Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Alexander Mckay papers, 1857-1925
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- McKay, Alexander, 1832-1922
- Title
- Alexander Mckay papers
- Dates
- 1857-1925 (inclusive)18571925
- Quantity
- 2.5 linear feet of shelf space
- Collection Number
- MC 112 (collection)
- Summary
- Alexander McKay (1832-1922), a Scottish immigrant, was a miner and businessman in Virginia City, Montana. Records (1857-1922) include correspondence, financial records, legal documents, and court papers for McKay's business interests including flour mills and mining claims. There are subgroups for Elling, Baker McKay (1887-1911); Mill Creek Mills (1878-1898); Caroline Hanson McKay (1877-1911); and Mary McKay Herhold Bothwell Swanze (1876-1925).
- 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, 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
Alexander McKay was an early miner and pioneer in the Alder Gulch, Montana, area. He was born on May 15, 1832, in Glasgow, Scotland, and immigrated to the United States in 1854. The McKays spent their first years in this country in the South. In the late 1850s they moved to the Denver area following mining opportunities. They then moved to Bannack, in what was to become Montana Territory, with the first gold rush in 1862. In July of 1863, with the gold discoveries in Alder Gulch, McKay moved from Bannack to Virginia City. The following year, he moved on to Bivens Gulch where he purchased numerous mining claims with his Alder Gulch earnings. His Biven's Gulch claim employed up to 15 men at its height. He invested his mining fortune in farm lands in the Madison Valley, settling his family in Virginia City. The family did well in Virginia City. Alexander McKay participated as a life long Republican in local politics and economic development. In 1889 Mr. and Mrs. McKay moved to the Old Sarge Hall grist mill, near Sheridan, Montana. They remained at that site until their deaths.
In 1860 Alex McKay was married to Caroline Hanson in Kansas. Their first child, Flora, was born in 1861 near Denver, Colorado. In 1863, their second child Mary, was born in Virginia City. Flora and Mary attended Virginia City grade schools, then attended Iowa State College, where Flora received a degree of medicine and Mary a degree in music and art. Flora married Dr. C.A. McNulty in 1884. She later recieved a doctor of science degree from the Women's Medical College of Chicago, and a Master of Arts from Iowa College in 1893. Both Mary and Flora spent most of their lives in the Virginia City-Sheridan area and were very active in local social and religious organizations. Upon the death of their father, they helped Caroline McKay manage the family estate.
Alex McKay died in 1922. Caroline Hansen McKay died in 1917. Flora McKay McNulty and Mary McKay [Herhold, Bothwell] Swayze died within weeks of each other in 1945.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection contains biographical materials (undated) McKay and Hansen family geneaology; incoming correspondence (1875-1919) concerning mining and realestate business dealings; outgoing correspondence (1887, 1901, 1908); court papers (1857-1922) court cases dealing mostly with mining properties and water rights; financial records (1865-1919) dealing with daily expenses and various financial enterprises including Mill Creek Mill, mining and realestate; legal documents (1872-1912) primarily regarding mining claims and deeds; and miscellaneous certificates and programs, and clippings.
The Elling, Baker and McKay subgroup relates to mining holdings controlled jointedly by Henry Elling, William Baker and Alex McKay. The records include financial records (1887-1911) mainly assay, banking and tax records.
The Mill Creek Mills subgroup contains financial records (1887-1898) including ledgers; financial statements on grain milled, daily expenses and account activities; receipts and miscellaneous work forms.
The Caroline Hanson McKay subgroup consists of incoming correspondence (1877-1910) divided equally between family issues and mining and realestate business; legal documents (1860-1911) primarily related to family estates and land holdings; and calling cards.
The Mary McKay Herhold Bothwell Swanze subgroup consists of incoming correspondence (1876-1910) mainly from McKay family; financial records (1897, 1925) includes deposit clips an receipts; legal documents (1897, 1905) regarding mining leases and patents; and calling cards and miscellaneous notes. [For materials on Flora McKay McNulty see MC 261.]
