Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Grace Vance Erickson Papers, 1863-1958
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Erickson, Grace V. (Grace Vance), 1873-1962
- Title
- Grace Vance Erickson Papers
- Dates
- 1863-1958 (inclusive)18631958
- Quantity
- 2 linear feet of shelf space
- Collection Number
- MC 286
- Summary
- Grace Vance Erickson was a Helena, Montana, area, amateur historian and the wife of Governor John Edward Erickson. This collection consists of biographical information; general correspondence, including personal letters from J. E. Erickson; miscellaneous correspondence; diaries; press releases; speeches; subject files containing notes on her historic research; miscellany, including an autograph book, a guestbook, and scrapbooks including one on the Community Council of Kalispell and the Women's Committee of the Council of National Defense; and clippings. The collection also includes information on A. M. Vance, Grace Vance Erickson's father.
- 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 - Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Grace Vance was born around 1873 in LaGrange, Iowa, the daughter of Andrew M. and Ellen Cooper Vance. She received a degree in literature from the University of Michigan. She moved to Choteau, Montana, in the mid 1890s to work as a teacher. In June of 1898 she married John E. Erickson, a Choteau attorney. The couple moved to Kalispell in 1915. John E. Erickson served two full terms as Governor (1924-1933) and, following his re-election to a third term, resigned to replace Thomas J. Walsh, in the U.S. Senate. He was replaced by James W. Murray in 1934. Grace Vance Erickson was active in the Democratic Party, the Montana Natural History Association, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Presbyterian Church. She was an active amateur historian, anthropologist and archaeologist and was involved with the preservation of historic sites. She died July 16, 1962.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Papers. 1863-1958. 2 linear feet. These papers consist of general correspondence, including personal letters from J. E. Erickson; miscellaneous correspondence; diaries concerning Grace Vance Erickson's life in Iowa, at the University of Michigan, and as the wife of the governor; press releases; speeches; subject files regarding her work as an amateur historian; writings; miscellany including a scrapbook concerning the Community Council of Kalispell and the Women's Committee of the Council of National Defense; and clippings.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection
Biographical Material Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 1 | Chronologies, genealogical chart
|
n.d., 1937 |
General Correspondence Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 2-4 | A - Z (correspondents include:
J. E. Erickson, Belle Fligelman, S. H. Knowles, Jeannette Rankin, Al Vance, A.
M. Vance) |
n.d., 1890-1958 |
Miscellaneous Correspondence Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 5 | Neither from nor to Grace
Vance Erickson (correspondents include: Ellen Erickson, J. E. Erickson, Al
Vance, A. M. Vance) |
1902-1929 |
Diaries Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 6 | Diary (re: life in Iowa)
|
1889 |
| 1 / 7 | Diary (re: life at the
University of Michigan) |
1891-1902 |
| 1 / 8-9 | Diaries (re: life as wife
of Governor J. E. Erickson) |
1925-1926, 1932 |
Press Releases Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 10 | Press Notice (re:
recitals) |
n.d. |
Speeches Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 11 | Eureka Women's Club
(re: women's role in World War II) |
1918 |
Subject Files Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 12 | Frederick Conrad
|
n.d. |
| 1 / 13 | William Davenport
|
n.d. |
| 1 / 14 | Fergus County
|
n.d. |
| 1 / 15 | First Families of
Flathead (re: Father Pierre J. De Smet and St. Ignatius Mission) |
n.d., 1930-1941 |
| 1 / 16 | Governor's Mansion
|
n.d. |
| 1 / 17 | Helena (re: Atlas
Block, Pioneer Cabin) |
n.d., 1939-1957 |
| 1 / 18 | Historic
preservation |
1930-1936 |
| 1 / 19 | James Jackson
|
1933 |
| 1 / 20 | Livingston (re:
Benson's Landing, Ghost City and Yellowstone City) |
n.d. |
| 1 / 21 | Historic sites in
Montana |
n.d. |
| 1 / 22 | St. Peter's Mission
|
n.d. |
| 2 / 1 | David Thompson
|
n.d., 1923-1940 |
Writings Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 2 | "A Star in the
East" |
n.d., 1952 |
Miscellany Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 3 | Autograph Book
|
1882-1889 |
| 2 / 4 | Ephemera
(including certificates, Christmas cards, invitations, name cards, passport,
and programs) |
n.d., 1891-1951 |
| 2 / 5 | Ephemera (re:
Ellen Erickson, J. E. Erickson, and A. M. Vance |
1863-1928 |
| 2 / 6 | Guestbook
|
1929-1959 |
| 2 / 7 | Montana Oil
Conservation Board |
n.d., 1951 |
| 2 / 8 | Notes
|
n.d. |
| 2 / 9 | Oro Fino Chapter
of the Daughters of the American Revolution |
1938-1942 |
| 2 / 10 | Scrapbook
|
1890-1914 |
| 2 / 11 | Scrapbook
"Historical Expeditions" |
1925-1926 |
| 2 / | Scrapbook (re:
Community Council of Kalispell and the Women's Committee of the Council of
National Defense): See Box 3 |
|
| 3 / 1 | Scrapbook (re:
Community Council of Kalispell and the Women's Committee of the Council of
National Defense) |
1917-1918, 1934-1939 |
| 4 / 1 | Scrapbook
"Touring the Circuit" |
1928 |
| 4 / 2 | Scrapbook of
Wives of the Cabinet Officers |
1933-1935 |
Clippings Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 3 | Clippings (re:
Grace Vance Ericksone, J. E. Erickson, Al Vance, and A. M. Vance) |
n.d., 1935-1949 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Historic sites--Montana
Geographical Names
- Benson's Landing (Mont.)
- Bitterroot River Valley (Mont.)--Social life and customs
- Fergus County (Mont.)
- Kalispell (Mont.)--Politics and government
- St. Ignatius (Mont.)
- Yellowstone City (Mont.)
Finding aid prepared by Molly Miller, 1999
2005
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
