Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Gallatin County, Montana, Sheriff's Office Records, 1900-2020
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Gallatin County (Mont.) Sheriff
- Title
- Gallatin County, Montana, Sheriff's Office Records
- Dates
- 1900-202019002020
- Quantity
- 4.4 linear feet and web archive
- Collection Number
- Collection 2083 (collection)
- Summary
- The Gallatin County, Montana, Sheriff's Office Records include logbooks related to the criminal and law enforcement duties of the sheriff's office. Included in the collection are sheriff's daybooks which contain information pertaining to court transactions, a logbook of incoming telephone calls to the office, a logbook recording the mileage accumulated during criminal investigations, and receipt books of monetary transactions of the sheriff's office. Other records within the collection pertain to the duties of the sheriff's office within the community. These records include receipts of cattle sales, cattle inspection certificates, registration of firearms, and bounty certificates for the killing of predator animals for the protection of livestock.
- 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
On 2 February 1865, the territorial legislature of Montana created Gallatin County with Gallatin City as the designated county seat. The first county commissioner organized the county government and established the judicial offices on 11 March 1865. In the same year J. S. Mendenhall was elected the first sheriff and John Bozeman was elected probate judge. Over the next four decades the county rapidly grew. In 1869, construction started on the first county jail, but by 1881 it was already inadequate for the growing community. By 1910, the population of Gallatin County more than doubled. The sheriff's office was responsible for keeping law and order in the growing area as well as other various duties such as cattle inspections and registering firearms. In the first half of the 1900s, Gallatin County elected eleven sheriffs: Thomas J. Fowler (1901-1905); Ed Reynolds (1906-1909); A. H. Sales (1909-1913); W. S. Evans (1913-1915); Del E. Gray (1915-1919); Charles C. Esgar (1919-1923); James Smith (1923-1927); F. G. Slaughter (1927-1929); O. L. DeVore (1929-1933); Lovitt I. Westlake (1933-1947); and Charles E. Rice (1947-1955).
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office records include logbooks related to the criminal and law enforcement duties of the sheriff's office. Included in the collection are sheriff's daybooks which contain information pertaining to court transactions, a logbook of incoming telephone calls to the office, a logbook recording the mileage accumulated during criminal investigations, and receipt books of monetary transactions of the sheriff's office. One item of interest are the arrest books which contain information about the arrest such as a physical description of the person, details of the charges, and when the person was released. Other records within the collection pertain to the duties of the sheriff's office within the community. These records include receipts of cattle sales, cattle inspection certificates, registration of firearms, and bounty certificates for the killing of predator animals for the protection of livestock. A web archive begins in 2020.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The collection has been topically arranged.
Acquisition Information
A portion of the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office records were donated in the fall of 1979 when the office moved to the new Gallatin County Justice Center. The records were dispersed between the Gallatin County Historical Society, Museum of the Rockies, Judge W. W. Lessly, and Montana State University Special Collections.
Processing Note
This collection was processed 2008 December 3
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/1 | Receipt Books for Cattle Sales, Books 1-3 | (1939-1946) |
| 1/2 | Receipt Books for Cattle Sales, Books 4-6 | (1946-1947) |
| 1/3 | Cattle Inspection Certificates, Books 1-3 | (1900-1902) |
| 1/4 | Cattle Inspection Certificates, Books 4-6 | (1902-1904) |
| 1/5 | Cattle Inspection Certificates, Books 7-8 | (June-September 1946) |
| 1/6 | Cattle Inspection Certificates, Books 9-10 | (December 1946-March 1947) |
| 1/7 | Cattle Inspection Certificates, Books 11-12 | (February-May 1947) |
| 1/8 | Cattle Inspection Certificates, Books 13-14 | (April-September 1947) |
| 1/9 | Cattle Inspection Certificates, Books 15-16 | (May-August 1947) |
| 1/10 | Cattle Inspection Certificates, Books 17-18 | (August-September 1947) |
| 1/11 | Cattle Inspection Certificates, Book 19 | (September-October 1947) |
| Box | ||
| 2 |
(Receipts books include transaction of money coming into the sheriff's office, mostly
for deposits on vehicle licenses. Also includes receipts of money the sheriffs returned
as evidence, fines, and bonds.)
