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 630, MtBC, us
Benepe, Frank L., b.
1851
Frank L. Benepe Records
1880-1893
14.8 linear feet
The Frank L. Benepe Records include business related
documents and correspondence. Of particular interest are the papers regarding Benepe's
business with the United States Geological Survey, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the
United States army, including transactions with the post at Yellowstone National Park, Camp
Sheridan.
Collection materials are in English
Historical Note
Frank L. Benepe came to Bozeman, Montana in 1877. After teaching for two years, he
established the Benepe and Davidson Company in 1879. His first business venture, Benepe
quickly became a primary supplier of agricultural implements and farm machinery for the
entire region. By 1883, Benepe purchased John B. Davidson's interest in the business. The
Bozeman Implement, Harness and Carriage Company was organized by Benepe in 1890. Two years
later, the name was changed to Benepe-Owenhouse Company to reflect a partnership with E. J.
Owenhouse. Other business interests included extensive grain operations throughout the
Gallatin valley. By the end of the nineteenth century it is reported that Benepe bought and
sold more grain than any other person in the county. His vast grain operations briefly
included a controlling interest in the Belgrade Grain and Produce Company. Outside of his
public business ventures, Benepe owned a large grain and stock ranch in Gallatin Valley and
a stock farm in Bozeman where he raised Hereford cattle. Benepe served as mayor of Bozeman
for two terms, served as a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, and was the director of
the Bozeman Silver Cornet Band throughout the late 1880s. In 1882 Benepe married Nettie
Trent of Kansas. Together the couple had five children; Byron who died at 18 months, Frank
L. Jr., Ellen E., Genevieve A., and Lucien.
This collection primarily includes business related documents and correspondence. Of
particular interest are the papers regarding Benepe's business with the United States
Geological Survey, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the United States army, including
transactions with the post at Yellowstone National Park, Camp Sheridan. Throughout the years
Benepe held various grain contracts and provided supplies to the before mentioned
agencies.
Series 1 Correspondence, 1884-1891
Series 2 Legal Documents, 1885-1891
Series 3 Promotional Material, 1885-1890
Series 4 Government Documents, 1886-1891
Series 5 Financial Documents, 1880-1893
This collection is open for research.
Business papers collected by Frank Benepe and other business associates were donated to
Special Collections by Lucien Benepe in 1968.
This collection was processed 2009 February 9
Geological Survey
(U.S.)
United States-Army-Supplies and
stores
United States-Bureau of Indian
Affairs
Camp Sheridan (Wyo.)
Yellowstone National
Park
Agricultural implement
industry-Montana-Bozeman
Grain trade-Montana-Bozeman
Business records-Montana-Bozeman
Businessmen-Montana-Bozeman
Government contractors-Montana-Bozeman
Native
Americans
Retail
Trade
Montana
Series 1
Correspondence
1884-1891
This series is arranged in chronological order and primarily contains business
correspondence. In this case, business correspondence denotes written orders for
merchandise from any of the related Benepe businesses. Throughout the series invoices
and receipts are occasionally found. These items are included in the series only when
they pertain to a specific letter or order. Correspondence between Benepe and the
government agencies can be found in Series 4.
