Montana Historical Society, Research Center Archives
225 N. Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT 59620-1201
(406) 444-4774
mhslibrary@mt.gov
MC 307
Larson, Thomas O., b. 1874
Thomas O. Larson Papers
1909-1950
2.5 linear feet of shelf
space
Thomas Larson operated a sheep ranch near
Choteau, Montana, and served in the Montana legislature. Collection (1912-1948)
includes correspondence, financial records, legal documents, speeches, and
subject files.
English
Thomas O. Larson was born in Norway on
November 27, 1874, the second of nine children of Ole and Annie Larson. The
family moved to the United States in 1880 and settled on a farm in Benton
County, Minnesota. In the summer of 1895 Thomas opened a small store at Burton
in Teton County, Montana. The following two years he operated a stage line
between Collins and Choteau. He then went into ranching, raising cattle,
horses, sheep, and wheat on a desert land claim half way between Choteau and
Bynum. He was involved in the Teton Co-operative Reservoir Company, the Brady
Townsite Company, and the Brady Irrigation Company. He served two terms as
president of the Montana Wool Growers Association, and one term as president of
the Montana Livestock Production Credit Association. Larson was also active in
Republican politics. He served as assessor of Teton County from 1900 to 1904,
was in the state Senate from 1911 to 1921 and from 1927 to 1937, and ran for
the U.S. Senate in 1936. While in the Legislature, Larson sponsored the bill
splitting Teton County into three counties; introduced the first Blue Sky Law,
regulating the sale of stocks; and helped establish the 19th Judicial District.
Larson was active in several fraternal orders, including the Masons, the
Knights Templar, the Helena Consistory of the Scottish Rite, the Algeria Shrine
Temple, the Red Cross of Constantine, and the Royal Order of Jesters. Larson
married Helen Stowe in 1902. They had two daughters Alva Gertrude and Harriet
Helen. Alva married Wilfred Armstrong, who succeeded Larson in managing the
ranch; Harriett married the noted Choteau author A.B. Guthrie Jr. Thomas O.
Larson died March 18, 1958.
Content Description:
Papers consist of incoming
correspondence (1912-1950), concerning politics, sheep raising, and fraternal
activities; scattered outgoing correspondence (1917-1945); court papers
(1918-1930); financial records (1910-1950) consisting primarily of county
taxes, receipts, livestock shipments and inventories, wool production figures,
and promissory notes; legal documents (1913-1943) primarily concerning land
leases; maps and plats of Larson land holdings; printed material; and speeches
concerning political campaigns and history. In addition, there is a subject
file (1909-1946) focusing on politics and ranching matters. This file includes
folders on several companies, in which Larson held an interest, including the
Birch Creek Water Company, the Brady Irrigation Company, the Brady Townsite
Company, and the Teton Co-operative Reservoir Company. It also includes files
on Larson's leasing of grazing land on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation,
including lists of Blackfeet tribal allotment holders. There is also a file on
the Sun River elk herd, including reports on the condition of the herd.
Miscellaneous material includes certificates and membership cards, fraternal
order materials, humor and poetry, a booklet of the Sun River Sanitarium
Association, and other items. Clippings include reviews and announcements for
A.B. Guthrie Jr.'s The Big Sky, and a scrapbook (1936) of clippings concerning
Larson's race for the U.S. Senate.
Arrangement:
by series
Acquisition Information:
available upon request
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Montana
Historical Society Archives catalog. Researchers desiring materials about
related topics, persons, or places should search under these terms.
Elk
Friendly
societies
Norwegian
Americans
Oil and gas
leases
Petroleum
industry and trade
Sheep
ranches--Montana
Sugar beet
industry
Wool industry
World War,
1914-1918--Home front
Grazing
Blackfeet
Indian Reservation (Mont.)
Columbia River
Basin
Pondera County
(Mont.)--Agriculture
Teton County
(Mont.)--Agriculture
Teton County
(Mont.)
Sun River Game
Preserve (Mont.)
Montana
Agriculture
Irrigation
Fisheries and Wildlife
Government and Politics
Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in
the collection
Biographical Material
1 / 1
Obituaries
1958
Incoming Correspondence
1 / 2
E.R. Alquist
1917,
1939-1941
1 / 3
A (correspondents include
Will Aiken, Mary Alderson, American Legion of Montana, Anti-Saloon League of
Montana)
1917-1921,
n.d.
