Montana Historical Society Archives
MC 166
Greenfield
family
Greenfield Family papers
1807-1975
4 linear feet
Charles Greefield was a Helena, Montana, journalist.
This collection (1807-1975) consists of personal, business, and political materials
of the Greenfield family. Subgroups include papers for Charles D. Greenfield, Jr.,
Marguerite Greenfield, Charles D. Greenfield, Sr., Anna Elizabeth Nelson Greenfield,
and Marietta McBrine Greenfield.
7:7-4 7:7-5
English
Biographical Note:
Charles Diggs Greenfield was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1857. After the Civil
War he went to Denver where he worked as a newspaper reporter for the Denver
Tribune. In 1883 Greenfield moved to Helena, Montana, and worked first as a printer
and then as a reporter for The Helena Independent. He also helped write M.A.
Leeson's 1885 History of Montana. Sometime thereafter Greenfield became editor of
the Montana Record. In 1916 he was appointed Montana Commissioner of Agriculture and
Publicity. In 1921 he worked as a development agent for the Great Northern Railway
and helped build the Chinook Sugar Factory. Greenfield was a Democrat and served as
a member of Montana's Fifth Legislative Assembly. In 1918 he acted as secretary of
the Montana Council of Defense. Active in Helena's community life, Greenfield served
on both the library and school boards. Greenfield married Marietta McBrine of St.
Louis, Missouri, in 1881. They had four children: Marguerite, Charles Diggs, Jr.,
Marietta, and Thomas Loughran. Charles Diggs Greenfield, Sr., died in Helena on
November 25, 1934.
Charles Diggs Greenfield, Jr., was born in Helena, Montana, in 1885. He graduated
from Helena High School in 1903. Between 1907 and 1919 Greenfield worked as a
newspaper reporter for The Helena Independent and the Montana Record Herald. In 1919
he accepted a position as Montana Director of Publicity and farmed in the Helena
valley. In 1923 he joined the office of Montana Life Insurance Company (later
Western Life), where he worked in various capacities until his retirement in 1960.
In succeeding years Greenfield wrote numerous historical articles for such
publications as True West and Frontier Times. He was elected to the Lewis and Clark
County Commission (1954-1960) and was a long-time member of the Helena Kiwanis Club.
He also received a U.S. Weather Bureau award for keeping precipitation records over
a forty-year period. Greenfield married Anna Elizabeth Nelson, daughter of Henry H.
Nelson of Vandalia, Montana, in 1913. They had three children: Henry, Ann, and
William. Charles Diggs Greenfield, Jr., died in Helena on September 26, 1975.
Marguerite Greenfield was born in Helena in 1883. She graduated from Helena High
School in 1900. In 1911 Marguerite started a wholesale and retail ice business, the
Independent Ice Company, in Helena. She expanded in 1922 to Elk Park pond on the
Continental Divide fifteen miles from Butte. Marguerite sold her business in 1934,
and later ran the Ox Shoe Treasure Shop east of Helena. She wrote fiction and
nonfiction and was a charter member of the Helena Landmarks Association. Marguerite
Greenfield never married. She died in Helena on August 11, 1968.
This collection contains the personal, business, and political materials of the
Greenfield family. In addition there are numerous subject files that document the
family members' interest in collecting, researching, and writing Montana history.
The largest subgroup is for CHARLES D. GREENFIELD, JR., and includes Biographical
Material, General Correspondence (1905-1975), Court Papers, Diaries (1904-1909),
Financial Records, Legal Documents, Subject Files, Writings (1904-1973),Miscellany,
and Clippings. The MARGUERITE GREENFIELD SUBGROUP (which includes records from
Independent Ice Company) contains General Correspondence (1903-1962), Court Papers,
Diaries (1916-1934), Financial Records, Legal Documents, Printed Material, Subject
Files, Writings (1906-1929), Miscellany, and Clippings. The CHARLES D. GREENFIELD,
SR. SUBGROUP contains biographical material, general correspondence (1902-1934),
court papers, financial records, subject files, writings (1920-1929), miscellany,
and clippings. There are also subgroups for Anna Elizabeth Nelson Greenfield
including general correspondence (1908-1918), financial records, writings, and
miscellany; and for Marietta McBrine Greenfield, including financial records
(1888-1896), legal documents, subject files, and miscellany.
Arranged by subgroup and series.
Collection open for research.
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana
Historical Society. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials
in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional
authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an
archivist.
Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder
numbers. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.