1/1
1884
1/2
January-May 1885
1/3
June-July 1885
1/4
August-September 1885
1/5
October 1885
1/6
November 1885
1/7
December 1885
2/1
January-February 1886
2/2
March 1886
2/3
April-May 1886
2/4
June 1886
2/5
July 1886
2/6
August 1886
2/7
September 1886
2/8
October 1886
2/9
November 1886
2/10
December 1886
3/1
January 1887
3/2
February 1887
3/3
March 1887
3/4
April 1887
3/5
May 1887
3/6
June 1887
3/7
July 1887
4/1
August 1887
4/2
September 1887
4/3
October 1887
4/4
November 1887
4/5
December 1887
5/1
January 1888
5/2
February 1888
5/3
March 1888
5/4
April 1888
5/5
May 1888
5/6
June 1888
6/1
July 1888
6/2
August 1888
6/3
September 1888
6/4
October 1888
7/1
November 1888
7/2
December 1888
7/3
January 1889
7/4
February 1889
8/1
March 1889
8/2
April 1889
8/3
May 1889
8/4
June 1889
9/1
July 1889
9/2
August 1889
9/3
September 1889
9/4
October 1889
9/5
November 1889
10/1
December 1889
10/2
1889
10/3
January 1890
10/4
February 1890
10/5
March 1890
10/6
April 1890
10/7
May 1890
10/8
June 1890
10/9
July-August 1890
10/10
September-October 1890
10/11
November-December 1890
11/1
1891
11/2
January 1891
11/3
February 1891
11/4
March 1891
11/5
April 1891
11/6
May 1891
11/7
June 1891
11/8
July 1891
11/9
August 1891
11/10
September 1891
11/11
October 1891
11/12
November 1891
11/13
December 1891
12/1
Letter Press Book
1887
12/2
Letter Press Book, E. J. Owenhouse
1888-1889
12/3
Letter Press Book, Frank Benepe
1888-1889
12/4
Letter Press Book, Frank Benepe
1887
Series 2
Legal Documents
1885-1891
This series contains insurance policies, city licenses, and other miscellaneous legal
documents that include, but is not limited to, court papers and property deeds.
13/1
Legal Documents
1885-1890
13/2
Insurance Policies
1889
13/3
E. J. Owenhouse City Licenses
1885-1891
Series 3
Promotional Material
1885-1890
Included are various advertisements and partial sale catalogs pertaining to merchandise
sold through the various Benepe businesses. Also included in this series is a partial E.
J. Owenhouse catalog of an unknown date. A complete version of this catalog is located
in Special Collections at SF309.9.085.
13/4
Partial E. J. Owenhouse Catalog
13/5
Advertisements
Series 4
Government Contracts
1886-1891
This series contains contracts, order requests and communications between the Benepe
businesses and various government agencies. Included are the flour contract for the
Blackfeet and Crow reservations (1886-1887), U.S. Geological Survey correspondence and
merchandise requests, the Camp Sheridan (Yellowstone National Park) hay contract
(1887-1888) and the 1886 Fort Ellis hay contract. The material of this series is
arranged according to the specific agency or contract. For example, a folder may include
the contract and all communications between Benepe and the government agents.
14/1
U.S. Geological Survey Correspondence
1888-1891
14/2
U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Flour Contract:
Blackfeet/Crow
1886-1887
14/3
Camp Sheridan (Wyoming) Hay Contract
1887-1888
14/4
Fort Ellis Hay Contract
1886
Series 5
Financial Documents
1880-1893
Series 5 contains financial and business related documents. Included are invoices,
receipts, day books, ledgers, scale record books, bank deposit books, store credit
slips, and more. The boxes containing the title "Invoices/Receipts" reflect the original
arrangement by Frank Benepe and all efforts were made to maintain his original order.
Store charge slips do not have years attached to the dates and are filed accordingly.
The series is arranged by document type.