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 subgroup and series. Some material housed in Archives Map Case. 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
Alexander Mckay Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Biographical Materials |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 1 | Notes on McKay and Hansen family genealogy |
undated |
Incoming Correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 2 | A-B (includes Theodore Adams, John B. Allibaugh,
A.H. Anderson, W.P. Armstrong, P.W. Baker, Thomas T. Baker, A.H. Barret, The Beall
Improvements Company, Alden J Bennett, Charles Bergstrom, Henry N. Blake, George W.
Boehmer, John Brosovitch, Henry Brundy #, S.R. Buford & Co., Clara Burtch, Ford
Burtch) |
1878-1906 |
| 1 / 3 | William Andrew Clark [attorney in Virginia City] |
1900-1915 |
| 1 / 4 | C (includes Edmund J. Callaway, J.S. Callaway,
Llewellan Callaway, Alex Campbell, Jack Caro, H.B. Cheney, N.P. Christiansen,
William Alexander Clark, Horace Clark, Collins Land Co., Frank Collogan, Philip
Conrey, George. W. Cruger) |
1878-1905 |
| 1 / 5 | D (includes C.L. Dahler, John F. Davies, N.P.
Davies #, J.L. Dennek, Donovan Commission Company, Downie-Wright Manufacturing
Company) |
1868-1908 |
| 1 / 6 | Henry Elling |
1874-1919 |
| 1 / 7 | E-G (includes Caleb Eldred, Z.H. Evans, James
Feber, B.J. Fine, Henry Fishback, C.M. Fitch, Samuel Fletcher, William Foreman, T.
Foster, C.H. Gage, W.H. Godfrey, Julius Greis Co., P.J. Griffin) |
1878-1913 |
| 1 / 8 | Sarge Hall |
1876-1887 |
| 1 / 9 | Richard Herhold |
1888-1897 |
| 1 / 10 | H (including Hall & Bennett, George Halse, F.O.
Handrich, William L. Hargrave, Charles Herman, R. Hick, George Hill, Edward Howell,
H.S. Howell) |
1879-1908 |
| 1 / 11 | I-J (includes James Inglis, A.G. Jensen and Bros.,
James Jobb, Alex Johnson, Andrew Johnson, Johnson Hardware Co., Charles Johnson,
M.D. Johnson, Barclay Jones, Thomas Lewis, Linden Brothers, S. Lowman) |
1878-1905 |
| 1 / 12-13 | McKay family: Flora and Mary |
1875-1917 |
| 1 / 14 | M-N (includes Montana College of Agriculture and
Mechanic Arts, Montana Grain and Brokerage Company, Montana State Library (Montana
Historical Society), W.S. McColley, J.H. McDonald, J.F. McDonnell, John Melville,
Charles Miller, J.A. Monaghan, Peter Moran, Walter Morris, Wiley Mountjoy, Edwin
Norris, H.F. Noyd, James M. Nye, C.A. Nyhart) |
1880-1902 |
| 1 / 15 | O (includes A.H. Odell, Omaha-Texas Oil Company,
Newton Orr) |
1892-1900 |
| 1 / 16 | Charles Pietsch |
1880-1888 |
| 1 / 17 | P (includes The Pacific Mutual Life Insurance
Company, Elmer Page, James M. Page, R.W. Page, Thomas H. Parsons, R.F. Pearce, Dion
Pennington, The People's Power League of Montana, J.B. Percy, George Perkins, John
C. Peterson, William Pfouts, William Pigott, George H. Potter, L.J. Price, J.D.
Pritchett, L.M Pritchett) |
1877-1914 |
| 1 / 18 | R (includes C.W. Rank & Co., Harry Redfield,
E.W. Reed, The Republican County Central Committee, John Rosenberger, William
Rothwell) |
1899-1908 |
| 1 / 19 | Robert G. Smith (Montana governor) |
1897 |
| 1 / 20 | S (includes W.F. Sanders, Dan F. Sandidge, J.B.
Seeley, P.H. Shewmaker, W.T. Shirley & Co., Harry Siegel, Alex Simpson, H.H.
