Montana State University Library, Merrill G. Burlingame
Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT 59717-3320
United States
Phone (406) 994-4242
Fax (406) 994-2851
http://www.lib.montana.edu/archives/
University Archivist
spcoll@www.lib.montana.edu
Collection 0035, MtBC, us
Simpson, Milton,
1899-1976
Milton Simpson Collection
1885-1942
1 folder
The Milton Simpson Collection consists of eighteen
photographs of the Simpson ranch and cattle, 1903-1942, two receipts for taxes and horse
purchases by Charles Simpson, a 1941 letter from the Montana Stockgrowers Association to
Milton Simpson, and an 1885 memoranda book kept by Arthur H. Sanborn.
Collection materials are in English
Biographical Note
Milton Simpson was born in Volborg, Montana on December 7, 1899. He was the son of Charles
M. Simpson, a cattle rancher and former member of the Montana state legislature. Charles
Simpson was born in Massachusetts and raised in Texas where he learned the cattle trade. In
1887 he arrived in Montana with a cattle drive and remained there the rest of his life. He
filed on a homestead claim on Pumpkin Creek in Custer County and added to his holdings until
reaching a combined size of over 10,000 acres. Charles and his wife, Maggie Shy Simpson,
were married on November 16, 1898. Their son, Milton, also remained in the area, operating
his family ranches, becoming active in the Montana Stockgrowers Association and taking an
interest in local history. In 1963 he responded to a solicitation by the librarian at
Montana State College for historical documents and provided the materials in this
collection. He died in February 1976.
The Milton Simpson collection consists of eighteen photographs of the Simpson ranch and
cattle, 1903-1942, two receipts for taxes and horse purchases by Charles Simpson, a 1941
letter from the Montana Stockgrowers Association to Milton Simpson, and an 1885 memoranda
book kept by Arthur H. Sanborn. Sanborn was a civil engineer from Massachusetts who worked
as a ranch foreman for Charles Chandler Stephens and kept the memoranda book to record his
expenses during trips into Miles City, Montana, for supplies between June 27, 1885 and
September 16, 1886. In 1886, Sanborn filed for water rights on Pumpkin Creek in Custer
County, but his holdings were likely absorbed by Charles Simpson before Sanborn moved on to
Berkeley, California with his wife, Julia Stephens Sanborn and her children. The information
Sanborn recorded in his memoranda book include items and services purchased, along with the
price paid, in chronological order. The photographs each have some identification written on
the verso, and actual titles of individual images have been put in quotation marks.
This collection is open for research.
Historical memorabilia pertaining to cattle ranching in Custer County, Montana was donated
to Special Collections by Milton Simpson of Volborg, Montana on October 28, 1963.
This collection was processed 2009 August 17
Sanborn, Arthur H.
Simpson, Charles
M.,-1867-1930
Simpson family-Photographs
Custer County
(Mont.)-Photographs
Cattle-Montana-Custer
County-Photographs
Ranches-Montana-Custer
County-Photographs
Ranching-Montana-Custer County
Ranching
Montana
Photographs
Receipt, horse sale from J.A. Ramer to Charles
Simpson
December 21, 1892
Receipt, Custer County collector, for taxes paid by
Charles Simpson,
November 12, 1894
Letter, Montana Stockgrowers Association to Milton
Simpson
June 2, 1941
Memoranda book, Arthur H. Sanborn
1885-1886
Photograph #1. Cattle drive, crossing Missouri
River
September 1903
Photograph #2. Cattle drive, crossing Missouri
River
September 1903
Photograph #3. "Milton Simpson on "Mugs" in front of
bunk house"
Photograph #4. Charles Simpson and Maggie Shy
Simpson
July 1921
Photograph #5. Charles Simpson and Maggie Shy
Simpson
1929
Photograph #6. Charles Simpson on "Old
Ribbon"
Photograph #7. Charles Simpson and Alice Simpson
(sister)
Photograph #8. Roundup at branding time
June 8, 1937
Photograph #9. Milton Simpson with cattle
June 1925
Photograph #10. "Simpson ranch, 2 year old heifers and
calves
May 1925"
Photograph #11. "2 year old heifers with calves at
branding time
June 1937"
Photograph #12. "Simpson ranch, cows and
calves
October 1, 1938"
Photograph #13. "Calves being moved to winter
quarters
January 1, 1934"
Photograph #14. "Calves arriving at winter
quarters
January 1, 1934"
Photograph #15. "Simpson ranch, yearling
heifers
1942"
Photograph #16. "Simpson ranch, cows and
calves
October 1, 1938"
Photograph #17. "Simpson ranch, top horse
"Maginty"
June 1940"
Photograph #18. "Simpson ranch, cows and
calves
1940"