15/1
Invoices/Receipts
1880-1881
15/2
Invoices/Receipts
January-June 1882
15/3
Invoices/Receipts
July-December 1882
15/4
Invoices/Receipts
January-June 1883
15/5
Invoices/Receipts
July-December 1883
15/6
Invoices/Receipts
January-June 1884
15/7
Invoices/Receipts
July-December 1884
15/8
Invoices/Receipts
January-June 1885
15/9
Invoices/Receipts
July-December 1885
16/1
Invoices/Receipts
January 1886
16/2
Invoices/Receipts
February 1886
16/3
Invoices/Receipts
March 1886
16/4
Invoices/Receipts
April 1886
16/5
Invoices/Receipts
May 1886
16/6
Invoices/Receipts
June 1886
16/7
Invoices/Receipts
July 1886
16/8
Invoices/Receipts
August 1886
16/9
Invoices/Receipts
September 1886
16/10
Invoices/Receipts
October 1886
16/11
Invoices/Receipts
November 1886
16/12
Invoices/Receipts
December 1886
17/2
Invoices/Receipts
February 1887
17/3
Invoices/Receipts
March 1887
17/4
Invoices/Receipts
April 1887
17/5
Invoices/Receipts
May 1887
17/6
Invoices/Receipts
June 1887
17/7
Invoices/Receipts
July 1887
17/8
Invoices/Receipts
August 1887
17/9
Invoices/Receipts
September 1887
17/10
Invoices/Receipts
October 1887
17/11
Invoices/Receipts
November 1887
17/12
Invoices/Receipts
December 1887
18/1
Invoices/Receipts
January 1888
18/2
Invoices/Receipts
February 1888
18/3
Invoices/Receipts
March 1888
18/4
Invoices/Receipts
April 1888
18/5
Invoices/Receipts
May 1888
18/6
Invoices/Receipts
June 1888
18/7
Invoices/Receipts
July 1888
18/8
Invoices/Receipts
August 1888
18/9
Invoices/Receipts
September 1888
18/10
Invoices/Receipts
October 1888
18/11
Invoices/Receipts
November 1888
18/12
Invoices/Receipts
December 1888
19/1
Invoices/Receipts
January 1889
19/2
Invoices/Receipts
February 1889
19/3
Invoices/Receipts
March 1889
19/4
Invoices/Receipts
April 1889
19/5
Invoices/Receipts
May 1889
19/6
Invoices/Receipts
June 1889
19/7
Invoices/Receipts
July 1889
20/1
Invoices/Receipts
August 1889
20/2
Invoices/Receipts
September 1889
20/3
Invoices/Receipts
October 1889
20/4
Invoices/Receipts
November 1889
20/5
Invoices/Receipts
December 1889
20/6
Invoices/Receipts
January 1890
20/7
Invoices/Receipts
February 1890
20/8
Invoices/Receipts
March 1890
20/9
Invoices/Receipts
April 1890
20/10
Invoices/Receipts
May 1890
20/11
Invoices/Receipts
June 1890
20/12
Invoices/Receipts
July 1890
20/13
Invoices/Receipts
August-December 1890
21/1
Invoices/Receipts
January 1891
21/2
Invoices/Receipts
February 1891
21/3
Invoices/Receipts
March 1891
21/4
Invoices/Receipts
April 1891
21/5
Invoices/Receipts
May 1891
21/6
Invoices/Receipts
June 1891
21/7
Invoices/Receipts
July 1891
21/8
Invoices/Receipts
August 1891
21/9
Invoices/Receipts
September 1891
21/10
Invoices/Receipts
October 1891
21/11
Invoices/Receipts
November 1891
21/12
Invoices/Receipts
December 1891
21/13
Invoices/Receipts
1892-1893
21/14
Invoices/Receipts
undated
22/1
Store Charge Slips
January
22/2
Store Charge Slips
February
22/3
Store Charge Slips
March
22/4
Store Charge Slips
April
22/5
Store Charge Slips
May
22/6
Store Charge Slips
June
22/7
Store Charge Slips
July
22/8
Store Charge Slips
August
22/9
Store Charge Slips
September-December
23/1
Northern Pacific Shipping Receipts
March 7, 1887-November 1, 1889
23/2
Northern Pacific Shipping Receipts
January-June 1886
23/3
Northern Pacific Shipping Receipts
July-December 1886
23/4
Northern Pacific Shipping Receipts
January-June 1887
23/5
Northern Pacific Shipping Receipts
July-August 1887
23/6
