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Montana Water, Electric Power and Mining Company Records, 1891-1906

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Montana Water, Electric Power and Mining Company
Title
Montana Water, Electric Power and Mining Company Records
Dates
1891-1906 (inclusive)
Quantity
2 linear feet of shelf space
Collection Number
MC 314
Summary
The Montana Water, Electric Power and Mining Company was formed to develop water power from Flint Creek to provide electric power to mines in the Philispburg region. Records consist of interoffice correspondence (1897-1905) between company agents in Philipsburg and corporate officers in St. Louis, Missouri; general correspondence (1897-1905) with suppliers and others; scattered financial, legal, and organizational records; power house and load records (1900-1905); and weekly reports (1900-1905)
Repository
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov
Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Historical Note

The Flint Creek Electric Power Company was incorporated in August 1891 by Thomas T. Baker, Joseph H. Harper and Alden J. Bennett to develop electric power from Flint Creek Falls for use by the mines in Philipsburg, Granite, Anaconda, and surrounding areas. The water would also be used to flume wood and other materials. The company was capitalized at $25,000. The company began to build a dam but was unable to complete it. By 1899 the company was owned equally by Edgar I. Holland, Werner Ziegler, and James Willoughby. That year the owners of the Granite-BiMetallic Consolidated Copper and Silver Mining Company, Paul A. Fusz and his partners incorporated the Montana Water, Electric Power and Mining Company under Missouri law. The new company bought the property of the older company, and kept Holland and Ziegler on as agent and superintendent, respectively. The new company, incorporated for $500,000, had the resources of the Granite-BiMetallic at their disposal, and completed the construction of the dam, the flumes, and the power house. The dam, built of stone masonry just above Flint Creek Falls, flooded Georgetown Flats forming Georgetown Lake. Wooden flumes carried the water down the canyon to the power house, which generated electricity using Pelton water wheels. The power plant came into full operation in 1901. In 1907 the owners sold the plant to the Amalgamated Copper Company, parent corporation of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company. The company formally dissolved March 6, 1909.

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Content Description

Records consist primarily of interoffice correspondence (1897-1905) between the St. Louis, Missouri, and Philipsburg, Montana, offices. Correspondents include Paul A. Fusz, Werner Ziegler, Edgar I. Holland, and John R. Lucas. General correspondence (1897-1906) includes letters from the companies providing equipment for the plant, including the Pelton Water Wheel Company, the Montana Electric Company, and Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. Other records include minor financial materials; a deed (1899) transferring the property from the Flint Creek Electric Power Company to the Montana Water, Electric Power and Mining Company; articles of incorporation and annual reports to the Secretary of State; a power house and load record (1900-1905), and weekly reports (1900-1905) of agent E.I. Holland which also include interoffice correspondence. [Additional records are included in the Anaconda Copper Mining Company Records (MC 169) and the Montana Power Company Predecessor Company Records (MC 268)]

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

by series

Acquisition Information

Acquisition Information:

available upon request

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection

  • Interoffice Correspondence

    • Description: Home Office (St. Louis office to Philipsburg office: correspondents include Paul A. Fusz, E.I. Holland, Werner Ziegler; also includes copies of incoming letters to St. Louis office)
      Dates: Dec. 1897- Feb. 1906
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 1-12
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Home Office (St. Louis office to Philipsburg office: telegrams)
      Dates: 1899-1905
      Container: Box/Folder 2 / 1
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence
    • Description: Home Office ( Philipsburg office to St. Louis office: letterpress books)
      Dates: Feb. 1903- Mar. 1904, May-Dec. 1905
      Container: Box/Folder 2 / 2-3
      Location: Interoffice Correspondence

