Mary Helterline Flynn Digital Photographs, Circa 1906-1936

The Mary Helterline Flynn photographs are digital versions of photographs taken by Mary Helterline Flynn and her family over the course of a thirty year period starting in 1906. The photographs document her life and her family's life, farming methods of the time, and community events. The collection is arranged according to the geographical location of where the photographs were taken and the subject matter of the photographs. The descendants of Mary Helterline Flynn provided the locations of where the photographs were taken and descriptions of the subjects of the photographs in 2007.

Series I contains general photographs taken in Missoula and photographs of the Winter's Homestead where Mary boarded during her term as a teacher at Hell gate School in Missoula. Series II focuses on photographs taken in Horse Plains (later known as Plains) in general, and Mary's father George Helterline and Mary's uncle Joe Helterline's homesteads. Series III contains photographs attributed to Vanwinkle, but Mary's descendants were unclear if Vanwinkle was a family or a location. Series IV documents the schools Mary taught at and the children Mary interacted with during her time as a teacher in Montana. Series V contains photographs Mary took in Pennsylvania on trips she and her sister took to visit their mother's family. Series VI has photographs taken at the St. Ignatius Mission in Montana. Series VII is devoted to the Flynn Ranch in the Missoula Valley with subseries documenting ranch life and the Flynn family. Series VIII are vacation photographs from the Flynn family trips to Lolo Hot Springs in Lolo, Montana. Series IX concerns photographs taken in Ravalli, Yellowstone and undetermined locations and in some cases unrecognizable subject matter.