Acquisition information available upon request
Artifacts, photographs, and printed material and maps have been transferred to the
Museum, Photograph Archives, and Library respectively. See inventory below for more
information.
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.
Greenfield
family
Blackfeet Indian Reservation (Mont.)
Elk Park (Mont.)
Fort Assiniboine (Mont.)
Gould (Mont.)
Helena Fire Tower (Mont.)
Helena (Mont.)
Helena (Mont.)--Commerce
Helena (Mont.)--Newspapers.
Helena (Mont.)--Social life and
customs
Lewis and Clark County (Mont.)
Lewis and Clark County
(Mont.)--Commerce
Lewis and Clark County
(Mont.)--Politics and government
Mount Helena (Mont.)
Toole County (Mont.)
Vandalia (Mont.)
Ice--Manufacture
Businesswomen--Montana--Helena
Insurance companies--Montana
Mines and mineral
resources--Montana--Lewis and Clark County
Montana
Business, Industry, and Labor.
Women
Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection
Charles Diggs Greenfield, Jr.
Biographical Materials
1 / 1
Autobiographical Sketch, etc.
undated
General Correspondence
1 / 2
A-G (correspondents include
Adventure; Aerophilia; American Kennel Club; American Life
Convention; American Museum of Natural History; The American Weekly;
American Red Cross; Bald Butte Mining Company; Bankers National Life
Insurance; Blair Camera Company; Blue Shield of Montana; Book of the
Month Club; Braun-Knecht-Heimann Company; Samuel G. Blythe; The
Buckboard; Burlington-Northern Ry. Company; Butte Evening News; C.J.
Howard, Company; California-Western States Life Insurance Company;
F.B. Carpenter; Carroll College; Charlton Publications, Inc.;
Colgate-Palmolive Company; Collier's National Weekly; Congressional
Library; Tilford Cornn; The Country Gentleman; David Current; John
B. David; John N. DeHaas, Jr.; The Dillon Examiner; Dowling and
Erickson; Erickson and Richards; Farm Journal; Field and Stream;
Ford Motor Company; Fireman's Fund; J.W. Freeman; Frontier West;
Galusha, Higgins and Galusha; M.P. Gilchrist; Charles D. Greenfield;
Michael Ginsberg; Girls Rodeo Association; Great Falls Tribune; Grey
Owl Laboratories; Gurney Seed and Nursery Company)
1900-1974
1 / 3
Greenfield family; Greenfield family
Christmas letter
1903, 1946, 1961-1975
1 / 4
H-M (correspondents include Halbert's
Inc.; George H. Hammond; Harper's Magazine Company; Charles D.
Hazelbrigg; Helena Independent Record; Carl E. Herfurth; Hoofs and
Horns; Hungry Horse News; Burt C. Jensen; John Hancock and Mutual
Life Insurance Company; The Ladies Home Journal; Lewis and Clark
Company; Life Insurance Sales Research Bureau; Maverick Publications
Inc.; John Melcher; Merrill Lynch, Pierce; Mike's Trading Store,
Inc.; Montana Constitutional Convention; Montana Daily Record;
Montana Farmer-Stockman; Montana Highway Patrol; Montana Life;
Montana Newspaper Association; Montana Reservoir and Irrigation
Company; Montana Standard; Montana Stockgrowers Association; Montana
Weekly Record; Montana Dept. of Public Welfare; Montana Historical
Society; Montana State University; Montgomery Ward; The Mutual Life
and Citizens' Assurance Company, Ltd.)
1905-1975
1 / 5
Mike Mansfield
1966-1974
1 / 6
Lee Metcalf
1966, 1971-1972
1 / 7
N-T (includes Anna A. Nelson; Henry
H. Nelson; Newsweek; Pan-American Life Insurance Company; Curtis
Pigott; Richard Roeder; Jo and Glen Slaughter; Smithsonian
Institution; Edmond G. Toomey )
1902-1975
1 / 8
U-Y (correspondents include United
Aircraft Corporation; United Press Association; United States Dept.
of Agriculture; United States Dept. of the Army; United States Civil
Service Commission; United States Dept. of Commerce and Labor;
United States Dept. of Justice; University of Utah; Vandalia
Machinery and Welding Works; Wall Street Journal; Wells-Dickey
Company; Robert Wolenik; Western Life Insurance Company; Western
Publications; Western Underwriter; Theodore Wiprud; Wyoming State
Archives and Historical Dept.)
