Claire E. Flint, Harry
Harlen, A. F. McCline, Harry M. Rawn, William Webb] |
1941-1947 |
| 1 / 17 | Store supervisors [George A. Davis; Frank
Hayes) |
1941, 1954 |
General Correspondence Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 18 | Actions by Board (re appointments of
inspectors) |
1953 |
| 1 / 19 | Alcohol - Tax Free (sampled) |
1951 |
| 1 / 20 | Alcohol Tax Unit (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax
Division, Internal Revenue Service) |
1948-1953 |
| 1 / 21 | Alcohol - Warehouse (sampled) |
1951 |
| 1 / 22 | American Bank Note Company (re liquor
identification stamps; includes agreement; also includes American
Decalcomania Company) |
1952 |
| 1 / 23 | Governor J. Hugo Aronson |
1953-1959 |
| 1 / 24 | Attorney General |
1933-1935 |
| 1 / 25 | Attorney General [Raymond T. Nagle] (re
Beer Act) |
1933-1936 |
| 1 / 26 | Attorney General - Opinions |
1937-1942 |
| 1 / 27 | Bank Depository Requests (sampled) |
1941, 1953-1954, 1960 |
| 1 / 28-29 | Beer (includes Montana Beer Wholesalers'
Association materials, monthly "Beer Shipments into Montana from Out of
State" 1952) |
1951-1960 |
| 1 / 30 | Burglar Alarms - Stores (includes
burglary statistics by stores; sampled) |
1954-1958 |
| 1 / 31 | Collector of Internal Revenue (includes
legal description of state liquor stores, 1949) |
1941-1942, 1949 |
| 1 / 32 | Indian Liquor Laws |
1951-1960 |
| 2 / 1 | Federal Alcohol Tax Unit |
1937-1941 |
| 2 / 2 | Interdictions (sampled; includes
statistical summaries) |
1951-1960 |
| 2 / 3 | Legal opinions (miscellaneous, Paul
Smith) |
1944-1946 |
| 2 / 4 | License matters - complaints |
1952 |
| 2 / 5 | Licensed Beverage Industries (includes
Montana-related statistics) |
1953 |
| 2 / 6 | Livingston tavern regulations violations |
1939 |
| 2 / 7 | Miscellaneous - License Department
(sampled) (includes incoming and outgoing correspondence of T. H.
MacDonald, Assistant Administrator) |
1941-1942 |
| 2 / 8 | Miscellaneous (sampled) (includes
incoming and outgoing correspondence of R. M. O'Hearn, Administrator,
and John E. Manning, Administrator) |
1952-1953 |
| 2 / 9 | Miscellaneous (sampled) (includes
incoming and outgoing correspondence of John E. Manning, Administrator) |
1954-1955 |
| 2 / 10 | Miscellaneous (sampled) (includes
incoming and outgoing correspondence of John E. Manning, Administrator) |
1955-1956 |
| 2 / 11 | Miscellaneous (sampled) (includes
incoming and outgoing correspondence of John E. Manning, Administrator) |
1957-1958 |
| 2 / 12 | Miscellaneous (sampled) (includes
incoming and outgoing correspondence of John E. Manning, Administrator) |
1958-1960 |
| 2 / 13 | Montana Beer Wholesalers' Association
(includes newsletter) |
1952-1953 |
| 2 / 14 | Montana Licensed Beverage Association
(sampled) |
1943, 1957-1958 |
| 2 / 15 | Montana Retail Liquor Dealers Association
(includes resolutions) |
1952-1955 |
| 2 / 16 | Montana State [Agencies] |
1954-1960 |
| 2 / 17 | Montana State Alcoholic and Narcotics
Division |
1954 |
| 2 / 18 | Montana State Board of Health (includes
Narcotic and Alcohol Education Program's "Objectives and Aims and a
Proposed Pattern of Attack") |
1951 |
| 2 / 19-20 | Montana State Board of Health (includes
minutes and reports of Alcoholism and Narcotics Advisory Committee) |
1955-1960 |
| 2 / 21 | Montana Board of Health, Alcohol and
Narcotics (includes minutes) |
1960 |
| 2 / 22 | Montana Board of Health, Alcohol and
Narcotics (includes "First Rough Draft of the Compilation of
Subcommittee Reports for the Editing Subcommittee of the Narcotics and
Alcoholism Advisory Committee to the Montana State Board of Health") |
1960 |
| 2 / 23 | National Alcoholic Beverage Control
Association (includes information re liquor purchases on military
installations; liquor sales to Indians) |
1952-1956 |
| 2 / 24 | National Alcoholic Beverage Control
Association, Inc. |
1957, 1959-1960 |
| 2 / 25 | OPS (Alcoholic Beverage Section, U.S.
