Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Lester S. Willson Family Papers, 1861-1922
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Willson, Lester S. (Lester Sebastian), 1839-1922
- Title
- Lester S. Willson Family Papers
- Dates
- 1861-192218611922
- Quantity
- .2 linear feet
- Collection Number
- Collection 1407, MtBC, us (collection)
- Summary
- The Lester S. Willson Family Papers consist of letters written by Lester and Davis Willson during the Civil War while both men were with the army; letters written by Lester and Davis during their first years in Bozeman; letters written by Eugene and Fred from Bozeman to their parents who were away; Civil War military documents pertaining to the 60th New York Volunteer Infantry and Lester S. Willson; student papers of Fred and Eugene; scrapbook materials and newspaper clippings; photographs of the Willsons, the Tuller and Rich Cash Store, and the Willson home in Bozeman.
- Repository
-
Montana State University Library, Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections
Montana State University-Bozeman Library
Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT
59717-3320
Telephone: 4069944242
Fax: 4069942851
- Access Restrictions
-
This collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Lester S. Willson was born in Canton, New York on June 15, 1839. His parents, Ambrose and Julia Willson had at least two other sons, Davis and George. Lester enlisted as a private in the 60th New York Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War and spent the early months guarding the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in Maryland. By 1865 Willson had gained the rank of colonel of his regiment, and at the war's end he was brevetted a brigadier general. He administered the Soldier's Home in Albany, New York following the war and in 1867 moved to Montana Territory to join his brother Davis in the mercantile business at Bozeman. Willson entered into a partnership with Tuller and Rich at Bozeman, eventually replacing both men to become a sole proprietor. He also served in the state legislature and with the state militia. He married in 1869 Emma D. Weeks and the couple had three children; George (who died as an infant), Lester Eugene, and Fred Fielding. Both Fred and Eugene attended Bozeman schools, and Fred eventually became a prominent local architect. Eugene died in 1893 at the age of 14. Lester S. Willson continued to operate his business until his death on January 26, 1919.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Lester S. Willson family papers consist of letters written by Lester and Davis Willson during the Civil War while both men were with the army; letters written by Lester and Davis during their first years in Bozeman; letters written by Eugene and Fred from Bozeman to their parents who were away; Civil War military documents pertaining to the 60th New York Volunteer Infantry and Lester S. Willson; student papers of Fred and Eugene; scrapbook materials and newspaper clippings; photographs of the Willsons, the Tuller and Rich Cash Store, and the Willson home in Bozeman. The papers have been arranged in five series.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Series 1 Correspondence, 1861-1922
Series 2 Civil War military documents, 1863-1865
Series 3 School papers, 1890-1893
Series 4 Scrapbook material, 1893-1911
Series 5 Photographs, 1865-1910
Acquisition Information
Family papers, military documents, and photographs created or collected by members of the Lester S. Willson family of Bozeman, Montana, were donated to Special Collections in 1968 by Merrill G. Burlingame. Additional materials were donated by Burlingame in 1974. The papers incorporate those originally recorded under accession number 846.
Processing Note
This collection was processed 2009 March 16
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series 1: Correspondence, 1861-1922Return to Top
Letters written by Lester S. Willson, Davis Willson, Lester Eugene Willson, Fred Fielding Willson, and other family members and friends. Letters pertain to the Civil War, early Bozeman, Montana, condolences on the 1919 death of Lester S. Willson, and other family news. The letters have been chronologically arranged and individually listed.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | 1861-1866 | |
Lester S. Willson (Camp Wheeler, Ogdensburgh) to
Davis Willson |
September 26, 1861 | |
Lester S. Willson (Baltimore, Maryland) to
parents |
November 10, 1861 | |
Lester S. Willson (Camp Preston King) to
family) |
February 19, 1862 | |
Davis Willson (on march) to parents |
January 26, 1865 | |
Lester S. Willson (Albany, New York) to
mother |
December 26, 1866 | |
1/2 | 1867-1879 | |
Davis Willson (Bozeman, Montana Territory) to "folks
at home" |
May 29, 1867 | |
Lester S. Willson (Bozeman, Montana Territory) to
Mary A. Cory |
June 12, 1867 | |
P.J. Moran (Albany, New York) to Lester S.
