Russell D. Daigle Collection of Photographs

Russell D. Daigle Collection of Photographs, 1892-1915

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Daigle, Russell D., 1913-2003
Title: Russell D. Daigle Collection of Photographs
Dates: 1892-1915 (inclusive)
18921915
Quantity: 35 photographs
Collection Number: Mss 353
Summary: The Russell D. Daigle Collection of Photographs features the mining town of Quigley, Montana, and surrounding areas from the 1890s through 1915. Images document the work of local miners, loggers, and railroaders as well as town buildings and daily life.
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: 406-243-2053
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: visual

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Russell D. Daigle was born on May 8, 1913 in Missoula, Montana to Leonard and Hattie Daigle. Daigle’s grandfather, Damase Daigle, was a homesteader who moved with his family to Frenchtown, Montana, in the 1880s. By the 1890s, Daigle’s grandfather had established Daigle Ranch in Quigley, Montana, which was then a booming mining town, in addition to owning the local sawmill. Even after gold mining operations ceased, Daigle Ranch continued to operate, and Russell Daigle traveled frequently to Quigley as a child.

In 1932, Daigle enrolled at the University of Montana (then called Montana State University), where he studied journalism. After graduation, Daigle moved to California and worked for the U.S. Forest Service as a fire prevention officer and administrative assistant. When World War II broke out, he joined the U.S. Navy and was stationed at Alameda Naval Base. In 1944, Daigle married Mirene Hendrickson, and they had three children. In his later career, Daigle worked in publishing. He died on May 14, 2003.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Russell D. Daigle Collection of Photographs features the mining town of Quigley, Montana. Images are predominately of local miners, loggers, and railroaders in the 1890s, although some photographs of structures such as the Quigley Hotel and Ranch House were taken as late as 1915. Operations at the Alps and Jumbo mines, as well as the Quigley Sawmill, are included. Other photos show members of the Daigle family, the surrounding town of Bonita, and Quigley locals in Butte, Montana.

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

Russell D. Daigle Collection of Photographs, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The photographs in this collection are arranged in a single series by photo number.

Custodial History

Russell D. Daigle held the photos in this collection until he loaned them to the University of Montana in 1976 for duplication. The originals were returned to Daigle.

Acquisition Information

The University of Montana acquired the photographs in this collection in 1976.