|
|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2/1 | Receipt Book for Monetary Transactions, Book 1 | (March 1925-August 1932) |
| 2/2 | Receipt Book for Monetary Transactions, Book 2 | (February 1927-July 1932) |
| 2/3 | Receipt Book for Monetary Transactions, Book 3 | (February 1933-November 1935) |
| 2/4 | Receipt Book for Monetary Transactions, Book 4 | (February-May 1936) |
| 2/5 | Receipt Book for Monetary Transactions, Book 5 | (May-July 1926) |
| 2/6 | Receipt Book for Monetary Transactions, Book 6 | (July-September 1926) |
| 2/7 | Receipt Book for Monetary Transactions, Book 7 | (February-March 1937) |
| 2/8 | Receipt Book for Monetary Transactions, Book 8 | (March-May 1937) |
| 2/9 | Receipt Book for Monetary Transactions, Book 9 | (May-August 1937) |
| 2/10 | Receipt Book for Monetary Transactions, Book 10 | (September 1937-March 1938) |
| 2/11 | Receipt Book for Monetary Transactions, Book 11 | (March 1938-September 1944) |
| 3/1 | Receipt Book for Monetary Transactions, Book 12 | (May 1939-July 1951) |
| 3/2 | Receipt Book for Monetary Transactions, Book 13 | (December 1939-September 1942) |
| 3/3 | Receipt Book for Monetary Transactions, Book 14 | (November 1944-May 1948) |
| 3/4 | Receipt Book for Monetary Transactions, Book 15 | (September 1948-August 1950) |
| Box | ||
| 4 |
(Day books logging calls coming into the Sheriff's office reporting crimes. Includes
information concerning criminal actions in Gallatin County. Deed book is a record of
land deed transfers and foreclosures)
|
|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4/1 | Sheriff's Office Day Book, Book 1 | (January-October 1934) |
| 4/2 | Sheriff's Office Day Book, Book 2 | (June 1941-March 1945) |
| 4/3 | Sheriff's Office Day Book, Book 3 | (June 1948-December 1949) |
| 4/4 | Sheriff's Deed Book | (September 1927-June 1936) |
| 5/1 | Registration of Firearms, Books 1-2 (1-100) | |
| 5/2 | Registration of Firearms, Books 3-4 (101-200) | |
| 5/3 | Registration of Firearms, Books 5-6 (201-300) | |
| 5/4 | Registration of Firearms, Books 7-8 (301-400) | |
| 5/5 | Registration of Firearms, Books 9-10 (401-500) | |
| 5/6 | Registration of Firearms, Books 11-12 (501-600) | |
| 5/7 | Registration of Firearms, Books 13-14 (601-700) | |
| 5/8 | Registration of Firearms, Books 15-16 (701-800) | |
| 5/9 | Registration of Firearms, Books 17-18 (801-900) | |
| 5/10 | Registration of Firearms, Books 19-20 (901-1,000) | |
| 5/11 | Registration of Firearms, Books 21-22 (1,001-1,100) | |
| 5/12 | Registration of Firearms, Books 23-24 (1,101-1,200) | |
| 5/13 | Registration of Firearms, Books 25-26 (1,201-1,300) | |
| 5/14 | Registration of Firearms, Books 27-28 (1,301-1,400) | |
| 6/1 | Registration of Firearms, Books 29-30 (1,401-1,500) | |
| 6/2 | Registration of Firearms, Books 31-32 (1,501-1,600) | |
| 6/3 | Registration of Firearms, Books 33-34 (1,601-1,700) | |
| 6/4 | Registration of Firearms, Books 35-36 (1,701-1,800) | |
| 6/5 | Registration of Firearms, Books 37-38 (1,801-1,900) | |
| 6/6 | Registration of Firearms, Books 39-40 (1,901-2,00) | |
| 6/7 | Registration of Firearms, Books 41-42 (2,001-2,100) | |
| 6/8 | Registration of Firearms, Books 43-44 (2,101-2,200) | |
| 6/9 | Registration of Firearms, Books 45-46 (2,201-2,300) | |
| 6/10 | Registration of Firearms, Books 47-48 (2,301-2,350; 2,401-2,450) | |
| 6/11 | Registration of Firearms, Books 48-50 (2,451-2,550) | |
| 6/12 | Registration of Firearms, Books 51-52 (2,551-2,650) | |
| 6/13 | Registration of Firearms, Books 53-54 (2,651-2,750) | |