Willson |
January 9, 1868 | |
Lester S. Willson (Bozeman, Montana Territory) to
Mary A. Cory |
May 10, 1868 | |
Lester S. Willson (Bozeman, Montana Territory) to
Mary A. Cory |
September 18, 1868 | |
Description of headstone for Mary
Blackmore |
July 19, 1872 | |
Blanche Blackmore, (Salisbury, England) to Emma
Willson |
August 18, 1872 | |
Mrs. Hampton (Bedford, England) to Emma
Willson |
November 6, 1872 | |
Lester S. Wilson, (Bozeman, Montana Terr.) to Mary
A. Cory |
February 19, 1879 | |
1/3 | 1886-1890 | |
Grandmother Willson (Greene, Maine) to Fred and L.
Eugene Willson |
August 1, 1886 | |
Fred W. Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Emma
Willson |
October 25, 1887 | |
L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Emma
Willson |
October 25, 1887 | |
L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Emma
Willson |
November 3, 1887 | |
Fred W. Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Emma
Willson |
November 3, 1887 | |
Fred W. Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Emma
Willson |
February 11, 1888 | |
L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Emma
Willson |
December 9, 1888 | |
Fred W. Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Emma
Willson |
December 9, 1888 | |
L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Uncle
Gus |
November 15, 1890 | |
1/4 | 1891 | |
L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Uncle
Gus |
January 20, 1891 | |
Fred F. Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Lester S. and
Emma Willson |
February 2, 1891 | |
L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Lester S.
and Emma Willson |
February 8, 1891 | |
L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Lester S.
and Emma Willson |
February 9, 1891 | |
L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Lester S.
and Emma Willson |
March 4, 1891 | |
Fred F. Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Lester s. and
Emma Willson |
March 9, 1891 | |
L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Lester s.
and Emma Willson |
March 16, 1891 | |
Fred F. Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Lester S. and
Emma Willson |
March 23, 1891 | |
L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Uncle
Gus |
April 4, 1891 | |
L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Mr.
Johnson |
April 7, 1891 | |
1/5 | 1892-1918 | |
L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to S. R.
Raymond |
October 26, 1892 | |
Col. M. Rich (Bozeman, Montana) to Lester S. and
Emma Willson |
March 24, 1894 | |
May Travis (Twin Bridges, Montana) to Emma
Willson |
April 15, 1894 | |
[unknown] (Revenue Mill, Montana) to George
Willson |
July 13, 1895 | |
Jim Gertirdge (Salmon City, Idaho) to Lester S.
Willson |
July 25, 1895 | |
[unknown] (Revenue Mill, Montana) to Mr.
Lowman |
July 28, 1895 | |
"Sis" (Revenue Mill, Montana) to George
Willson |
November 19, 1895 | |
Robert H. Chapman (Camp near Choteau, Montana) to
Emma Willson |
September 4, 1897 | |
Invitation to wedding of Helen Fisher and Fred F.
Willson |
October 15, 1897 | |
May Travis Shaw (Lansing, Michigan) to Emma
Willson |
January 14, 1917 | |
Robert M. Donaldson (Boise, Idaho) to Lester S. and
Emma Willson |
February 23, 1917 | |
"Stella" (Pocatello, Idaho) to Emma
Willson |
December 19, 1918 | |
Robert M. Donaldson (Boise, Idaho) to Lester S. and
Emma Willson |
December 21, 1918 | |
1/6 | 1919 | |
J.R. Russell (Butte, Montana) to Emma
Willson |
January 27, 1919 | |
Wilbur F. Sanders (Pasadena, California) to Fred F.