Sinnott, Society of Montana Pioneers, George Shoemaker, J.W. Sommers, Axel Stejer,
Charles Stewart, William Stewart, M. Stone, Frank Sworty) |
1899-1919 |
| Oversize Folder | ||
| MC 95-112 | Society of Montana Pioneers Certificate
[Map Case-See MC 95-112 folder] |
1931 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 21 | T (includes Q.S. Talcott, Thomas Taylor, Ellen
Thiernan, Owen Thomas, Thuet Brothers, Abe Thurgood, Henry Thurston, J.L. Thurston,
Twin Bridge Lumber Company) |
1872-1903 |
| 1 / 22 | U (includes United States Assay Office (Helena),
C.L. Utley, George S. Utley, Maytie Utley) |
1895-1904 |
| 1 / 23 | Frank S. Watters |
1902-1903 |
| 1 / 24 | W (includes William Walker, R.B. Wampler, Watson
& Bartlett, John Weingart, Mark Welch, Orrin Welch, G.B. Wheat, R.A. White, A.J.
Wilcomb, F.H. Wilcomb, Bill Wilson, C.W. Winslow, Word & Word) |
1878-1905 |
| 1 / 25 | Unidentified [1887 letter is in German] |
1887, 1894 |
Outgoing Correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 26 | Koch & Company, "Mr. Mesch", "Mr. North" |
1887, 1901, 1908 |
Court Papers |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 1 | Fred Ellinghouse, et. al. vs Alex McKay |
1905, 1908 |
| 2 / 2 | Alex McKay vs Mani Mesch [handwritten copy of
complaint and notes] |
1920 |
| 2 / 3 | Alex McKay vs Sargent Hall |
1881-1898 |
| 2 / 4 | Alex McKay vs William McDougall |
1893-1897 |
| 2 / 5 | C.W. McKinney Estate vs Alex McKay |
1874-1875 |
| 2 / 6 | Miscellany (includes Alex McKay Estate probate,
1922) |
1857-1922 |
Financial Records |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2 / 7 | Account book [re Mill Creek Mill] |
1889-1903 |
| 2 / 8 | Account book [re Stoddard & McKay] |
1864 |
| 2 / 9 | Agreement [re ore reduction costs] |
undated |
| 2 / 10 | Assay records |
1874-1902 |
| 2 / 11 | Bank books (Henry Elling Banker) [third volume also
includes records of mining claims held by the McKay/ McNulty family] |
1876-1889 |
| 2 / 12 | Bank books (Hall & Bennett Bankers) |
1889-1903 |
| 2 / 13 | Bank statements (includes deposits and interest) |
1876-1903 |
| 2 / 14 | Bills and invoices: A-C |
1877-1901 |
| 2 / 15 | Bills and invoices: D-L |
1874-1909 |
| 2 / 16 | Bills and invoices: M-Y |
1875-1910 |
| 2 / 17 | Cancelled checks (Hall & Bennett Bankers) |
1890-1904 |
| 2 / 18 | Cancelled checks (Hall, Harrington & Co.
Bankers) |
1887 |
| 3 / 1 | Cancelled checks (Henry Elling Banker) |
1875-1892 |
| 3 / 2 | Day book (includes daily expenses) [information on
leases and mining deeds are interspersed throughout] |
1873-1875, 1917-1919 |
| 3 / 3 | Loans (includes interest paid on loans made by Alex
McKay) |
1865-1897 |
| 3 / 4 | Meat book (includes employee name and kind of meat
purchased) [volume is in poor condition. Child has used as scrapbook] |
circa 1869 |
| 3 / 5 | Memo books (includes scattered lists of food
supplies purchased, recipes, and mining claim activity) [6] |
1869-1909 |
| 3 / 6 | Memorandum of Gold Deposits (re gold and silver
bullion deposits and sales through Kountz Brothers, New York) |
1877-1896 |
| 3 / 7 | Receipts |
1864-1912 |
| 3 / 8 | Tax assessment lists |
1894-1917 |
| 3 / 9 | Tax receipts (includes local, state and federal) |
1876-1909 |
| 3 / 10 | Tax receipts (includes Illinois property taxes) |
1882-1898 |
| 3 / 11 | Time books (includes "Hoffacker Gulch" time book
that lists meat and other food costs for 1877, 1880) [3] |
1871-1874 |
| 3 / 12 | Miscellaneous (includes lists of expenses and gold
and silver credits from unidentified mining jobs) |
1865-1868, 1877-1893 |
Legal Documents |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3 / 13 | Application for patent (printed in newspaper) |