Office of Price Stabilization) |
1951-1952 |
| 2 / 26 | Sacramental wine (sampled) |
1955 |
| 2 / 27 | Store supervisor applications (sampled) |
1953 |
| 2 / 28 | Transportation (re transportation of
liquor contract; sampled) |
1943, 1952-1959 |
| 2 / 29 | Unions (includes Butte Clerks' Union,
Retail Clerks' Union, Teamsters' Union) |
1944, 1951, 1953, 1955 |
Outgoing Correspondence Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 30-32 | Circular letters (to state liquor store
vendors) |
1941-1959 |
Miscellaneous Correspondence Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 33 | J. A. Buley to War Production Board and
Office of the Rubber Director (re Montana Phosphate Products Company
Mines at Garrison and Avon) |
1944 |
Case Files Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3 / 1 | Paul Dayton and Joy Wood License Denial,
[Fort Owen Inn] near Stevensville, Ravalli County (re power of MLCB to
deny license) |
1940-1942 |
| 3 / 2 | Herman J. Erie vs Montana Liquor Control
Board (re extent of contractual agreement with liquor store operators) |
1941-1943 |
| 3 / 3 | Green Mill Tavern, A. J. McGovern, Great
Falls |
1942 |
| 3 / 4 | W. T. Harris, Pepper Box, Lewis and Clark
(re MLCB vs. W. T. Harris; right of Board to revoke license without
court trial) |
undated |
| 3 / 5-6 | In the Matter of the Revocation of Retail
Beer License No. 1086 issued to Price S. Purdum and Kyle Cleveland |
1948 |
| 3 / 7-8 | Sherman McCarten vs Montana Liquor
Control Board (re MLCB's power to regulate) |
1938-1941 |
| 3 / 9 | Vasco C. Michelotti Case - The Oasis,
Black Eagle, Montana |
1942-1943 |
| 3 / 10-12 | Monaghan Case (re Montana ex rel. Mrs.
James Sullivan, et al [represented by Joseph P. Monaghan] vs. MLCB,
concerning size of community and license fee) |
1937-1941 |
| 3 / 13 | MCLB vs District Court of the 7th
Judicial District ([Sherman] McCarten Case) (re MLCB discretion in the
issuance of licenses) |
1942 |
| 3 / 14 | [John] Pollard vs MCLB (re amount of fee
based upon size and location of town) |
1941-1943 |
| 3 / 15-18 | O. H. P. Shelley, [Receiver, Rocky
Mountain Brands, Inc.] vs MLCB (includes MLCB vs District Court of First
Judicial District and George W. Padbury, Jr.) |
1933-1942 |
| 3 / 19 | Stockman's Exchange, Dell, John McGrath
(re allegations of prostitution) |
1942-1943 |
| 3 / 20 | Joseph E. Swindlehurst vs. Montana Liquor
Control Board (re compulsion to change saloon location) |
1944 |
| 3 / 21 | Joseph Ventura vs Liquor Control Board
(re size and location of town and license fee) |
1941-1942 |
| 3 / 22 | Villages - Five Mile area (re MLCB vs
District Court of the 2nd Judicial District) |
1937 |
| 3 / 23 | Wing Shing Company vs MLCB (re Chinese
whiskey) |
1941-1942 |
Financial Records Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| Vol. 1-2 | General Ledger |
1933-1959 |
Legal Documents Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3 / 24 | Legal Papers |
1938 |
Maps Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3 / 25 | List of maps transferred to the Library
Map Collection |
Photographs Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3 / 26 | List of photographs transferred to the
Photo Archives |
Printed Material Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3 / 27 | Montana Liquor Control Board Audit Report |
1934-1935 |
| 3 / 28 | Petition for Initiative (re creation of
state liquor control board) |
