Bass Family Papers, 1864-1959

This series includes the daily accounts of Virginia Bass's life in Stevensville, Montana from 1871 to 1922. Reel 1 includes material that is duplicated on Reel 2. She recounts the weather faithfully, and also includes many details of daily life: growing and harvesting food, raising livestock, people and visitors, family life, visits to the doctor, church and social groups, and some current and world events. The 1922 diary leaves off at January 16. The other diaries, particularly 1895, have many blank pages.

This series includes a letter from Etta Bass to assert her legal right to make decisions concerning the property owned by she and her husband Dudley Bass. It also contains a similar letter from Virginia Bass concerning her legal rights of property owned by she and her husband, William Bass.

These papers contain the account ledger for the Bass brothers' gristmill from 1873-1875 and 1882. This collection also includes mortgages from 1879-1882, 1884, 1886, 1889-1890, and 1893 and promissory notes for the years 1877, 1881-1884, 1886-1889, and 1893. These documents comprise the bulk of this series but a small section of records for various leases (1881), a grant record (1890), stock certificates for Stevensville Hotel Company (1895) and Stevensville Real Estate and Loan Company (1890) are present. Various letters written in 1908 regarding the financial concerns of the Bass brothers also have a small holding within this series. A ledger dating 1864-1866 relates to the Bass brother's mining ventures and shows egg and butter sales. The ledger from Chatfield & Bass contains appears to be that of a dry goods or general merchandise operation and contains the names of many prominent Bitterroot Valley residents. The 1887-1900 ledger appears to be that of the Bass produce business and records sales of livestock, meat, apples (varieties are listed), apple cier, berries, plums, tomatoes, and strawberry plants. A group of miscellaneous financial documents on Reel 7 are duplicated on Reel 1.

This series consists of deeds to various properties owned by the Bass brothers in the years spanning from 1880-1895. Indentures are also present in the collection for the years of 1878 through 1891 and 1893. These two sections comprise the bulk of the legal documents, but there are some U.S. Land Office documents (1876, 1883, & 1888) and executions of sale of real estate from the Sheriff's office (1889-1890) present. A Sheriff's deed under foreclosure issued in 1895 and a court summons for the Bass brothers for 1893 are also listed. Several portions of Reel 7 and 8 duplicate materials on Reel 1. Mining materials on Reel 8 document the Bass brother's involvement with the Lawyers Combination Lode mining claim in Missoula County and the Log Cabin Quartz Lode mining claim. There is considerable correspondence with R.P. Anderson of Lolo, Montana, regarding this. There is also a stock certificate from the Bonanza Mountain Copper Company. Bass house materials from 1909 document the costs and skilled labor involved in the construction of a new Bass residence.

This small section contains letters written on various subjects from the year 1908 and an undated memoir of early life and development of the Bitterroot Valley by an unknown author.

This series contains newspaper clippings from the Stevensville Register and the Northwest Tribune on the early settlement and history of the Bitterroot Valley. Materials are duplicated on both Reel 1 and Reel 8.

This series contains photographs documenting the Bass family, their business holdings, and development of the Bitterroot Valley. There are several images of Stevensville, and others of Native Americans in the area.