Northern Pacific Shipping Receipts
September-October 1887
23/7
Northern Pacific Shipping Receipts
November-December 1887
23/8
Northern Pacific Shipping Receipts
January-June 1888
24/1
Northern Pacific Shipping Receipts
July-December 1888
24/2
Northern Pacific Shipping Receipts
January-July 1889
24/3
Northern Pacific Shipping Receipts
July-December 1889
24/4
Northern Pacific Shipping Receipts
1890
24/5
Northern Pacific Shipping Receipts
April-June 1891
24/6
Northern Pacific Shipping Receipts
July-December 1891
24/7
Northern Pacific Shipping Receipts
1892
25/1
Bills of Lading
1887
25/2
Bills of Lading
1888
25/3
Bills of Lading
1889
25/4
Bills of Lading
April 1892
25/5
Bills of Lading
May 1892
25/6
Bills of Lading
June 1892
25/7
Bills of Lading
July 1892
25/8
Bills of Lading
August 1892
25/9
Bills of Lading
September 1892
25/10
Bills of Lading
October 1892
25/11
Bills of Lading
November 1892
25/12
Bills of Lading
December 1892
25/13
Bills of Lading
January 1893
25/14
Bills of Lading
February 1893
25/15
Bills of Lading
March 1893
25/16
Bills of Lading
April 1893
26/1
Canceled Checks
1881
26/2
Canceled Checks
1882
26/3
Canceled Checks
1883
26/4
Canceled Checks
1884
26/5
Canceled Checks
February 1885
26/6
Canceled Checks
March 1885
26/7
Canceled Checks
May 1885
26/8
Canceled Checks
June 1885
26/9
Canceled Checks
July 1885
26/10
Canceled Checks
August 1885
26/11
Canceled Checks
September 1885
26/12
Canceled Checks
October 1885
26/13
Canceled Checks
November 1885
26/14
Canceled Checks
December 1885
27/1
Canceled Checks
January 1886
27/2
Canceled Checks
February 1886
27/3
Canceled Checks
March 1886
27/4
Canceled Checks
April 1886
27/5
Canceled Checks
May 1886
27/6
Canceled Checks
June 1886
27/7
Canceled Checks
July 1886
27/8
Canceled Checks
August 1886
27/9
Canceled Checks
September 1886
27/10
Canceled Checks
October 1886
27/11
Canceled Checks
November 1886
27/12
Canceled Checks
December 1886
27/13
Canceled Checks
January 1887
27/14
Canceled Checks
February 1887
27/15
Canceled Checks
March 1887
27/16
Canceled Checks
April 1887
27/17
Canceled Checks
June 1887
27/18
Canceled Checks
July 1887
28/1
Canceled Checks
August 1887
28/2
Canceled Checks
September 1887
28/3
Canceled Checks
October 1887
28/4
Canceled Checks
November 1887
28/5
Canceled Checks
December 1887
28/6
Canceled Checks
January 1888
28/7
Canceled Checks
February 1888
28/8
Canceled Checks
March 1888
28/9
Canceled Checks
April 1888
28/10
Canceled Checks
May 1888
28/11
Canceled Checks
June 1888
28/12
Canceled Checks
July 1888
28/13
Canceled Checks
August 1888
28/14
Canceled Checks
September 1888
28/15
Canceled Checks
October 1888
28/16
Canceled Checks
November 1888
29/1
Check Stubs (Bound)
March 1, 1884-March 18, 1885
29/2
Check Stubs (Bound)
March 30-November 11, 1885
29/3
Check Stubs (Bound)
May 6-June 19, 1886
29/4
Check Stubs (Bound)
December 22, 1886-March 14, 1887
29/5
Check Stubs (Bound)
May 5-September 17, 1887
29/6
Check Stubs (Bound)
September 19-November 26, 1887
29/7
Check Stubs (Bound)
November 26, 1887-January 26, 1888
29/8
Check Stubs (Bound)
January 27-May 11, 1888
30/1
Check Stubs (Bound)
May 11-August 10, 1888
30/2
Check Stubs (Bound)
August 11-November 14, 1888
30/3
Check Stubs (Bound)
September 3-December 30, 1890
30/4
Bank Account Statement Books
January 15, 1881-April 17, 1882
30/5
Bank Account Statement Books
April 27-December 1, 1883
30/6
Bank Account Statement Books