1 / 4
Ballie Buck (illustrations
transferred to museum)
1937-1939
1 / 5
B (correspondents include
M.E. Baatz, Lora Bailey, Arnold G. Baker, A. Beardslee, Biographical
Encyclopedia of America, Arnold A. Boe [in Norwegian], J.C. Boettcher, J.G.
Boswell Company, Hugh W. Buchanan, Clarence Bucher, W.J. Butler)
1914-1942
1 / 6
William Cowgill (re sale of
ranch)
1922-1924,
1939
1 / 7
C (correspondents include
J.J. Cain, B. Castberg, John W. Coburn, George Coffey Jr., Consistory Shrine
Temple Association, Convent of the Good Shepherd, Ransom Cooper, W.H. Corry,
Kenneth D. Creveling, P.H. Crossen, W.C. Curtis)
1915-1942
1 / 8
Day and Hansen Security
Company
1922-1925
1 / 9
Joseph M. Dixon (includes
campaign material and report of investigating committee re charges he made re
oil tax)
1920-1921,
1930
1 / 10
D (correspondents include
Henry Davidson, Glenn T. Davis, Julia DeWitt)
1915-1930
1 / 11
John E. Edwards (re Bank of
Commerce, Forsyth)
1916. 1920
1 / 12
E (correspondents include
George Ebner, T.S. Eidem, R.T. Ellis, Grace V. Erickson)
1916. 1920
1 / 13
James W. Freeman
1915,
1927-1933
1 / 14
F (correspondents include
Mrs. J.F. Fait, R.M. Farrington, A.J. Findley, First National Bank of Conrad,
First National Bank of Fairfield, First National Bank of Great Falls, L.A.
Foot, Charles A. Franks, Frary and Burlingame, Frye and Company)
1917-1934
1 / 15
Galusha, Higgins and
Galusha, accountants
1950
1 / 16
Great Western Sugar Company
(re decision not to build sugar factory near Choteau)
1916-1917
1 / 17
G (correspondents include
W.N. Gaines, Harry R. Gallaway, W.W. Gamble, A.C. Grinde, F.H. Gilcrest Farm
Companies, W.H. Gorham, Great Falls Breweries Inc., Great Northern Railway
Company, John J. Greene, A.A. Grorud, A.B. Guthrie Jr., J.W. Gwinn)
1915-1941
1 / 18
Charles W. Helmick
1915-1916
1 / 19
J.E. Hult
1913-1914
1 / 20
H-I (correspondents include
Hallowell, Jones and Donald; J.A. Hanlon Company, E.G. Hartfield poem-letter;
R.M. Hattersley; John A. Havey; Stuart Hazlett; M.J. Healey; R.P. Heren; David
Hilger; Hirshberg Brothers; T.J. Hocking; L.F. Howard; H. Homer Hullinger;
International Refining Company; Ives and Smith)
1913-1946
1 / 21
Mrs. T. Jorame [in Norwegian
with translation]
1920
1 / 22
J-K (correspondents include
C.B. Jackson, E.E. Jackson, C.P. Johnson, Kyle Jones, W.D. Jones, Arthur
Jordan, E.L. Jourdonnais, F.S. Kalberg, Cornelius F. Kelley, J.M. Kennedy, W.P.
Kenney, C.H. Kester, Ira M. Kiley, Wally Kingsbury, J.C. Kinney, S. Kittilson,
John Krause, Henry Kurtz)
1912-1942
1 / 23
L (correspondents include
O.M. Lanstrum, E.M. Larson, Scott Leavitt, Dan Ledgerwood, E.E. Leech Land
Company, Lewis Grain Company, Nettie C. Lewis, Dan Lindseth, Jerome G. Locke,
A.O. Longmuir, Henry Love)
1917-1933
1 / 24
Thomas A. Marlow (re Teton
Co-operative Reservoir Company, Brady Irrigation Company)
1915-1917,
1925
1 / 25
Masonic Grand Master of New
York (against any alliance with Ku Klux Klan)
n.d.
1 / 26
Montana Land Dept./Dept. of
State Lands and Investment
1913-1914.