1909-1974
1 / 9
Western Life Insurance Company (re
retirement)
1950
1 / 10
Unidentified
1921, 1924, 1965, 1971-1974
Miscellaneous Correspondence
1 / 11
Lee Mantle, Montana Volunteer
Infantry
1899
Court Papers
1 / 12
U.S. v. Treasure State Industries,
et.al.; State of Montana v. Marguerite, Charles, Thomas, and
Marietta Greenfield re highway easement; appointment as jury
commissioner
1929, 1959-1960
Diaries
1 / 13
Diaries (3 volumes)
1904, 1905, 1909
Financial Records
2 / 1
"Daily Expense Record" (6 volumes)
1918-1925, 1928
2 / 2
Ledger sheets; cash account book
1909-1928
2 / 3
Notes, statements, insurance
policies, etc.
1907-1952
2 / 4
Tax statements
1919-1937
Legal Documents
2 / 5
Agreements; contracts; mortgages;
will
1908-1974
Subject Files
2 / 6
Civil Service Commission application
for special writer position (includes samples of Greenfield's
writings)
1923-1925
2 / 7
"Communism"
1937-1950
2 / 8
Echo Mining Company (Burke, Idaho)
1907-1916
2 / 9
Elizabeth Chester Fisk's home
circa 1958
2 / 10
Freeman land purchase (Helena)
1910-1950
2 / 11
Charles D. Greenfield, Jr., for
county commissioner
1954, undated
2 / 12
Helena Valley bridge controversy
1958-1960
2 / 13
Hewitt-Lea-Funck company re
construction of home
1915
2 / 14
"Irrigation and Dams" (Hungry Horse,
Canyon Ferry, Knowles, Fort Peck, Libby Dams; Montana Power Company)
1937-1964
2 / 15
Montana Dept, of Agriculture,
Division of Labor and Publicity
1921-1922
3 / 1
Mt. Helena Park
1905-1907 1974
3 / 2
Henry H. Nelson (includes a
reminiscence)
1914-1958
3 / 3
Reader's Digest controversy re John
F. Stevens and the Panama Canal
1972-1973
3 / 4
Theodore W. Scharpf (re dismissal as
Lewis and Clark county supervisor)
1959-1960
3 / 5
Scratch Gravel ranch, Helena
(includes inventory, taxes, etc.)
1914-1941
3 / 6-7
Vandalia, Montana, land sale (re
Henry H. Nelson)
1907-1919
3 / 8
War risk insurance (re military
discharge)
1918-1923
3 / 9
Western Life Insurance Company
(includes writings by Greenfield)
1941-1956, undated
3 / 10
W.F. Wheeler
undated
Writings
3 / 11
"Al Ross, Hannibal of the Mountains"
1967
3 / 12
"The Ben Roberts Move to Cascade,
1889"; "Bitter Root Development Company"
undated
3 / 13
"Charity Dillon"; "City Man Who Went
Farming"
1930, undated
3 / 14
"Clean-up of Laramie in '68"
(includes research material)
1967-1971
3 / 15
"Comments on Political Matters,
1911"; "Donlan and Morony" (John G. Morony)
1911, undated
3 / 16
"Farm Hunting by Mail"; "The Fleece
Hunters"
1924, undated
3 / 17
"Grand Scenery Meets the Eye on Every
Side" (re Carbon County)
1905
3 / 18
"Helena's Hidden Channel of Gold"
(includes research materials)
1966
3 / 19
"Henry C. Smith"; "How the Public
Grafts"; "Hunting Down the Land Thieves"
undated, 1907
4 / 1
"I Worked for the Bureaucrats";
"Ideal Conditions for Writing a Novel"; "In Debtor's Row"
1925, undated
4 / 2
"Jim's Friend"; "John E. Edwards";
"Land Frauds"
undated
4 / 3
"Little Dog Became the Best Friend
the Montana Whites Ever Had" (includes research materials)
1971-1972
4 / 4
"Major Logan's Bleeding Heart" (re
Sidney Logan); "The Man Who Blackmailed A Railroad"; "The Man Who
Worshipped Power"; "The Millstones"
1904, 1966, 1968, undated
4 / 5
Newspaper articles re snow removal,
Thomas Francis Meagher, William Boyce Thompson, Harlowton, Mullan
Road, heat engines, Indians, and impeachments; letters to the editor
1940-1966
4 / 6
"Philanthropy"; "Prohibition and a
Race Horse" (re Gould, Montana); "Public Lands and Hydroelectric
Power Sites, 1909"
1909, 1965, undated
4 / 7
"Pike Landusky, the Violent Peace
Officer"; "How the Logan Boys Got That Way" (re Harvey Logan)
(includes research materials for both articles)
1967, 1969
4 / 8
"Range Fencing by Cattle Barons";
"Rodeo Back Stage"; "Rustling Jimmy"
undated
4 / 9
"Small Town Reporter"; "The Smile"
1911, 1941
4 / 10
"Stillwell - The Trouble Shooter";
"Stray Horse Mine"
1909-1913, undated
4 / 11
"There was Something About Him"; "The
Trade"; "The Wooden Man"
1912, 1967, undated
4 / 12
Miscellaneous re A.J. Campbell, Frank
Conley, Cooke City, Fort Assiniboine controversy in 1911, hunting,
William R. Logan, Thomas A. Marlow, Carl Rasch, Wellington D.
