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MC 109
James S. Dunn and Company
(Helena, Mont.)
James S. Dunn and Company Records
1887-1889
4 linear feet of shelf space
James S. Dunn and Company was a commission merchant house in
Helena, Montana Territory, handling fish, game, poultry, fruits, and produce. The store also
operated under the name of Thomas C. Patrick and Company (prior to February 1888) and
Jackson, Dunn and Company (from February to November 1888). Collection (1887-1889) includes
correspondence; financial records, including ledgers, invoices, cash books, day books; legal
documents; and miscellany.
5:7-5
English
James S. Dunn and Company, "general commission merchants of fruits, fish, game, oysters,
poultry and general produce," was the successor of Jackson, Dunn and Company, which was, in
turn the successor of Thomas C. Patrick and Company. The Thomas C. Patrick and Company store
was established in July 1887 and located at 18 North Jackson Street in Helena, Montana. In
early 1888 Patrick moved the store to 111 North Main Street. On February 1, 1888, he sold
the business to his former partner DeWitt C. Jackson and his partners James S. Dunn and
George G. Chandler. The new owners renamed the business Jackson, Dunn and Company. It
operated under this name until December 5, 1888, when Jackson left the business and it was
renamed James S. Dunn and Company. In October 1889, the store went into receivership and
closed. Thomas Chase Patrick was born in Lindsay, Ontario, in 1860, the son of Thomas Chase
Patrick and Marion Thirkell. He moved to Helena in the mid 1880s. He married Sylvia Lyman,
daughter of Lorenzo B. and Mary Lyman, in 1887 and they had one son Thomas C., born in
Seattle, Washington, in 1890. Patrick died in Lindsay, Ontario, April 6, 1896. DeWitt C.
Jackson only lived in Helena briefly. Nothing more is known about him. James S. Dunn was
born in Ireland in August 1843. He married Annie also a native of Ireland about 1865. They
moved to Montana in the mid 1880s after brief residencies in New York, New Jersey and West
Virginia. The couple had at least five children; the youngest two, Andrew and Gertie were
born in Helena. After the store closed, Dunn was a life insurance agent in Helena until he
moved to Tacoma, Washington, in 1901.
Records. 1887-1889. 4 linear feet. This collection contains business records, primarily
financial volumes, for Thomas C. Patrick and Company; Jackson, Dunn and Company; and James
S. Dunn and Company. Included are incoming correspondence, letterpress books of outgoing
correspondence, cash books, day books, journals, customer and general ledgers, and invoices.
In addition, there are a few court papers and legal documents concerning the closing of the
business in October 1889.
Arranged by series. Some material housed in Manuscript Volumes. See inventory below for
more informaton.
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
Photographs transferred to Photo Archives. 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.
James S. Dunn and Company
(Helena, Mont.)
Helena (Mont.)
Farm produce
Grocery trade
Montana
Business, Industry, and Labor
Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection
Incoming Correspondence
1 / 1
A-B (correspondents include Ada Creamery Association;
John Andrew; Ashland Fish Company; Bach, Cory and Company; H.E. Battin and Company;
Belgrade Grain and Produce Company; A.P. Blackler; A. Booth and Sons; A. Booth Packing
Company; Boulder Hot Springs)
1887-1889
1 / 2
R.E. Cobb (St. Paul, Minnesota)
1887-1889
1 / 3
C-F (correspondents include Celilo Salmon Fishery;
John Chipp; Mrs. V.A. Cockrill; William Dwyer; D. Elithorp; E.H. Elliott; Thomas B.
Ellis; J.G. Evans; Charles E. Fairchild; Frisco Poultry Company)
1887-1889
1 / 4
C.L. Gildersleeve (Granite, Montana)
1889
1 / 5
G-K (correspondents include Gage, Shattuck and
Company; C.C. Garrett and Company; C.W. Gauthier; J.W. Gilbert; H.L. Griffin; Grinnell
and Company; J.C. Hanrahan; H.M. Heinerdinger; Hoxsie and Jagger; J.B. Hunt and
Company; C. Jacobson; H. Jewell; George D. Kellogg)
1887-1889
1 / 6
Levy and Spiegel; Mark Levy
1887-1889
1 / 7
L-M (correspondents include Charles Louch; J.J.
Lynch; Charles A. Malarkey; Mandan Creamery Company; A. McDonald; Montana Company
Ltd.; Montana Smelting Company; N.J. Mundy)
1887-1889
1 / 8
Northern Pacific Express Company; Northern Pacific
Railroad Company
1887-1889
1 / 9
N (correspondents include F. Nickerson and Son;
Northern Fresh Fish Company)
1887-1889
1 / 10
W.S. Offner (Walla Walla, Washington)
1887-1889
1 / 11
O-U (correspondents include James C. Ord; Oregon
Railway and Navigation Company; F.H. Page; Platt and Company; L.E. Porter; Amos Root;
Merrell Ryder; C.B. Salisbury; B.F. Scovil; Sewell Brothers; J.A. Shea and Company;
W.D. Smith; Thorpe Brothers and Company; Albert G. Turner; Twohy Brothers and Company;
Union Warehouse Company)
1887-1889
1 / 12
W.H. Wood and Company (Sacramento, California)
1887-1889
1 / 13
W (correspondents include E.B. Watts; C.E. Whitney
and Company; Frank Wood; William Woody; J.Wooldridge; R. Wright)
1887-1889
Outgoing Correspondence
1 / 14-16
Letterpress volumes (include indexes)
1887 June- 1888 December
2 / 1-2
Letterpress volumes (include indexes)
1888 November- 1889 October
2 / 3
Scattered letters
1887-1888
Court Papers
2 / 4
Summons and attachments in suits against company
1889 October
Financial Records
2 / 5-8
Cash books
1887 July- 1889 October
3 / 1
Check stub books
1887 September- 1888 August
3 / 2-7
Daybooks [there is a Monday/Wednesday/Friday series and a
Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday series]
1887 September- 1888 July
1-2
Invoice volumes [incoming invoices pasted into
volume]
1887 July- 1888 October
5 / 1-2
Invoices sent [letterpress books]
1887 November- 1888 November
5 / 3
Invoices sent [scattered]
1887-1889
3
Journal [volume also includes customer ledger entries
for December 1888]
1887 August- 1888 December
5 / 4-5
Journals
1888 December- 1889 October
4-5
Ledger: customers and general [index in separate
volume]
1887 August- 1888 November
6
Ledger: customers
1889 January-May
Vol. 7-8
Ledger: customers [index in separate volume]
1889 June-September
6 / 1-2
Ledgers: general
1888 December- 1889 October
6 / 3
Trial balance sheets
1889 June-September
6 / 4
Miscellaneous (includes promissory notes, receipts,
etc.)
1888-1889
Legal Documents
6 / 5
Miscellaneous (includes city business license,
telephone lease, receivership deed)
1887-1889
Photographs
6 / 6
List of photographs transferred to the Photo Archives
Miscellany
6 / 7-8
Advertisements from suppliers: A-W (includes price
lists)
1887-1889
6 / 9
Notes: invoice pad
undated
6 / 10
Unidentified index volume
undated