Thain White Papers, 1877-1983

A few personal letters, including correspondence between White and Professor Carling Malouf, are contained in this series. Also included is a letter from the Scandinavian-American Hide and Metal Company dated 1915.

Articles on a variety of Montana historical topics constitute this series. White writes on his original research and the collection contains typed, handwritten and published copies. Many of these works were done with the assistance of Professor Carling Malouf. A few of the original copies also include maps and artifacts concerning the research topic. The series is subdivided into six subseries: Indian Wars, Other Native American Studies, Forts, Homesteading, Flathead Valley History and Other Montana Studies. Within these subdivisions, the articles are then arranged alphabetically by topic.

This series is composed of a variety of notes and research documents on Montana territory forts and Montana stagecoaches. These works were reference materials for White or unfinished projects. None of this material is dated.

This small series includes a 1970 publication on steamboats as well as a 1978 tabloid from the Flathead Lookout Museum. The series also contains a few publications on various historical topics.

White collected a few clippings from Montana newspapers on topics of his interest.

This series consists of a 1939 map of a motor passenger boat for Great Northern Railway and an undated map of a machinery floor plan from the Eureka Lumber Co.

This series includes impressions and tombstone rubbings, a sample of early twentieth-century sheep and pig tags and a display of materials used to make Indian canoes.

Many of White's articles also included photographs of excavations or relics. Most of these photos were taken by White, although some are prints from the National Archives or the Montana Historical Society. A separation sheet has been included within the collection for those photos that have been removed from White's articles. The photographs include images of a wide variety of Montana subjects, including artifacts, historical places and people, animals and plants, and Glacier National Park. A set of European photos includes images of France and Belgium in the late 1970s.

The photos are divided into six subseries, based on White's arrangement: General; Boats and Planes; Soldiers, Indians, and Cowboys; Nature and Animals; European; and Going-to-the-Sun Highway. The photos have two types of numbers on them, but are intellectually arranged by subject.