  • General Correspondence

    • Description: A (correspondents include Abner Doble Company, American Electric Company, American Impulse Wheel Company)
      Dates: 1899-1904
      Container: Box/Folder 2 / 5
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: E.H. Burlingame (Butte City Water Company)
      Dates: 1900
      Container: Box/Folder 2 / 6
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: B (correspondents include F.W. Bacorn, J.S. Baker, Thomas T. Baker, Big Blackfoot Milling Company, W.H. Blair, W.D. Boyce and Company, Frank D. Brown, W.A. Burkholder, B.F. Butler, Butte General Electric Company, Butte Lighting and Power Company)
      Dates: 1899-1904
      Container: Box/Folder 2 / 7
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: C (correspondents include J.H. Calderhead, A.E. Carter, Central Manufacturing Company, Chicago Great Western Railway, Collins Land Company, R.A. Cook, G.W. Craven, Crocker-Wheeler Company)
      Dates: 1899-1904
      Container: Box/Folder 2 / 8
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: Deer Lodge County offices
      Dates: 1899-1903
      Container: Box/Folder 2 / 9
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: D-F (correspondents include Daly Bank and Trust Company, Lee C. Degenhart, F.P. De Wilde, J.M. Eaton, Electrical World and Engineer, First National Bank Missoula, Forbis and Evans, Fulton Bag and Cotton Mills)
      Dates: 1899-1903
      Container: Box/Folder 2 / 10
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: G-I (correspondents include General Electric Company, M.H. Gerry, Gillette-Herzog Manufacturing Company, John Gillie, D.H. Hamilton, Joseph H. Harper, W.E. Headley, Max Hebgen, Helena Water and Electric Power Company, D.J. Hennessy Mercantile Company, J.H. Hibbard, Henry Hubert, Thomas F. Hynes)
      Dates: 1897-1903
      Container: Box/Folder 2 / 11
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: Johns-Manville Company
      Dates: 1902
      Container: Box/Folder 2 / 12
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: Howard Joslyn
      Dates: 1900
      Container: Box/Folder 2 / 13
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: E. Knott
      Dates: 1899-1900
      Container: Box/Folder 2 / 14
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: K-L (correspondents include John E. Kilker, W.J. Krase, Lindsley Brothers Company, J.J. Lynch)
      Dates: 1897-1901
      Container: Box/Folder 2 / 15
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: Montana Electric Company
      Dates: 1899-1902
      Container: Box/Folder 2 / 16
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: Montana Iron Works
      Dates: 1900
      Container: Box/Folder 2 / 17
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: Montana Secretary of State
      Dates: 1899-1905
      Container: Box/Folder 2 / 18
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: M-N (correspondents include Thomas C. Marshall, R.D. May, George H. McCoy, George T. McGuire, McHutton and Cutter, L.S. McLure, Jesse B. Mellor, George Metcalf, Montana Ore Purchasing Company, Montana Register of State Lands, W.E. Moore, Peter Mussigbrod, New York Lubricating Company, Northern Pacific Railway Company, Northwest Electric Engineering Company)
      Dates: 1899-1905
      Container: Box/Folder 2 / 19
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: Pelton Water Wheel Company [most letters are addressed to Granite-BiMetallic Consolidated Mining Company]
      Dates: 1899-1904
      Container: Box/Folder 2 / 20-21
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: P-R (correspondents include Pass and Seymour, S. Perrington, F.C. Pierce, W.O. Pinger, John Poland, Arm Price, Replogle Governor Works, Rix Compressed Air and Drill Company, John A. Roebling's Sons, M.G. Rood, M.C. Ryan)
      Dates: 1899-1902
      Container: Box/Folder 3 / 1
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: F.T. Sterling
      Dates: 1901-1902
      Container: Box/Folder 3 / 2
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: S (correspondents include St. Louis Electric Supply Company, St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company, Joseph Salay, Sand Point Lumber Company, William B. Scaife and Sons, William Scallon, Mary Schuh, F.H. Shay, Siemens and Halske Electric Company, Charles F. Sloane, Standard Underground Cable Company, Stanley Electric Manufacturing Company, A.H. Stephens, Switzer Brick and Terra-Cotta Company)
      Dates: 1899-1905
      Container: Box/Folder 3 / 3
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: Frank Thoma
      Dates: 1899
      Container: Box/Folder 3 / 4
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: T-U (correspondents include Toole and Bach, John E. Tracy, P.D. Twohy, United States Bureau of Fisheries, United States Land Office, United States Secretary of Interior)
      Dates: 1900-1905
      Container: Box/Folder 3 / 5
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: Western Electric Company
      Dates: 1899-1905
      Container: Box/Folder 3 / 6
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company [many letters are addressed to Granite-BiMetallic Consolidated Mining Company]
      Dates: 1899-1905
      Container: Box/Folder 3 / 7
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: George W. Wilson
      Dates: 1897-1899
      Container: Box/Folder 3 / 8
      Location: General Correspondence
    • Description: W (correspondents include Thomas Weir, Western Electrical Supply Company, Western Iron Works, Weston Electrical Instrument Company, M.G. White, George B. Winston, R. Lee Word,
      Dates: 1897-1899
      Container: Box/Folder 3 / 9
      Location: General Correspondence

  • Employment Records

    • Description: Miscellaneous (includes accident report, payroll, labor apportionment)
      Dates: 1897-1903
      Container: Box/Folder 3 / 10
      Location: Employment Records

  • Financial Records

    • Description: Miscellaneous (includes bills of lading, inventory, taxes, supply orders)
      Dates: 1897-1903
      Container: Box/Folder 3 / 11
      Location: Financial Records

  • Legal Documents

    • Description: Deed: Flint Creek Electric Power Company to Montana Water, Electric Power, and Mining Company
      Dates: 1899
      Container: Box/Folder 3 / 12
      Location: Legal Documents

  • Organizational Records

    • Description: Articles of incorporation and annual report (includes predecessor Flint Creek Electric Power Company)
      Dates: 1891-1906
      Container: Box/Folder 3 / 13
      Location: Organizational Records
    • Description: Minutes: Flint Creek Electric Power Company
      Dates: 1899
      Container: Box/Folder 3 / 14
      Location: Organizational Records

  • Production Records

    • Description: Power house and load record
      Dates: 1900-1905
      Container: Box/Folder 3 / 15-20
      Location: Production Records

  • Reports

    • Description: Weekly reports of agent E.I. Holland (also includes interoffice correspondence to Home Office)
      Dates: 1900-1903
      Container: Box/Folder 4 / 1-2
      Location: Reports
    • Description: Weekly reports of agent E.I. Holland (also includes interoffice correspondence to Home Office)
      Dates: 1903-1905
      Container: Box/Folder 5 / 1-2
      Location: Reports


07/25/2002

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