Rankin, Helena, mining, Yogo sapphires, A.E. Spriggs, Little Plume,
C.W. Dawe, Joseph M. Dixon, Samuel V.. Stewart, women's suffrage,
weather, Montana Historical Society newspaper collection, O.M.
Landstrom (includes research materials)
1910-1973
4 / 13
Miscellaneous re Huntley Project,
Marysville, John Irving, Chance (Montana), sheep industry, Peter
Dobbs, George Steele, William H. Hunt, World War I, state government
reorganization, smoking, Quigley (Montana), John H. Shober, Harry
Cunningham, bridles, aeronautics class, Jake Hoover, census taking,
Charles M. Russell
1965-1972, undated
5 / 1
Miscellaneous commentary, personal
experiences, etc.; research notes
undated
Miscellany
5 / 2
Certificates, brand register,
memberships, vision and hearing tests, recognition for weather
observation, etc.
1903-1971
5 / 3
Vocabulary notebook
1908
5 / 4
Miscellaneous notes, poems,
memorabilia, etc.: R. Gray letter; legislation re proposed Bear Paw
County; agricultural production tables; horse bands list; "the
Eureka Bridle"; commencement invitations and programs, business
cards; list of Lewis and Clark County Officials' Salaries (1955);
etc.
1908
Clippings
5 / 5
Charles D. Greenfield, Jr.
1913-1972
5 / 6
Miscellaneous
1906-1968
Marguerite Greenfield
General Correspondence
5 / 7
A-G (correspondents include Amon
Carter Museum of Western Art; Anaconda Copper Mining Company;
William A. Clark; Ann R. Coburn; Herbert A. Doyle; J.F. Emigh;
Fairmount Creamery; Robert L. Fisk; Great Falls Lodge No.214)
1919-1963
5 / 8
Greenfield and McBrine families
1906-1911
5 / 9
Great Northern Railway Company
1922-1923
5 / 10
H-W (includes Heileman Brewing
Company; Marieta Holley; Homer Hoover; Montana State Fair;
Northwestern Milling Company; Jeannette Rankin; Herman Robertson;
Ward Myron Sackett; Schroeder Brothers; Allis B. Stuart; John
Traufer; N.P. Walters)
1903-1959
5 / 11
Unidentified
1906-1962 undated
Court Papers
5 / 12
Ross and George Linden v. Marguerite
and Marietta Greenfield
1935-1936
Diaries
5 / 13
European trip
undated
5 / 14
Journal re ice business, etc.
(typescript copy)
1916-1934
Financial Records
5 / 15
Marguerite Greenfield deposits,
insurance, invoices, receipts, etc.
1915-1935
6 / 1
Independent Ice Company bank
statement, assessment lists, ice shipments, invoices, receipts
1915-1935
Legal Documents
6 / 2
Agreements for ice with Frank Reilly;
Marguerite Greenfield will
1934, 1967
Printed Material
6 / 3
"A Woman in the Ice Business";
"Harvesting and Storing Ice on the Farm"
1920-1921
Subject Files
6 / 4
Greenfield Advertising Agency
(Butte); T.L. Greenfield
1930, 1965
6 / 5
Marguerite Greenfield - L.S. Ropes
mining map controversy
1919-1936
6 / 6
Helena Landmarks Association (re
Helena Fire Tower, churches, etc.)
1936-1939, 1945
6 / 7
McBrine family
1850-1881
6 / 8
W.K. Roberts
1865-1868
6 / 9-11
C.M. Russell, Nancy Russell (includes
John David and Ben Roberts correspondence)
1907-1964
6 / 12
T.J. Waddell
1911
Writings
6 / 13
"Celestial Argonaut"; "Dream of a
Shallow Grave"; "How a Great Breeding Herd Was Taken Out of Montana"
(re A.B. Cook); "The Old Fire Bell Tower on Tower Hill"; "Old Time
Saddles"
undated
6 / 14
"Pulling Up Stakes"; "Tales from the
Village Watch-Tower"; "The Widow"
undated
6 / 15
Miscellaneous re mining, Helena,
Charles Porter Grove, Charles M. Russell, Great Falls
1906-1929, undated
Miscellany
6 / 16
Independent Ice Company inventory,
envelope, etc.