| 6/14 | Registration of Firearms, Books 55-56 (2,751-2,850) | |
| 7/1 | Registration of Firearms, Books 57-58 (2,851-2,950) | |
| 7/2 | Registration of Firearms, Books 59-60 (2,951-3,000) | |
| 7/3 | Registration of Firearms, Books 61-62 (3,001-3,150) | |
| 7/4 | Registration of Firearms, Books 63-64 (3,151-3,250) | |
| 7/5 | Registration of Firearms, Books 65-66 (3,251-3,350) | |
| 7/6 | Registration of Firearms, Books 67-68 (3,351-3,450) | |
| 7/7 | Registration of Firearms, Books 69-70 (3,501-3,600) | |
| 7/8 | Registration of Firearms, Books 71-72 (3,601-3,700) | |
| 7/9 | Registration of Firearms, Books 73-74 (3,751-3,850) | |
| 7/10 | Registration of Firearms, Books 75-76 (3,851-3,950) | |
| 7/11 | Registration of Firearms, Books 77-78 (3,951-4,000; 4,051-4,100) | |
| 7/12 | Registration of Firearms, Books 79-80 (4,101-4,200) | |
| 7/13 | Registration of Firearms, Books 81-82 (4,201-4,250; 4,801-4,850) | |
| 7/14 | Registration of Firearms, Books 83-84 (4,852-4,950) | |
| 8/1 | Registration of Firearms, Book 85 (4,951-5,000) | |
| 8/2 | Dealers' Record of Sale of Firearm, Books 1-2 | |
| 8/3 | Dealer's Record of Sale of Firearm, loose papers | |
| 8/4 | List of Weapons with W.H. Everson | |
| 9/1 | Log Book of Mileage for investigations | (1947-1948) |
| 9/2 | Sheriff's Day Book, Books 1-3 | (1905-1908) |
| 9/3 | Sheriff's Day Book, Books 4-6 | (1908) |
| 9/4 | Sheriff's Day Book, Books 7-9 | (1909) |
| 9/5 | Sheriff's Day Book, Books 10-12 | (1909) |
| 9/6 | Sheriff's Day Book, Books 13-15 | (1910-1911) |
| 9/7 | Sheriff's Day Book, Books 16-18 | (1911-1912) |
| 9/8 | Sheriff's Day Book, Books 19-21 | (1915-1916) |
| 9/9 | Sheriff's Day Book, Books 22-24 | (1916-1919) |
| 9/10 | Sheriff's Day Book, Book 25 | (1933), (1947-1948) |
| Box | ||
| 10 |
(Bounty paid out for the killing of predator animals for the protection of
livestock)
|
|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 10/1 | Bounty Certificates, Books 1-2 | (1913-1914) |
| 10/2 | Bounty Certificates, Books 3-4 | (1914-1915) |
| 10/3 | Bounty Certificates, Books 5-6 | (1915-1916) |
| 10/4 | Bounty Certificates, Books 7-8 | (1916-1917) |
| 10/5 | Bounty Certificates, Books 9-10 | (1917-1918) |
| 10/6 | Bounty Certificates, Books 11-12 | (1918-1920) |
| 10/7 | Bounty Certificates, Book 13 | (1920-1921) |
| 11/1 | Arrest Records, Books 1-3 | (1906-1907) |
| 11/2 | Arrest Records, Books 4-6 | (1907-1909) |
| 11/3 | Arrest Records, Books 7-9 | (1909-1910) |
| 11/4 | Arrest Records, Books 10-12 | (1910-1912) |
| 11/5 | Arrest Records, Books 13-15 | (1911-1912) |
| 11/6 | Arrest Records, Books 16-18 | (1912-1915) |
| 11/7 | Arrest Records, Books 19-21 | (1915-1916) |
| 12/1 | Arrest Records, Books 22-23 | (1916) |
| 12/2 | Arrest Records, Book 24 | (1916-1917) |
| 12/3 | Arrest Records, Books 25-26 | (1917-1918) |
| 12/4 | Arrest Records, Books 27-28 | (1918-1921) |
| 12/5 | Arrest Records, Books 29-30 | (1925-1927) |
| 12/6 | Arrest Records, Books 31-32 | (1927-1929) |
| 12/7 | Arrest Records, Books 33-34 | (1927-1929) |
| 12/8 | Arrest Records, Books 35-36 | (1929-1932) |
| Web Archive | 2020 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Cattle-Inspection-Montana-Gallatin County
- Firearms-Law and legislation-Montana-Gallatin County
- Law enforcement-Montana-Gallatin County
- Predatory animals-Control-Montana-Gallatin County
- Sheriffs-Montana-Gallatin County
Geographical Names
- Gallatin County (Mont.)-Politics and government
Kim Allen Scott
2008
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