Willson |
January 28, 1919 | |
John S. Axtill (Columbia Falls, Montana) to Emma
Willson |
January 29, 1919 | |
W.W. Wylie (Pasadena, California) to Emma
Willson |
January 30, 1919 | |
R.O. Wilson (Bozeman, Montana) to Emma
Willson |
January 31, 1919 | |
Alfred Myers (Hardin, Montana) to Emma
Willson |
February 1, 1919 | |
Daniel H. Tuttle (St. Louis, Missouri) to Emma
Willson |
February 5, 1919 | |
Sarepta Sanders (Long Beach, California) to Emma
Willson |
February 15, 1919 | |
May Travis Shaw (Lansing, Michigan) to Emma
Willson |
February 16, 1919 | |
One lot telegrams, all to Emma Willson |
January-February 1919 | |
Robert M. Donaldson (Boise, Idaho) to Emma
Willson |
May 27, 1919 | |
Adaline Terry (Lynn, Massachusetts) to Emma
Willson |
December 30, 1919 | |
1/7 | 1920-1922 | |
Wilbur F. Sanders (Butte, Montana) to Emma
Willson |
circa 1920 | |
R. P. Calvin (Chicago, Illinois) to Emma
Willson |
November 14, 1920 | |
Adelaine Aldrich (Oakland, California) to Emma
Willson |
May 12, 1921 | |
Alfred Atkinson (Bozeman, Montana) to Fred F.
Willson |
June 4, 1922 | |
Miscellaneous envelopes |
Series 2: Civil War military documents, 1863-1865Return to Top
Muster rolls, property returns, and blank forms prepared or collected by Lester S. Willson in his various officer appointments within the 60th New York Volunteer Infantry. Included are the resolutions of the "Moral and Anti-Swearing Society" formed by an officer's mess of the 60th regiment in 1865. Most of the muster rolls are large and have been removed to separate storage.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/8 | Military documents |
1863-1865 |
Series 3: School papers, 1890-1893Return to Top
Report cards, tests, and student essays created by L. Eugene Willson and Fred Willson. The essays by Eugene are on a number of topics and describe life in Bozeman and Gallatin County during the 1890s.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/9 | Fred and Eugene Willson report cards and
tests |
|
1/10 | Eugene Willson student essays |
Series 4: Scrapbook material, 1893-1911Return to Top
Newspaper clippings and other memorabilia pertaining to the Willson family. Clippings include obituary notices for Lester, Emma, and Eugene Willson. Other documents are: memorial resolutions of GAR for Lester Willson, 1919; funeral guest list for Lester S. Willson, 1919; organ recital program, 1910; L. Eugene Willson account book, 1893.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/11 | Newspaper clippings |
|
1/12 | Miscellaneous material |
Series 5: Photographs, 1865-1910Return to Top
Portraits of Lester S. Willson, L. Eugene Willson, Fred F. Willson, Willson family, and Lt. George Tyler, 2nd U.S. Cavalry. Building views including the Tuller and Rich Cash Store, Bozeman, 1866, and the Willson home, also in Bozeman. Images marked with (*) have negatives available.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/13 | ||
#1: Lester S. Willson |
1865* | |
#2: Lester Eugene Willson |
circa 1880 | |
#3: Fred F. Willson |
circa 1890s* | |
#4: Lester Eugene Willson |
circa 1893 | |
#5: Willson family, outdoors by tent |
circa 1880s | |
#6: Lt. George L. Tyler |
circa 1880s* | |
#7: Tour bus, Washington, D.C. |
circa 1910 | |
1/14 | ||
#8: Tuller and Rich Cash Store, Bozeman |
1866* | |
#9: "First residence of Gen'l L.S. Willson and Family,
Bozeman...."
(printed engraving; two copies)
|
||
#10: Wilson home, interior, hallway |
circa 1890 | |
#11: Wilson home, interior, dining room |
circa 1890 | |
#12: Wilson home, interior, dining room |
circa 1890 | |
#13: Wilson home, interior, stairway |
circa 1890 | |
1/15 | Negatives |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- General stores-Montana-Bozeman-Photographs
- Soldiers-United States-Correspondence
Personal Names
- Willson, Davis, 1841-1915-Correspondence
Corporate Names
- Tuller and Rich Cash Store (Bozeman, Mont.)-Photographs
- United States-Army-New York Infantry Regiment, 60th (1861-1865)
Family Names
- Willson family-Homes and haunts-Montana-Bozeman-Photographs
- Wilson family
Geographical Names
- Bozeman (Mont.)-Buildings, structures, etc. -Photographs
- United States-History-Civil War, 1861-1865-Personal narratives
Form or Genre Terms
- Family papers-Montana-Bozeman
- Photographs-Montana-Bozeman
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Willson, Fred Fielding, 1877-1956 (creator)
- Willson, Lester Eugene, d. 1893 (creator)
Family Names
- Willson family (creator)