Dallas Eklund papers, 1951-1992

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Eklund, Dallas, 1914-1996
Title
Dallas Eklund papers
Dates
1951-1992 (inclusive)
Quantity
0.7 linear feet
Collection Number
Mss 792
Summary
Dallas Eklund was an angler and advocate for wildlife conservation in the Flathead Lake region of western Montana. The Dallas Eklund Papers includes correspondence, reports, and clippings relating to regional environmental issues from the 1950s through the early-1990s, including the creation of the Great Bear Wilderness.
Repository
University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections
Archives and Special Collections
Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
University of Montana
32 Campus Dr. #9936
59812-9936
Missoula, MT
Telephone: 406-243-2053
library.archives@umontana.edu
Access Restrictions

Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and The University of Montana-Missoula.

Languages
English.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Dallas Eklund was born on March 3, 1914. Eklund was an avid angler and advocate for the conservation of resources in and around Flathead Lake. He was active in the movement to create the Great Bear Wilderness. He was also concerned with the impact of dams and levees on trout populations, particularly bull trout (also known as Dolly Varden) and cutthroat trout. Eklund was particularly active in the Flathead Lake Wildlife Association, which was later known as Flathead Lake Wildlife, Incorporated. Eklund and Clifton Merritt served as officers of the organization during the 1950s, with Eklund serving as President and Merritt serving as Secretary. In the late-1980s and early-1990s, Eklund participated in the drafting of Fisheries Management Plan for the South Fork Flathead River Drainage written by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Dallas Eklund passed away on June 7, 1996 and was survived by his wife, Fay, and his children Brian Eklund, Martha Elletsun, Rita Ullman, and Dona Keller.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Dallas Eklund Papers relate to a number of environmental issues relevant to western Montana from the 1950s through the early 1990s. The collection contains correspondence, reports, notes, clippings and maps about a number of environmental issues pertinent to Montana in which Eklund was involved. This includes the creation of the Great Bear Wilderness, the construction of dams near Flathead Lake, and the management of land near Flathead Lake by state and federal government agencies.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Copyright not transferred to The University of Montana.

Preferred Citation

[Name of document or photograph number], Dallas Eklund Papers, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The Dallas Eklund Papers are arranged in alphabetical order by folder title.

Custodial History

The Dallas Eklund Papers were originally contained within Clifton Merritt's papers at Merritt's home. They were separated out from Merritt's papers and compiled by Robert Baker in the course of his research for his thesis Clif Merritt and Wilderness Wildlife: Learning How to Live in Paradise. Baker reorganized the papers into subject files and may have intermingled some of Clifton Merritt's papers into the collection.

Acquisition Information

The Dallas Eklund Papers were acquired as part of the Clifton R. Merritt Papers in 2008.

Processing Note

The collection was processed by Steven Bingo in 2011. Unannotated published materials, including reports and maps, were not retained with this collection. Materials not retained also include a mass distributed set of slides and audio cassette by the National Wildlife Federation titled "We Care About Oceans" and "We Care About Eagles." While the folders were rearranged in alphabetical order by the archivist, the materials within individual folders reflect Robert Baker's organization of the collection as noted in the section of this guide titled "Custodial History." One folder titled "Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness" was transferred to the Clifton R. Merritt Papers (Mss 700) as the folder was believed to be Merritt's and mistakenly transferred to the Mansfield Library as part of the Dallas Eklund Papers.

Separated Materials

Three maps were separated from the collection and are filed in the Archives and Special Collections' general map collection. The maps are listed below:

Great Bear Wilderness, by U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1976.

Forest Plan, Management Area Map, Flathead National Forest, by United States Forest Service, 1985.

Untitled map of an addition to Bob Marshall Wilderness, by unknown author, undated.

Related Materials

Related materials may be found in the Clifton R. Merritt Papers (Mss 700) at the Mansfield Library Archives and Special Collections. Of particular note are materials related to Flathead Lake and the Flathead Lake Wilderness Association.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1 Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area 1957-1964
1/2 Charles M. Russell Wildlife Range 1963-1992
1/3 Clippings 1954-1966
1/4 Correspondence 1955-1977
1/5 Cutthroat trout restoration correspondence 1963-1964
1/6 Deer population report and clippings 1955-1956
1/7 Flathead Lake studies and plans 1953-1990 (bulk 1990)
1/8 Flathead Lake Wildlife Association 1954
1/9 Flathead Lake Wildlife, Incorporated correspondence, bylaws, and reports 1954-1963
1/10 Flathead National Forest plans 1953-1990
1/11 Flooding - impact on fish and wildlife 1955-1960
2/1 Great Bear Wilderness and Bunker Creek 1954-1978
2/2 Great Bear Wilderness correspondence 1977-1978, 1982
2/3 Land and Water Conservation Act (H.R. 3846) 1963-1964
Map Drawer VI-2 Map by Eklund of lakes in Flathead County
Map titled Sportsman's Guide to the Pothole Lakes, Flathead County, Montana
1957
2/4 Montana Wildlife Federation correspondence and notes 1955-1957
2/5 Montana Wildlife Federation correspondence on pesticide 1963-1964
OS 3/1 Resolution opposing road construction adjacent to Bob Marshall Wilderness Area 1954
OS 3/2 Scrapbook pages
Contains clippings about Eklund and wilderness issues related to the region surrounding Flathead Lake
1951-1958
2/6 Spring Creek correspondence 1964
2/7 Wilderness Act 1956-1957
2/8 Wilderness education 1952-1955
2/9 Wildlife education 1957, 1964 and undated

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Conservation of natural resources--Montana
  • Dams--Montana--Flathead Lake Region
  • Environmental policy--Montana--Flathead Lake Region
  • Land use--Montana--Flathead Lake Region
  • Wildlife conservation--Montana

Geographical Names

  • Flathead Lake Region (Mont.)--Environmental conditions
  • Great Bear Wilderness (Mont.)

Form or Genre Terms

  • Scrapbooks

Occupations

  • Environmentalists--Montana
  • Wildlife conservationists--Montana