1933-1934
1 / 27
Montana Livestock Finance
Corporation (includes inspection of ranches)
1922
1 / 28
Montana... (includes Montana
Board of Barber Examiners, Montana Cowboys, Montana Senate, Montana Grain
Inspection Dept., Montana Stockgrowers Association, Montana Wool Growers
Association)
1922-1933
1 / 29
M (correspondents include
George W. Magee, D.F. Mains, Malone and Truchot, Duncan Martin, Valerie A.
Matthews, R.E. McAllister, T.D. McCain, Washington J. McCormick, E.H.
McDonnell, Kenny McKnight, F.A. Meagher, T.A. Meagher, Menomont Exploration and
Development Company, Louis Momberg, G.E. Monkman, John Moore, J.C. Morgan, C.F.
Morris, Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Company, Henry L. Myers)
1913-1941
1 / 30
David H. Nelson (re purchase
of land)
1918-1930
1 / 31
Northern Pacific Railway
Company (includes Agricultural Development Agent E.F. Benton; Freight Agent
Howard Ellsworth)
1924, 1938
1 / 32
N (correspondents include
National Geographic Society, Anna E. Nett)
1915-1916
1 / 33
Frank A. Oulton (re ranch
and Bynum affairs)
1912-1914,
n.d.
1 / 34
A.K. Prescott (includes
affidavit by W.H. Scott about their contract)
1909-1918
1 / 35
P (correspondents include
Marcia L. Patterson, Lewis Penwell, P.A. Peterson, J.A. Phillips, Ray R.
Porter, T.H. Pridham, E.O. Prince, Producers Co-operative Commission Company,
Robert H. Proudfoot)
1912-1943
1 / 36
Republican Party
1919-1937
1 / 37
Carl W. Riddick, U.S.
Congressman
1921-1923
1 / 38
R (correspondents include
Elmer R. Reynolds, L.R. Rieder, C.B. Roberts, D.H. Roberts, Nancy Russell re
memorial statue for Charles M. Russell, Robert Ryan)
1916-1929
1 / 39
S (correspondents include
St. Joseph's Parish, George O. Sanford, Scandinavian Erickson for Governor
Club, Fred Schoensigel, Sidney J.W. Sharp, Shell Oil Company, Sherburne
Mercantile Company, John L. Slattery, Pete Snelson, Harry R. Snyder, George
Sollid, S.V. Stewart, Tom Stout, G.W. Streeter)
1912-1944
1 / 40
Teton County (includes
County Commissioners, Superintendent of Schools)
1917-1933
1 / 41
T-V (correspondents include
Teton Service Company, Texas Company, J.N. Thelen, Gust Thompson, L.G.
Torkelson, M.F. Trask, Trinity Lutheran Church, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation,
U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Internal Revenue Service, University of Montana
Agricultural Experiment Station, F. Van Orsdel)
1913-1942
1 / 42
N.P. Walters (re detective
business and re Algeria Shrine and Royal Order of Jesters)
1915-1924
1 / 43
W-Y (correspondents include
E.C. Waldron, Thomas J. Walsh, Arthur "Punk" Ward, Mrs. J.W. Ward, O.S. Warden,
Washington Trust Company, J.R. Watkins Company, Simon Weil, T.B. Weir, A.J.
West, Daniel Whetstone, B.C. White, Williams and Pauly, Winslow and Company,
William N. Wright, J.E. Young)
1912-1941
Outgoing Correspondence
2 / 1-5
Miscellaneous [scattered]
1917-1945
Court Papers
2 / 6
Affidavit of weapons
ownership: World War I
1918
2 / 7
J.E. Hodgskiss vs. Hugh
Bowers complaint (re William Hodgskiss Estate)
1930
2 / 8
Thomas O. Larson vs. Ruth
Fitzsimmons et al. complaint (re Stemple Mining District claim)
1922
2 / 9
Agnes Baart Radcliffe et al.
vs. Roman Catholic Bishop of Helena et al. brief (re Joseph A. Baart Estate;
T.O. Larson was one of defendants)
n.d.
2 / 10
[Unidentified case] brief
(re amending constitution)
n.d.
Financial Records
2 / 11
Bills [scattered]
1915-1934,
n.d.
2 / 12
Financial statements
1921, 1944,
n.d.
2 / 13
Hay production
1922, n.d.