1940 |
| 3 / 29 | List of printed material transferred to
the Library |
Reports Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3 / 29a | Inventory of Merchandise in the Montana
Liquor Control Board Warehouse [includes inventory of equipment and
machinery and audit of Beer License and Beer Tax Department] |
1941 |
| 3 / 30 | Investigation of credit practices within
the wholesale beer industry in Butte and Anaconda |
1962 |
| 3 / 31 | Monthly Brewing Report: Butte Brewing
Company (includes name of account and amount sold) |
1957-1959 |
| 3 / 32 | Monthly Brewing Report: Great Falls
Breweries, Inc. (includes name of account and amount sold) |
1957-1959 |
| 3 / 33 | Monthly Brewing Report: Missoula Brewing
Company (includes name of account and amount sold) |
1957-1959 |
| 3 / 34 | Warehouse (operation of MLCB Warehouse,
Helena) |
circa 1950 |
Subject Files Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3 / 35 | Governor's Staff Meetings (includes
reports from MLCB, State Lands and Investments, State Controller, State
Personnel, Highway Patrol, Public Welfare, State Prison, Custodian
Department, Labor and Industry, State Engineer, State Civil Defense,
Fish & Game) |
1953-1954 |
| 4 / 1-4 | Leases of State Liquor Stores (includes
legal descriptions of properties) |
1949-1956 |
| 4 / 5 | Montana Warranty |
1950-1953 |
Miscellany Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 7 | Blank Forms |
1933-1959 |
| 4 / 8 | Cash and stock control methods proposal |
circa 1938 |
| 4 / 9 | Informational pamphlet draft (re MLCB
history and revenue) |
circa 1948 |
| 4 / 10 | Legislative bills |
1947-1949 |
| 4 / 11 | Legislative bills (includes Report of the
Liquor Investigation Committee of the House of Representatives of the
Thirty-first Legislative Assembly, 1951; letter of Attorney General
Arnold H. Olsen re investigations of liquor and gambling, 1951) |
1951-1953 |
| 5 / 1 | List of artifacts transferred to the
Museum |
|
| 5 / 2 | List of inspectors and their districts |
undated |
| 5 / 3 | Montana Liquor Control Board warehouse
blueprints [contains OVERSIZE MATERIAL] |
1955 |
| 5 / 4 | Montana State Board of Health Circular
Letter (re retail beer establishments, 1934) and Tavern Regulation #132 |
1934-1935 |
| 5 / 5 | National Alcoholic Beverage Control
Association Third Annual Convention, Glacier National Park (includes
program, etc.) |
1940 |
| 5 / 6 | Office Information (includes statistical
data) |
1939-1941 |
| 5 / 7 | Personnel (sampled; includes MLCB
staffing information; 1962 Personnel Assignment Review) |
1940, 1942-1943, 1947, 1953-1955, 1962 |
| 5 / 8 | Remarks on Stores (evaluation of state
liquor stores' records inventory, store upkeep, etc.) |
1944 |
| 5 / 9 | Remittance sheets (includes town, banking
depository, and type of deposit) |
1951 |
| 5 / 10 | Rules and Regulations of the Montana
Liquor Control Board |
1950, 1956, 1960, undated |
| 5 / 11 | Rules of conduct for Inspectors of the
Montana Liquor Control Board Enforcement Division |
1953 |
| 5 / 12 | Wholesale and Retail Dealer Stamps
(includes legal description of location, 1953-1954) |
1952-1959 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Alcoholism--Prevention
- License system--Montana
- Liquor industry--Montana
- Liquor laws--Montana
- Montana
- Government and Politics
Finding aid prepared by MHS Staff
2004
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