Processing Note

The University of Montana produced duplicates of Daigle’s photographs, assigned photo numbers, and placed the images in its general photo collection in 1976. Daigle’s captions were transcribed, and the original photographs were returned to him. In 2021, the photographs were processed separately as Mss 353.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
photo_number
76-1116	Early mining camp at Quigley, Montana	circa 1896
76-1117	Leonard Daigle at the Jumbo Mine upper Brewster Creek, east of Quigley, Montana	1902
76-1118	Old hotel ranch house at Quigley, Montana The hotel sat at the mouth of Brewster Creek on Rock Creek; Russell Daigle's room was on the second floor, first on left; photographers: P. Therriault and Joseph Daigle	July 6, 1915
76-1119	The Alps Mine, east of Quigley, Montana The mine's Gold Stamp Mill was driven by a steam engine	1896
76-1120	North fork Brewster Trestle for railroad, up Brewster Creek at Quigley, Montana	1896
76-1121	Switch back on railroad, east fork of Brewster Creek Construction work en route to the mines out of Quigley, Montana	1896
76-1122	Sawmill Gulch at Quigley, Montana Floating logs down Rock Creek for road construction	1896
76-1123	Sawmill making railroad ties at Quigley, Montana Sawmill Gulch on left, Slaughterhouse Gulch on right, Sapphire Range in background	circa 1896
76-1124	Upper Brewster Creek at Quigley, Montana, on the road to Alps Mine	circa 1902
76-1125	Cabin at mines east of Quigley, Montana From the front: Mrs. Baggington at center left, Hattie Daigle at center right, Leonard Daigle at right, Delia Daigle at center; from the back: Mr. W. J. Babbington, Missoula County clerk, at left with gold pan	undated
76-1126	Blacksmith shop at Quigley, Montana	1896
76-1127	The Jumbo Mine at the headwaters of Brewster Creek, east of Quigley, Montana	circa 1896
76-1128	Edgar Daigle with pet bear cub at Quigley Hotel on Rock Creek	1911
76-1129	Building Rock Creek Road near Spring Creek below Quigley, Montana	1896
76-1130	Flume bed for the Quigley, Montana, stamp mill Photo might also be of lower Rock Creek road construction	circa 1892
76-1131	Rock Creek road contstruction below Quigley, Montana	circa 1892
76-1132	Railroad ties for the Jumbo Mines, upper Brewster Creek, east of Quigley, Montana	circa 1892
76-1133	Gold miners and their families in camp at Quigley, Montana This camp, with tents and cabins visibile in the background, was located at the mouth of Brewster Creek Canyon and was the first camp at Quigley	1896
76-1134	Postal view of the Quigley Trail Postcard sent from Bonita, Montana	1908
76-1135	Sawmill at Quigley, Montana, overlooking Sawmill Gulch	circa 1910
76-1136	View of Quigley, Montana, looking north across the Brewster Creek Bridge The old Daigle Hotel is the second building on the right	circa 1900
76-1137	Workers laying the railroad bed for the gold mines out of Quigley, Montana	circa 1892
76-1138	Babcock Mansion and Backcock Place, three miles from Quigley, Montana Structures were built during the boom on Rock Creek near Spring Creek, but were destroyed by fire	undated
76-1139	Workers posed in front of the bunkhouse at Quigley, Montana Damase Daigle on right, Leonard Daigle seventh from right	1896
76-1140	Sawmill at Quigley, Montana Damase Daigle, owner, sitting; the ties and mine studs are for the Jumbo, Alps, and Golconda mines	circa 1893
76-1141	Miners and wranglers at the Quigley Hotel on Rock Creek Leonard Daigle standing; others unidentified	circa 1905
76-1142	Bill Edelman and Joe Daigle packing in to the Alps Mine, east of Quigley, Montana	circa 1905
76-1143	Road crew at work in Rock Creek Canyon below Quigley, Montana	circa 1892
76-1144	Mining officials at hotel in Quigley, Montana Damase Daigle in background, standing by door	circa 1895-1896
76-1145	Trial jury, probably in Deer Lodge, Montana Damase Daigle, top row, fourth from left, served as foreman; trial was for murder suspect in a shoot-out at Quigley, Montana, saloon	circa 1898
76-1146	Union House and Montana House buildings Damase Daigle is upstairs on right; location is unknown, but possibly Bearmouth, Drummond, or Deer Lodge, Montana; view of period saloon and hotel 'false front' buildings	circa 1890
76-1147	Bonita, Montana, at Clark Fork River crossing to Rock Creek valley	June 30, 1903
76-1148	Group in Butte, Montana Bill Edelman, on right, later became a long-time miner on the forks of Brewster Creek, east of Quigley, Montana; "He had a beautiful Parisian wife, a good claim, a sound cabin, stamp mill."	unknown
76-1149	Group of men in front of brickyard in Butte, Montana Bill Edelman, top row, third from left	circa 1885-1890
76-1150	Liquor store in unknown location unknown Damase Daigle at the right of the door	unknown

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Loggers--Montana--Quigley--Photographs
Miners--Montana--Quigley--Photographs
Mines and mineral resources--Montana--Photographs
Railroads--Employees--Photographs

Personal Names

Daigle, Russell D., 1913-2003--Archives

Corporate Names

Quigley Hotel and Ranch House--Photographs

Geographical Names

Bonita (Mont.)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Photographs
Butte (Mont.)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Photographs
Quigley (Mont.)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Photographs

Form or Genre Terms

Photograph collections

Archives West Finding Aid

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