2 / 14
Income tax files on
employees
1940-1950
2 / 15
Larson Building account book
(Alva Larson and Harriet Larson Guthrie)
1941-1946
2 / 16
Livestock inventories
1940-1944
2 / 17
Livestock shipments
1924-1942
2 / 18
Montana Unemployment
Compensation Commission filings
1936-1946
2 / 19
Oil royalties on
Beardslee-Swears farm
1925
2 / 20
Promissory notes
1910-1925
2 / 21
Receipts: Brady Irrigation
Company
1916-1917,
1924
2 / 22
Receipts: life insurance
1912-1934
2 / 23
Receipts: state lands leases
1913-1934
2 / 24
Receipts: miscellaneous
1912-1941
3 / 1
C.J.B. Stephens, dentist,
accounts
1919-1930
3 / 2
Taxes and tax assessments:
Lewis and Clark County
1924-1947
3 / 3
Taxes and tax assessments:
Pondera County (T.O. Larson)
1920-1949
3 / 4
Taxes and tax assessments:
Pondera County (other people, primarily William and James Cowgill)
1920-1925
3 / 5
Taxes and tax assessments:
Pondera County (delinquent)
1922-1934
3 / 6
Taxes and tax assessments:
Teton County (T.O. Larson)
1914-1949
3 / 7
Taxes and tax assessments:
Teton County (Helen Larson, Alva Larson, Harriet Larson Guthrie)
1941-1949
3 / 8
Taxes and tax assessments:
Teton County (other people)
1918-1949
3 / 9
Taxes and tax assessments:
Teton County (delinquent)
1927-1924
3 / 10
Taxes and tax assessments:
Toole County
1923-1932
3 / 11
Taxes: motor vehicles
1938-1939
3 / 12
Taxes: Internal Revenue
Service claim and response
1943-1950
3 / 13
Wool production and cost
statistics for Montana
n.d.
3 / 14
Wool shipments
1934, n.d.
Legal Documents
3 / 15
Agreements (includes Fred S.
Doege, R. Wolden, Arnold Baker, John Sullivan, E.W. LeRoy and Delmer Clark,
E.E. Jackson, George Thervin, Sun River Electric Cooperative)
1915-1929,
n.d.
3 / 16
Deeds and bills of sale
(includes Edward J. and Gertrude Hirshberg, W.W. Wright, James and Maria
Heighton, D.P. Fabrick)
1920-1940
3 / 17
Leases (includes Dept. of
State Lands, Larson and Oulton, U.S. Forest Service, Day and Hansen Security
Company, Frary and Burlingame, W.H. Babcock Company, Thacker Bond and Mortgage
Company, Armada Company, J.B. Pontius)
1913-1934,
1942
3 / 18
Mortgages and release of
mortgages (includes Walter H. Sanborn, C.H. Campbell and Son, Edward and Lucy
Dennis, David H. and Maria H. Nelson)
1913-1918
3 / 19
Oil and gas leases (includes
W.J. Johnson, California Petroleum Corporation, Oil Fields Lumber Company,
Kenneth McKenzie, Louis D.M. Drumheller, Texas Company)
1923-1943
3 / 20
Miscellaneous (includes
assignment, notice of water right on Spring Creek, livestock sales)
1916-1937
Maps
3 / 21
Land plats: Larson Ranch
[one map in OVERSIZE FOLDER]
n.d.
Printed Material
3 / 22
Miscellaneous (includes
catechisms in Norwegian and in English, "How to Fly a Piper Cub" [airplane],
"The Chancel Club Cook Book")
1889-1945
Speeches
3 / 23
Campaign speeches (race for
U.S. Senate)
1936
3 / 24
"The Spirit of Washington in
the late war"
n.d.
3 / 25
Miscellaneous (includes talk
on Teton County history, speech note cards, fragment about trade with Canada)
1918, 1930?
Subject Files
4 / 1
Agricultural Adjustment
Administration
1933-1934
4 / 2
Wilfred Armstrong (re
military service)
1946
4 / 3
Birch Creek Water Company
(includes bylaws, assignment of stock, correspondence)
1939
4 / 4-5
Blackfeet Indian Reservation
grazing leases (includes permits, names of allotment holders, correspondence,
production figures, maps)
1930-1946,
n.d.
