Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Earle and Sara Wright Strain Family papers, 1889-1953
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Strain, Earle, 1866-1953
- Title
- Earle and Sara Wright Strain Family papers
- Dates
- 1889-1953 (inclusive)18891953
- Quantity
- 1.2 linear feet
- Collection Number
- MC 249 (collection)
- Summary
- Earle Strain was a Great Falls, Montana, physician and one of the discoverers of the cause of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Papers consist of genealogical and biographical information; correspondence (1895-1946) of Strain and his wife Sara; a diary by Sara Wright Strain kept while they were in Europe; household financial records; memorabilia; and clippings.
- 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, French, German
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Earle Strain was born in Flesherton, Ontario, May 24, 1866, the third of eleven children of William and Eliza Jane (Bell) Strain. Earle began the study of medicine at the University of Toronto, but in 1888 transferred to the University of Pennsylvania. After graduation in 1890, he established a practice in Minot, North Dakota. In January 1895 Strain and his wife travelled to Europe where he studied medicine in Berlin and Vienna. The couple also travelled widely, and took advantage of the cultural opportunities of Europe. In 1896, following his return from Europe, Strain accepted an appointment as company physician for the Boston and Montana Consolidated Copper and Silver Mining Company in Great Falls. He later established a private practice there. In 1901, in cooperation with Dr. A.F. Longeway, Dr. Strain began a study of Rocky Mountain spotted fever which led to the recognition that the disease was carried by the wood tick. Dr. Strain was active in the Montana State Medical Association and numerous other professional associations, as well as the Round Table Club, and the Masons. Sara Eliza Wright was born in Flesherton, Ontario, November 22, 1868, the fourth of five children of Thorpe E. and Eliza (James) Wright. She attended the University of Toronto. During her residence in Great Falls she was active in the Methodist Church and in the Travel Club. Dr. Earle Strain and Sara Eliza Wright were married December 11, 1894, in Flesherton, Ontario. Sara died October 1, 1943. Earle died June 1, 1953.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Papers. 1889-1953. 1.2 linear feet. Papers consist of incoming correspondence (1889-1918) from Jerome Billiet, a Belgian war orphan and others; general correspondence (1896-1953); outgoing correspondence (1895-1896) from Sara Wright Strain in Berlin, Vienna, and London to relatives in the United States and Canada; household and medical practice financial records (1896-1904); photographs and postcards (1895-1896) from Europe; printed material (1895-1896) consisting primarily of souvenirs from Europe; subject files on Rocky Mountain spotted fever and on the Round Table Club of Great Falls; miscellany (including articles by others on medicine and science, school materials, membership cards, certificates)
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 series: Biographical Material; Incoming Correspondence; General Correspondence; Outgoing Correspondence; Diaries; Financial Records; Maps, Photographs; Printed Material; Subject Files; Miscellany; and Clippings.
Location of Collection
13:2-2Location of Collection
5:8-5 (oversize box)Preservation Note
Sara Wright Strain outgoing correspondence housed in folders 1 / 7-9 are fragile. Use copies can be found in folders 1 / 10-12. See inventory below for more information.
Acquisition Information
Acquisition information available upon request
Separated Materials
Artifacts separated to Museum. Printed Material separated to Library. 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
Biographical MaterialReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1 / 1 | Genealogical and biographical information on Strain
and Wright families |
undated |
1 / 2 | Miscellaneous (includes obituaries, forms for
published biographical dictionaries) |
1930-1953 |
Incoming CorrespondenceReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1 / 3 | Jerome Billiet, Belgian godchild (includes letters
from "Pour les Enfants" a relief agency for Belgian war orphans) |
1917-1918 |
1 / 4 | L. Schmidt Deserieux [in French] |
1895-1896 |
1 / 5 | Hattie and Sallie Taylor |
1889-1892 |
General CorrespondenceReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1 / 6 | Miscellaneous |
1896-1953 |
Outgoing CorrespondenceReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1 / 7 | Sara Wright Strain [in Berlin] to family members in
Canada and United States [restricted: fragile, use transcripts in folder 10] |
1895 January-November |