1919-1935
7 / 1
School reports, certificates,
invitations, programs, etc.
1892-1965
7 / 2
Scrapbook
undated
7 / 3
Miscellaneous notes, poems, J.K.
Toole autograph and seal, John Shober testimony on gold discovery in
Helena, Ella Knowles reminiscence, list of Democratic State Central
Committee members, geological description of Toole County by Gordon
Campbell, songs for "Montana Month" Description of Mrs, E. Fisk's
home (1868) on Rodney Street, Helena, MT, Helena's Diamond Jubilee
Official Program, Helena High School 1900 Commencement Exercises
Programme.
1900-1968, undated
Clippings
7 / 4
Marguerite Greenfield
1961, undated
7 / 5
Independent Ice Company; Helena Ice
Company
1911-1925
7 / 6
Miscellaneous
1891-1960
Charles Diggs Greenfield, Sr.
Biographical Materials
7 / 7
Biographical sketch by C.D.
Greenfield, Jr.; obituaries
1934, undated
General Correspondence
7 / 8
C-S (correspondents include Charles
D. Greenfield; Charles Gabisch; Golden Jubilee; Russell Larcombe;
Edwin L. Norris; Northwestern Milling Company; R.J. Sawyer)
1902-1934
Court Papers
7 / 9
Charles D. Greenfield, Sr., estate
1934
Financial Records
7 / 10
Long Green Farm accounts
1915
7 / 11
Stock certificates
1888-1934
Subject Files
7 / 12
Democratic Party (includes
resolutions, platform notes, etc.)
1920
7 / 13
Joseph M. Dixon
1901-1921, undated
7 / 14
Samuel Ford
1920, undated
7 / 15
Montana Council of Defense (re Butte
Bulletin Publishing Company case)
1918
7 / 16
Samuel V. Stewart
1918, undated
7 / 17
Water rights to "Old Ice Pond"
(Kirkendahl Lane, Helena)
1865-1911
Writings
8 / 1
"Montana's Vast Resources Make Its
Future Greatness Certain"; "John S.M. Neill"; miscellaneous re
Helena, Frank P. Sterling, capital site, Edward Clarke, Westside
paving district, Montana Mining Association, and farming
1920-1929, undated
Miscellany
8 / 2
Certificates, invitation, letterhead,
etc.
1892-1929
8 / 3
Miscellaneous notebook and notes;
Independent Publishing Company annual statement; Preston H. Leslie
letter; F. Dusar letter; crop yields
1807-1921
Clippings
8 / 4
Charles D. Greenfield, Sr.
1920-1931
8 / 5
Thomas A. Marlow
1919-1920, undated
8 / 6
Burton K. Wheeler
1917-1918 undated
8 / 7
Miscellaneous
1893-1920 undated
Anna Elizabeth Nelson Greenfield
General Correspondence
8 / 8
D-W, unidentified (includes John
David; Marietta McBrine Greenfield; John Hurley; Sterrett Napton;
Anna Nelson [mother]; H.H. Webber)
1908-1918
Financial Records
8 / 9
Cash book; receipt
undated, 1916
Writings
8 / 10
Poetry; "A Russell Incident";
Vandalia news column
1912, 1963 1973
Miscellany
8 / 11
Miscellaneous notes
1916, undated
Marietta Mcbrine Greenfield
Financial Records
8 / 12
Savings account pass book; loan
receipt
1888-1896
Legal Documents
8 / 13
Agreements; deeds; affidavit re birth
of Charles D. Greenfield, Jr.
1907-1942
Subject Files
8 / 14
Reconstruction Finance Corporation
and earthquake repairs to Greenfield home
1935-1939
8 / 15
Water rights to Grattan Ditch (East
Helena)
1915-1935
Miscellany
8 / 16
Statement re assistance by daughter,
Marietta Greenfield Luderer; rail passes
1925, 1927 undated
Separations
Miscellany
8 / 17
Lists of artifacts, photographs, and
printed material and maps separated to the Museum, Photo Archives,
and Library respectively.
1925, 1927 undated
Oversize
Miscellany
1 / 1
National Council of Defense Certificate of Appreciation
1919