Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Robert S. Fletcher Papers, 1928-1949
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Fletcher, Robert S., 1900-1959
- Title
- Robert S. Fletcher Papers
- Dates
- 1928-1949 (inclusive)19281949
- Quantity
- 2.5 linear feet
- Collection Number
- Mss 124 (collection)
- Summary
- Robert S. Fletcher was an historian who taught mostly at Oberlin College in Ohio. This collection is comprised of correspondence and research notes for his work on the history of the cattle industry in Montana.
- Repository
-
University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections
Archives and Special Collections
Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
University of Montana
32 Campus Dr. #9936
59812-9936
Missoula, MT
Telephone: 4062432053
Fax: 4062434067
library.archives@umontana.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and The University of Montana--Missoula.
- 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
Robert S. Fletcher was born in Forestville, New York, on November 3, 1900. After graduating from Forestville Free Academy, Fletcher went on to study history at Oberlin College. Upon graduating he earned his living teaching at a high school in Michigan, until be enrolled in the doctoral program in history at Harvard University. At Harvard, Fletcher studied with Frederick Jackson Turner, Edward Channing, and Arthur M. Schlesinger, Sr. During these years he served as an Assistant in History at Harvard (1923-1924), an Instructor in History at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an Assistant Professor of History at Tufts University (1926-1927). In 1925-1926 Fletcher was an Associate Agricultural Economist for the United States Department of Agriculture, where he produced a number of studies. Fletcher returned to Oberlin in 1927 as an assistant professor of history and he quickly developed a reputation as an outstanding and inspiring professor. While best known for his two-volume history of Oberlin College, Fletcher also published several articles on the history of the cattle industry in Montana. In 1959 Duke University Press published his book, Eureka: From Cleveland by Ship to California, 1849-1850. Robert Fletcher died suddenly at the age of fifty-nine after spending more than thirty years teaching at Oberlin.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection is comprised of correspondence and research notes for Robert Fletcher's work on the history of the cattle industry in Montana. The correspondence, with various officials from the USDA, deals mainly with the publication of his books and articles on Montana. The bulk of the collection, however, consists of the extensive research notes that Fletcher compiled while working on "The Organization of the Range Cattle Business in Eastern Montana," and "That Hard Winter in Montana, 1886-1887," which were both published in the early 1930s. The majority of this research was conducted with records from the Montana Stockgrower's Association and the newspaper files at the Montana State Historical Society. Well-organized and thorough, Fletcher's notes cover a wide range of issues involved with the establishment of the cattle and sheep industry in Montana. The collection also contains copies of one of Fletcher's original manuscripts, as well as copies of a few articles by other historians of the High Plains.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Copyright not transferred to The University of Montana.
Preferred Citation
[Name of document or photograph number], Robert S. Fletcher Papers, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The collection is divided into three series:
Series I: Correspondence, 1 folder, 1928-1949
Series II: Manuscripts, 2 folders, circa 1930
Series III: Research Notes, 2.5 linear feet, circa 1930
Acquisition Information
The provenance of the collection is unknown.
Processing Note
The actions of the original processors are unknown. In 1999, the collection was re-described. For many years, the collection was attributed to Robert H. Fletcher, another historian of the Montana range.
Related Materials
The Oberlin College Archives holds 8.1 linear feet of Fletcher's papers, mostly relating to his history of the College.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series I: Correspondence , 1928-1949Return to Top
This series is comprised of correspondence related to the publication of Fletcher's work on the Montana cattle industry. Fletcher corresponded with M.L. Wilson, the head of the University of Montana Agricultural Experiment Station in Bozeman, Everett Edwards, an Associate Agricultural Economist from the USDA, and Ray Mattison, historian for the National Park Service.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | 1929-1933, 1949 |
Series II: Manuscripts , ca. 1930Return to Top
This series consists of copies of Robert Fletcher's manuscript of "The Organization of the Range Cattle Business in Eastern Montana." The first folder contains the original typed copy, the second holds a photocopy of the original.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/2 | "The Organization of the Range
Cattle Business in Eastern Montana," original copy |
ca. 1930 |
1/3 | "The Organization of the Range
Cattle Business in Montana," photocopy |
ca. 1930 |
Series III: Research Notes , ca. 1930Return to Top
This series is comprised of research notes on a broad range of issues related to the history of the cattle and sheep industries in Montana. Most of the material was collected from the records of the Montana Stockgrower's Association or the newspaper files at the Montana State Historical Society. Among other things, these notes cover issues such as early settlement of Montana by cattlemen, illegal fencing of lands, interactions with Indian inhabitants, early transportation of cattle by steamship and train, the depredation of cattle by wolves, biographical sketches of early cattlemen, the establishment of Indian reservations in Montana, leasing of Indian lands to cattlemen, movement of cattle to Montana from other areas in the West, and detailed lists of ranchers and brands. The majority of these notes are divided by year and complied from articles from Montana newspapers such as the Daily Yellowstone Journal and the Daily River Press. Some notes are also from books and government documents.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/4 | Range Cattle Industry
|
ca. 1930 |
1/5 | Brands |
ca. 1930 |
1/6 | Cattle organization- work
techniques |
ca. 1930 |
1/7 | Montana Stockmen |
ca. 1930 |
1/8 | Montana Stockgrower's Association
|
ca. 1930 |
1/9 | Montana Stockgrower's Association
- meetings, etc. |
ca. 1930 |
1/10 | Montana Stockgrower's Association
- meetings, etc. |
ca. 1930 |
1/11 | Small Stockmen's Associations
|
ca. 1930 |
1/12 | The Veterinary Surgeon
|
ca. 1930 |
1/13 | Statistics |
ca. 1930 |
2/1 | Bibliographic Information
|
ca. 1930 |
2/2 | General Information |
ca. 1930 |
2/3 | 1864-1876 Research Notes
|
ca. 1930 |
2/4 | 1877 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
2/5 | 1878 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
2/6 | 1879 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
2/7 | 1880 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
2/8 | 1881 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
2/9 | 1882 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
2/10 | 1883 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
3/1 | 1884 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
3/2 | 1885 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
3/3 | 1886 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
3/4 | 1887 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
3/5 | 1888 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
3/6 | 1889 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
4/1 | 1890 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
4/2 | 1891 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
4/3 | 1892 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
4/4 | 1893 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
4/5 | 1894 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
4/6 | 1895 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
4/7 | 1896 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
4/8 | 1897 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
4/9 | 1898 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
4/10 | 1899 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
4/11 | 1900 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
5/1 | 1901 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
5/2 | 1902 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
5/3 | 1903 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
5/4 | 1904 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
5/5 | 1905 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
5/6 | 1906 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
5/7 | 1907 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
5/8 | 1908 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
5/9 | 1909 Research Notes |
ca. 1930 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Cattle trade--Montana--History
- Historians--United States
- Sheep industry--Montana--History
- Winter--Montana
Corporate Names
- United States. Dept. of Agriculture
Geographical Names
- Montana--Climate
- Montana--History