1 / 8 | Sara Wright Strain [in Vienna] to family members in
Canada and United States [restricted: fragile, use transcripts in folder 11] |
1895 November- 1896 April |
1 / 9 | Sara Wright Strain [in London] to family members in
Canada and United States [restricted: fragile, use transcripts in folder 12] |
1896 April-July |
1 / 10 | Sara Wright Strain [in Berlin] to family members in
Canada and United States [typescripts] |
1895 January-November |
1 / 11 | Sara Wright Strain [in Vienna] to family members in
Canada and United States [typescripts] |
1895 November- 1896 April |
1 / 12 | Sara Wright Strain [in London] to family members in
Canada and United States [typescripts] |
1896 April-July |
DiariesReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1 / 13 | Sara Wright Strain diary on travel to England,
France, and Germany [also used by Earle Strain for medical lecture notes] |
1895 January-August |
Financial RecordsReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1 / 14 | Business licenses: Great Falls and Cascade County |
1897-1903 |
1 / 15 | Invoices and receipts: furniture |
1897-1901 |
1 / 16 | Invoices and receipts: house repairs at 317 1st
Avenue North, Great Falls |
1900-1903 |
1 / 17 | Invoices and receipts: household expenses |
1896-1904 |
1 / 18 | Invoices and receipts: medical and scientific books |
1899-1902 |
1 / 19 | Invoices and receipts: medical instruments |
1899-1903 |
1 / 20 | Invoices and receipts: newspaper and city directory
advertisements |
1900-1903 |
1 / 21 | Invoices and receipts: optical supplies |
1900-1904 |
1 / 22 | Invoices and receipts: rent payments to Boston and
Montana Consolidated Copper and Silver Mining Company for house on Smelter Hill |
1899-1901 |
1 / 23 | Invoices and receipts: telephone |
1900-1903 |
1 / 24 | Invoices and receipts: utilities |
1900-1904 |
1 / 25 | Property taxes |
1900 |
MapsReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Oversize Folder | ||
4 / 1 | "Map of a portion of Western Montana showing area
infected by Spotted Fever," by Finkelnburg and Catlin [Oversize Box] |
undated |
Photographs Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
2 / 1 | Postcards and photographs: Germany, Austria,
Switzerland, France |
1895-1896 |
Printed MaterialReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
2 / 2 | German and French language books |
circa 1895 |
2 / 3 | Methodist hymn book |
1884 |
2 / 4 | Opera programs and librettos |
1895-1896 |
2 / 5 | Souvenir travel books |
1895-1896 |
Subject FilesReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
2 / 6 | Rocky Mountain spotted fever |
undated |
2 / 7 | Round Table Club, Great Falls: history of the Club |
1916-1936 |
2 / 8 | Round Table Club, Great Falls: discussion papers on
religion and philosophy |
1922, 1928, undated |
MiscellanyReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
2 / 9 | Articles on gland disease |
1935-1936, undated |
2 / 10 | Articles on physicians and scientists (includes
Walter Reed, Theodore Billroth, George Miller Sternberg, William Henry Welch, Ivan
Pavlov) |
undated |
2 / 11 | Articles on science and medicine |
undated |
3 / 1 | Calling cards, invitations |
1895-1896, undated |
3 / 2 | Certificates: Montana and North Dakota medical
licenses, declaration of intent, citizenship, marriage, Orden der Hermanns-Soehne
membership, War Dept. Medical Advisory Board, Masonic Lodge, et al. |
1891-1944 |
oversizebox-folder | ||
4 / 2 | Certificates: Washington (State) medical license,
Masonic membership, academic certificates, Veterans Association of Great Northern
Railway [Oversize Box] |
1890-1936 |
Box/Folder | ||
3 / 3 | Course notes |
circa 1890-1899 |
oversizebox-folder | ||
4 / 3 | Course notes: charts on diseases [Oversize Box] |
undated |
Box/Folder | ||
3 / 4 | Membership cards and receipts |
1900-1953 |
3 / 5 | Notebooks on German grammar, addresses, itinerary |
1895 |
3 / 6 | Poem (toast to a bride) [in German] |
circa 1895 |
3 / 7 | Railroad schedules and rates |
1906-1910 |
3 / 8 | University of Pennsylvania Dept. of Medicine school
records and memorabilia |
1887-1904 |
3 / 9 | University of Toronto School of Medicine school
records and memorabilia |
1886-1888 |
3 / 10 | Miscellaneous (includes medical course tickets, post
office information, advertisements, etc.) [in German] |
1895-1896 |
ClippingsReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
3 / 11 | Great Falls (Mont.) and Minot (N.D.) history |
undated |
TransfersReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
3 / 12 | List of printed material transferred to Library |
undated |
3 / 13 | List of artifacts transferred to Museum |
undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Physicians
Personal Names
- Strain, Earle, 1866-1953 (creator)
Geographical Names
- Austria--Description and travel (subejct)
- Belgium (subejct)
- Germany--Description and travel (subejct)