December 3, 1883-September 29, 1884
30/7
Bank Account Statement Books
October 1, 1885-September 1, 1886
30/8
Bank Account Statement Books
October 2, 1886-October 28, 1887
30/9
Bank Account Statement Books
November 1, 1887-August 30, 1888
31/1
Scale Record Books
July 5, 1882-November 20, 1882
31/2
Scale Record Books
November 22, 1882-January 30, 1883
31/3
Scale Record Books
January 30-May 17, 1883
31/4
Scale Record Books
September 21-November 22, 1883
31/5
Scale Record Books
November 23, 1883-March 6, 1884
31/6
Scale Record Books
March 10-August 2, 1884
31/7
Scale Record Books
August 4-December 13, 1884
31/8
Scale Record Books
December 15, 1884-June 9, 1885
31/9
Scale Record Books
June 12-September 30, 1885
31/10
Scale Record Books
October 1-December 31, 1885
32/1
Scale Record Books
January 1-March 3, 1886
32/2
Scale Record Books
November 11, 1885-January 27, 1886
32/3
Scale Record Books
January 27-May 6, 1886
32/4
Scale Record Books
May 6-August 7, 1886
32/5
Scale Record Books
August 9-October 1, 1886
32/6
Scale Record Books
October 1-November 23, 1886
32/7
Scale Record Books
January 10-September 22, 1887
32/8
Scale Record Books
November 23, 1886-March 3, 1887
32/9
Scale Record Books
March 4-September 1, 1887
32/10
Scale Record Books
September 2-October 7, 1887
32/11
Scale Record Books
October 27-November 8, 1887
33/1
Scale Record Books
November 8-November 23, 1887
33/2
Scale Record Books
November 23-December 17, 1987
33/3
Scale Record Books
September 22-December 15, 1887
33/4
Scale Record Books
December 17, 1887-January 18, 1888
33/5
Scale Record Books
December 15, 1887-May 21, 1888
33/6
Scale Record Books
January 19-May 23, 1888
33/7
Scale Record Books
May 22-September 22, 1888
33/8
Scale Record Books
May 23-October 9, 1888
33/9
Scale Record Books
September 22-November 8, 1888
33/10
Scale Record Books
October 9-November 8, 1888
34/1
Scale Record Books
November 7-December 31, 1888
34/2
Scale Record Books
November 8-December 12, 1888
34/3
Scale Record Books
December 31, 1888-February 23, 1889
34/4
Scale Record Books
December 12, 1888-March 3, 1889
34/5
Scale Record Books
February 23-May 13, 1889
34/6
Scale Record Books
March 4-August 5, 1889
34/7
Scale Record Books
May 13-August 15, 1889
34/8
Scale Record Books
August 6-October 10, 1889
34/9
Scale Record Books
August 5-October 10, 1889
35/1
Scale Record Books
October 10-November 25, 1889
35/2
Scale Record Books
November 25, 1889-January 25, 1890
35/3
Scale Record Books
January 25-May 12, 1890
35/4
Scale Record Books
May 12-August 1, 1890
35/5
Scale Record Books
August 1-October 17, 1890
35/6
Scale Record Books
October 17-November 15, 1890
35/7
Scale Record Books
November 15, 1890-February 6, 1891
36/1
Deering and Company Papers/Contracts
1884-1887
36/2
Benepe Inventory/Trial Balance
undated
36/3
Benepe Inventory/Trial Balance
February 1887
36/4
Benepe Inventory/Trial Balance
March 1887
36/5
Benepe Inventory/Trial Balance
April 1887
36/6
Benepe Balance Sheet
January 1889
36/7
Frost and Manderville Day Book, and Frank Benepe Day
Book
1882-1883
1887
37/1
Day Book
May-September 1886
37/2
Day Book
September 1887-January 1888
37/3
Ledger
1885-1887
37/4
Benepe and Davidson Ledger
1882-1883
38/1
Cash Ledger
October 1884-May 1885
38/2
Cash Book
1884-1886
38/3
Elevator Ledger
1891-1892
38/4
Day Book
October 1886-January 1887
38/5
Day Book
April 1885-October 1885
39/1
Invoice/Receipt Book
1883-1887