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Montana Secretary of State records, 1867-1997

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Montana. Secretary of State
Title
Montana Secretary of State records
Dates
1867-1997 (inclusive)
Quantity
991 linear feet
37 volumes
Collection Number
RS 250
Summary
This collection consists mainly records produced by Montana Secretary of State's office. Materials include inactive business license records, correspondence, financial records, oaths of office, and reports and minutes from other Montana state commissions.
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
Access Restrictions

This collection open for research.

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 Montana Territorial Secretary, authorized by the Organic Act of The Territory of Montana, was a presidential appointee whose duties included the transmittal of federal reports, and serving as Territorial Governor in the latter's absence. With the adoption of the 1889 Montana State Constitution the Office of the Secretary of State replaced the Territorial Secretary. The new Secretary was elected to a 4-year term and assigned a variety of new tasks including serving as ex-officio member of various boards and commissions. In 1992, the Constitution was amended to limit the Secretary of State and other top officials to two 4-year terms in a 16-year period.

As of 2021, the Secretary serves as a member of the Board of Land Commissioners, and the Board of Examiners Commissioners. The Secretary also serves as president of the House of Representatives; chief election officer overseeing procedures and publications relating to state elections; state corporations officer overseeing incorporation documentation for foreign and domestic businesses; custodian of records affixing their seal to and filing official documents handled by the Governor's Office; and central filing officer for the Uniform Commercial Codes, notary bonds, deeds, mortgages, motor vehicle registration, and trademarks.

As of 2021, the Secretary of State's Office was made up of the following divisions: Administrative Rules of Montana; Business Services; Notary Services; Elections and Government; and Records and Information Management.

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Content Description

This collection consists materials created by and relating to the duties of the Secretary of State's Office. These records include correspondence primarily related to appointments, businesses, and commissions. There are also records from court cases involving the Secretary's Office, as well as other legal documents related to certification, contracts, appointments, oaths of office, and election matters. This collection contains information about department regulations for various agencies, notary public commissions, and petitions. in addition to financial records such as account books, fee books, motor vehicle registrations, and tax lists.

Part of the records in this collection were produced by Montana state commissions and boards that are related to the responsibilities of the Secretary's Office. These records consist mainly of correspondence, reports, and meeting minutes.

The bulk of the records in this collection are comprised of business license records for businesses registered in Montana that are no longer in operation. This collection does not contain business license records for still-active businesses registered in Montana. Those materials are held and maintained by the Secretary's Office. Information about whether a business is active or inactive is available on the Secretary of State's Business Search Portal.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

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 holders. For more information, contact the Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives.

Preferred Citation

[Name of document or photograph number], Montana Secretary of State records, RS 250, [box and folder number]. Montana Historical Society, Research Center Archives, Helena, Montana.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

This collection is divided into the following four series:

Series 1: Secretary of State records, 1889-1988, 15 linear feet, 37 volumes

Subseries 1: Correspondence, 1890-1966

Subseries 2: Financial Records, 1889-1957

Subseries 3: Legal Documents, 1899-1967

Subseries 4: Reports, 1889-1971, 3.5 linear feet

Subseries 5: Subject Files, 1889-1988

Series 2: Inactive Business Entity records, 1867-1997, 972 linear feet

Subseries 1: Domestic Corporations, 1867-1997

Subseries 2: Foreign [out-of-state] Corporations, 1867-1997

Series 3: Election and Legislative Bureau records, 1908-1919, 4 linear feet

Location of Collection

Acquisition Information

Most of the records in this collection were acquired via a series of transfers from the Montana Secretary of State's office. More detailed information about individual transfers is available upon request.

Processing Note

This collection originally included records from the Montana Territory Territorial Secretary's office. In 2021, those materials were removed from this collection and processed into a separate collection, RS 160.

In 2021, the Montana Secretary of State County Business License records, RS 477, and the Montana Secretary of State Business Entity records, RS 478, were integrated into this collection to promote access and ease of use.

The briefcase containing the Darnell petition materials was discarded, and the papers were housed in Box 12 of this collection.

Materials produced by the following external Montana agencies and boards--Building and Loan Commissioner, Capitol Site Commission, Board of Charities and Reforms, Efficiency and Trade Commission, Board of Examiners, Fish and Game Commission, Law Library, Montana Legislature, Railroad Commissioners, State Canvassers, Department of Weights and Measures, and Board of World's Fair Managers--were removed from this collection and processed separately according to creating entity.

Future Additions

Future records transfers from the Secretary of State's office will be added to this collection, including business entity records when businesses cease to exist.

Related Materials

Records produced by the Territorial Secretary, including business license information for businesses established prior to Montana's statehood, are available in the Montana Territory Territorial Secretary records, RS 160.

Business license records for still-active business registered in Montana can be accessed by contacting the Montana Secretary of State office.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Finding aid prepared by MHS Staff
2004

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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