1888, 1895 |
| 4 / 1 | Articles of agreement, contracts |
1872-1878 |
| 4 / 2 | Land deeds |
1883-1912 |
| 4 / 3 | Leases |
1889, 1911-1912, 1919 |
| 4 / 4 | Mining claims and deeds |
1866-1897 |
| 4 / 5 | Mortgages |
1869-1902 |
| 4 / 6 | Petitions (re building a road on McKay's property) |
1919 |
Miscellaneous |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 7 | Miscellany (includes certificates, programs,
pamphlets and general memorabilia) |
1869-1888, undated |
Clippings |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 8 | Includes W.W. Morris obituary, Anti-Chinese
movement meetings, mining techniques |
undated |
Elling, Baker And Mckay Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Financial Records |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 9 | Assay records |
1891-1892 |
| 4 / 10 | Banking statements (Henry elling Banker) |
1887-1893 |
| 4 / 11 | Bullion memorandum for deposit (re gold and silver
deposits) |
1887-1896, 1907, 1911 |
| 4 / 12 | Cancelled checks (Henry Elling Banker) |
1891-1893 |
| 4 / 13 | Checkbook |
1891 |
| 4 / 14 | Invoices [scattered] |
1891-1893 |
| 4 / 15 | Tax receipts (state) |
1887-1892 |
| 4 / 16 | Time sheets (includes lists of hours worked by mine
workers) |
1891-1892, undated |
Miscellaneous |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 17 | List of mining tools |
1894, undated |
Mill Creek Mills Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Financial Records |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 18 | Financial statements (includes information on grain
milled, expenses and individual account activities) [scattered] |
1887-1891 |
| 4 / 19 | Flour book (re flour production and sales) |
1890 |
| 4 / 20 | Improvements made on mill (lists costs and
materials) |
1878-1887 |
| 4 / 21 | Invoices [scattered] |
1890-1894 |
| 5 / 1-2 | Ledgers |
1888-1898 |
| 5 / 3 | Loans (includes lists of payments made by R.H.
Herhold to Caroline McKay on loan to purchase the mill) |
1891, 1898 |
| 5 / 4 | Receipts [scattered] |
1897-1898 |
| 5 / 5 | Statements of accounts [scattered] |
1887-1895 |
Miscellaneous |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 5 / 6 | Blank forms |
undated |
Caroline Hanson Mckay Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Incoming Correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 5 / 7 | A-B (includes B. Altman and Co., T.L Atkins, Robert
S. Bailey, Thomas T. Baker, Joseph Barich, John A. Beall, George Beeher, Rudolph
Bertsch, C.L. Bjork, James Boyd, Frank Bryant, Butte and Ruby Valley Smelting Co) |
1877-1905 |
| 5 / 8 | Block family: Emma, Minnie |
1894-1898 |
| 5 / 9 | C-D (includes Thomas Campbell, Jeffries Carder,
W.B. Case, Chicago Waifs Mission & Training School, Niels Christiansen, A.W.
Clark, E.L. Costin, Lavinia Debus, H. Dillabaugh, Charles Downing |
1878-1902 |
| 5 / 10 | E-F (includes E.L Earl, Mrs. E. Estes, W. Ferm,
Rudolph Flick) |
1889-1899 |
| 5 / 11 | G (includes T.H. Galahan, Andrew Gimmell, Mary
Goetschius) |
1892-1897 |
| 5 / 12 | Gunter family: Frank, Hanna, Lena (many letters in
German) |
1883-1901 |
| 5 / 13 | Herhold family: Dick, Mary (McKay) |
1889-1898 |
| 6 / 1 | H-L (includes Henry Hardesty, C.E. Hartley, Jennie
Hartt, E.N. Harwood, J.E. Hiffin, W.B. Holmes, Archie Hyndman, J.D. Indy, Al.
Ingram, A.M. Johnson Estate, Alex Johnson, Andrew Johnson, C. Johnson, Carrie M.
Jones, John King, George Lewis, W.I. Lippincott, Chris Lowman, Fred Lueck, R. Lueck) |
1880-1910 |
| 6 / 2 | McKay family: Alex, Flora, Mary (see also Herhold
for Mary) |
1888-1901 |
| 6 / 3 | M (includes D.J. Marshall, H.W. Marshall, H.
