Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Montana Constitutional Convention (1889) records, 1889
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Montana Constitutional Convention (1889).
- Title
- Montana Constitutional Convention (1889) records
- Dates
- 1889 (inclusive)18891889
- Quantity
- 1 linear foot of shelf space
- Collection Number
- RS 148
- Summary
- These Montana Constitutional Convention records (1889) consist of correspondence, a journal of daily proceedings, stenographer's notes, subject files, propositions, reports, resolutions, petitions, oaths of office, draft constitution, rules, membership lists, etc.
- 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 is open for research. Use of the handwritten copy of the stenographer's notes is restricted due to its fragile condition; a photocopy is available for research.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
On February 22, 1889, President Grover Cleveland signed an enabling act known as the Omnibus Statehood Bill, providing for constitutional conventions to be called on July 4, 1889, in Montana, Washington, and North and South Dakota territories. A convention was called in Helena, the territorial capital of Montana, to draft a constitution. Seventy-five delegates were elected in May from the sixteen existing counties. The convention was in session from July 4 to August 17, 1889. William A. Clark served as president of the convention.
On October 1, 1889, the draft constitution was approved by a vote of the people of Montana Territory. The U.S. Congress also approved the constitution, and a proclamation by President Benjamin Harrison on November 8, 1889, admitted Montana as the forty-first state.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The records of the 1889 Constitutional Convention include general correspondence, financial records, journal of daily sessions, general topical files arranged by file number; propositions (include committee reports); resolutions and ordinances; status reports; bill book; constitution draft; oaths of office; petitions; memorials; rules; membership list; and convention letterhead.
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
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
General Correspondence Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 1 | Chronological (includes "goods ordered for convention" "Some facts concerning the
location of the capital at Anaconda"; notifications of delegates who "paired") |
1889 July-November |
Financial Records Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 2 | Checkbook |
1889 July-August |
| OvFd / 1 | Disbursements for mileage, per diem, and salaries |
1889 |
| 1 / 3 | Invoices, receipts, etc. |
1889 |
Minutes Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 4 | Convention journal |
1889 July-August |
| 1 / 5-7 | Stenographer's notes (photocopy: fragile originals
are in Box 3 and are restricted) |
1889 July-August |
Proceedings Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 8 | General File No. 1 (re city, town, and county
organization) |
1889 |
| 1 / 9 | General File No. 2-4 (re institutions, military
affairs, education) |
1889 |
| 1 / 10 | General File No. 5-7 (re corporations, boundaries,
and suffrage) |
1889 |
| 1 / 11 | General File No. 8-9 (re executive department, public
indebtedness) |
1889 |
| 1 / 12 | General File No. 10-15 (re apportionment, officers,
citizenship, fires, miscellaneous subjects and future amendments, water rights) |
1889 |
| 1 / 13 | General File No. 16 (re Legislative Department) |
1889 |
| 1 / 14 | General File No. 17 (re industrial resources and
commerce) |
1889 |
| 1 / 15 | General File No. 18 (re Judicial Department) |
1889 |
| 1 / 16 | General File No. 19 (re schedule (validity of
territorial documents)) |
1889 |
| 1 / 17 | General File No. 20 (re revenue and taxation) |
1889 |
| 1 / 18 | General File No. 21 (re preamble) |
1889 |
| 1 / 19 | General File No. 22 (re ordinances) |
1889 |
Miscellany Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | ||
| 1 | Bill book |
1889 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 20 | Draft of constitution |
1889 |
| 1 / 21 | Memorials |
1889 |
| 1 / 22 | Oaths of office |
1889 |
| 1 / 23 | Petitions (re woman suffrage, Sunday laws, taxes) |
1889 |
| 1 / 24 | Propositions 1-18 (re preamble and declaration of
rights, convict labor, imported labor, education, labor, Chinese, irrigation, military
affairs, executive department, boundaries and public lands, suffrage, Bureau of
Agriculture, state institutions and public buildings) |
1889 |
| 2 / 1 | Propositions 19-29 (re Legislative Department,
Judicial Department, pardoning power, public lands and homestead exemptions, municipal
corporations, irrigation, revenue and taxation, miscellaneous subjects and future
amendments, woman suffrage) |
1889 |
| 2 / 2 | Propositions 30-40 (re water rights, corporations,
military reservations, ordinances, public lands, public indebtedness, validity of laws
passed by territorial legislatures, woman suffrage, apportionment and representation) |
1889 |
| 2 / 3 | Resolutions, ordinances, etc. (re preamble,
stenographer's duties, boundaries, counties, state property, suffrage, new counties,
special deputies and private detectives, blacklisting, liquor dealers, abuse of
privilege by Helena Journal, printing of Constitution, federal grant of land to state,
prevention of cholera, taxation, court system) |
1889 |
| 2 / 4 | Rules, membership and committee lists, letterhead |
1889 |
| 2 / 5 | Status reports |
1889 |
| 3 / 1-3 | Stenographer's notes (original: RESTRICTED; use copy
in Box 1, Folder 5-7) |
1889 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Constitutional conventions--Montana--1889
Finding aid prepared by Sue Jackson, 1989
2006
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