4 / 6
Brady Irrigation Company
(includes stock pledge, receipt)
1909, 1915
4 / 7
Brady Townsite Company
(includes plat maps, taxes, sales lists) [maps in OVERSIZE FOLDER]
1914-1925
4 / 8
Federal Land Bank of Spokane
(includes correspondence, receipts, notices)
1929-1937
4 / 9
First National Bank of Great
Falls (re mortgage)
1932-1939
4 / 10
Free school text book law
(text of bill, memos, financial statistics)
1932-1933?
4 / 11
Legislature (includes report
of special committee to investigate the Liquor Control Board, 1939; status
sheets, 1929; clippings)
1929, 1939
4 / 12
Liberty Loan and Red Cross
(includes correspondence, statistics on town commitments)
1918-1919
4 / 13-14
Montana Livestock Production
Credit Association (includes mortgages, production figures, proposed bylaws,
sample documents)
1934-1943
4 / 15
Montana Wool Cooperative
Marketing Association (includes correspondence, statements of participation,
contracts)
1930-1933
4 / 16
Montana Wool Growers
Association (includes correspondence, minutes, shipping statistics, printed
material)
1935-1941
4 / 17
Norwegian Crown Prince Olav
and Crown Princess Martha visit to Montana
1939
4 / 18
Political (includes campaign
materials, presidential electors' votes, lists of legislators) [campaign poster
in OVERSIZE FOLDER]
n.d.
4 / 19
Ranch (includes
correspondence, production statistics, etc.)
1940-1946
4 / 20
Regional Agricultural Credit
Corporation (includes correspondence, contracts, loan statements)
1933-1934
4 / 21
Republican Party (includes
letter, receipts)
1939
4 / 22
Ruth Dredger Manufacturing
Company (includes correspondence, photo) [blueprint in OVERSIZE FOLDER]
1929
4 / 23
Selective Service Board
appointment
1940-1941
4 / 24
Sheep and wool materials
(includes production statistics, shearing tallies, shipments, etc.)
1937-1941
5 / 1
Sun River elk herd
(resolution, reports)
1928-1930
5 / 2
Teton Co-operative Reservoir
Company (includes agreements, correspondence, amendments to bylaws, stockholder
list)
1915-1921,
1941
5 / 3
Water (includes
correspondence with Robert Ryan, National Farm Loan Associations, Davis H.
Nelson, Obert Peterson)
1937-1939
Miscellany
5 / 4
Carriage advertisements
1945
5 / 5
Certificates and membership
cards (includes brand certificates, motor vehicle registration, hunting and
fishing license, certificate of election as State Senator) [marriage
certificate, Alva Larson birth certificate, Masonic certificates in OVERSIZE
FOLDER]
1902-1927
5 / 6
Joseph M. Dixon speech (re
history of Columbia River region, economic development, etc.)
1927
5 / 7
Fraternal order materials
(includes membership cards and receipts for Royal Arch Masons, Knights Templar,
A.F. & A.M., Red Cross of Constantine, etc.)
1925-1933
5 / 8
Humor and poetry
n.d.
5 / 9
Aagot Lian candidacy for
state Senate
1926
5 / 10
Norwegian Relief Inc.
receipt books (World War II)
1940
5 / 11
Ration books (World War II)
1943, n.d.
5 / 12
John B. Ritch "Saga of the
Soogon: the Ballad of the Sheepherder's Quilt" [poem]
1940
5 / 13
Stock certificates
(primarily oil and gas companies)
1917-1940
5 / 14
Sun River Sanitarium
Association constitution and bylaws
n.d.
5 / 15
Miscellaneous (includes
cattle inspections, booklet re McNary Haugen bill, Nonpartisan League card,
announcement of meeting [possibly Ku Klux Klan], theater program, list of
pallbearers for Kennie McKenzie, materials for sheep shed)
1916-1944
Clippings
5 / 16
A.B. Guthrie Jr. (includes
The Big Sky reviews and ads; announcement of Harvard's Nieman Fellowship)
1944, 1947
Vol. 1
Scrapbook (re campaign for
U.S. Senate)
1936
5 / 17
Scrapbook (re campaign for
U.S. Senate) [loose items removed]
1936
5 / 18
Miscellaneous (re politics,
Alva Larson, John Maynard Keynes, state insurance act, state Liquor Control
Board investigation, government spending, state agencies)
1911-1940