Martin, Herman Mauden, R.R. Mayes, F.M. McDonnell, Henry McGlinch, Hugh Miller, C.K.
Morrison, P.A. Morrison, S.S. Mullinix, L.W. Myers) |
1888-1906 |
| 6 / 4 | N-P (includes John Nelson, A.B. Nisbett, Henry
Nolte, C.A. Nyhart, Mrs. Newton Orr, S.C. Prentice) |
1889-1904 |
| 6 / 5 | S-T (includes W.H. Salling, E. Scharnikow, James
Shewmaker, G.W. Shoemaker, J.E. Slater, Society of Montana Pioneers, Marvin Stone,
D. Sullivan, D.T. Taylor, Thompson & Walker, Mrs. William Trostle, Twin Bridge
Lumber Co.) |
1877-1910 |
| 6 / 6 | U-W (includes E.W. Underwood, Union Bank and Trust
Company, C.S Utley, Maytie Utley, H.N. Virden, W.T. Welch, Oscar Welcher, Mrs. F.H.
Wilcomb, Samuel Wilson, Sanders Word) |
1886-1910 |
Outgoing Correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6 / 7 | D-V (includes Lavinia Debus, D.C. Devenport,
William Ferm, J. Jobb, S.E. Jones, A.B. Nisbett, Sears, Roebuck & Co., M. Stone,
C.L. Utley, O. Varney) |
1889-1902 |
Financial Records |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6 / 8 | Assay records (re silver and gold) |
1899-1900 |
| 6 / 9 | Bank books (Hall and Bennett Bankers) |
1897, 1903-1904 |
| 6 / 10 | Bank statements (Hall and Bennett Bankers)
[scattered] |
1898-1901 |
| 6 / 11 | Cancelled checks |
1891-1904 |
| 6 / 12 | Invoices [scattered] |
1889-1909 |
| 6 / 13 | Promissory notes (includes statement of payments and
interest) |
1889-1904 |
| 6 / 14 | Tax records (includes state and city taxes) |
1890-1904 |
| 6 / 15 | Miscellany |
1891-1912 |
Legal Documents |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6 / 16 | Agreements |
1889, 1898 |
| 6 / 17 | Application for patent (in newspaper); land plats |
1897-1911 |
| 6 / 18 | Land leases |
1897-1911 |
| 6 / 19 | Probate records (re Dora Hanson's estate) |
1860-1901 |
| 6 / 20 | Will (Caroline Hanson McKay estate) |
1893 |
| 6 / 21 | Miscellany (includes list of deeds held by Mrs.
McKay) |
1895 |
Miscellaneous |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6 / 22 | Calling cards |
undated |
Mary Mckay Herhold Bothwell Swayze Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Incoming Correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6 / 23 | Miscellaneous (primarily from McKay family) |
1876-1910 |
Miscellaneous Correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6 / 24 | To Richard Herhold from business associates |
1895, 1897 |
Financial Records |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6 / 25 | Miscellany (includes deposit slips (Sheridan State
Bank) [scattered]; receipts) |
1897, 1925 |
Legal Documents |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6 / 26 | Miscellany (includes mining lease, patent for
mineral rights) |
1897, 1905 |
Miscellaneous |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6 / 27 | Calling cards; "to do" lists [scattered] |
undated |
Transfers To Other Programs Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Transfers |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6 / 28 | List of photographs transferred to the Photo
Archives |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Assaying
- Flour-mills
- Friendly societies
- Gold mines and mining
- Grain--milling
- Land companies
- Library science--Societies, Etc.
- Mines and mineral resources--Montana--Madison County
- Mining claims
- Scottish Americans
- Service organizations
- Women--Societies and clubs
Personal Names
- McKay, Alexander, 1832-1922 (creator)
Geographical Names
- Bannack (Mont.)
- Sheridan (Mont.)
- St. Paul's Church (Virginia City, Mont.)
- Virginia City (Mont.)--Religious life and customs
- Virginia City (Mont.)--Social life and customs
Finding aid prepared by MHS staff
2004
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
