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Hamilton, Ballinger, Davidson, Bunnell, McAfee, and Weesner Family Papers, 1764-1998

Overview of the Collection

Title
Hamilton, Ballinger, Davidson, Bunnell, McAfee, and Weesner Family Papers
Dates
1764-1998 (inclusive)
Quantity
13.5 linear feet
Collection Number
2488
Summary
The Hamilton, Ballinger, Davidson, Bunnell, McAfee, and Weesner Papers consists of correspondence, personal documents, estate documents, research, and literary productions assembled by various members of the families, including Florence Ballinger Hamilton, Paul Ballinger Davidson, PhD, Marie Bunnell Davidson, Jane Davidson Schultz Klockman, and Esther Lee Davidson Engstrom. Materials of interest include Civil War, World War I, and World War II correspondence. Of further interest are two journals relating to Yellowstone National Park, materials from Dr. Davidson's fellowship at the Mellon Institute and his papermaking materials.
Repository
Montana State University Library, Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections
Montana State University-Bozeman Library
Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT
59717-3320
Telephone: 4069944242
Fax: 4069942851
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Languages
Collection materials are in English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
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Historical Note

The family members highlighted in this collection are James McClellan Hamilton (1861-1940), Florence Ballinger Hamilton (1873-1970), John Lawson Bunnell (1860-1936), Esther Clorinda Weesner Bunnell (1871-1857), Wells Seaman Davidson (1864-1941), Lucy "Lulu" Ballinger Davidson (1870-1952), Paul Ballinger Davidson, PhD (1896-1988), and Marie Bunnell Davidson (1895-1980).

The James McClellan Hamilton family settled in the Gallatin Valley in 1889, where Mr. Hamilton engaged in educational work. Hamilton was very devoted to Montana education, serving in various capacities for the next fifty-plus years, including serving a term as President of Montana State College (later MSU) (ca. 1904-1919), and Dean of Men at Montana State College (MSU) (ca. 1919-1940). Florence Ballinger Hamilton taught at Montana State College (ca. 1900-1918) prior to her marriage to Dean Hamilton. After her marriage, she was active in the community and supportive in her role as spouse of a college president. John Lawson Bunnell and his wife Esther Clorinda Weesner Bunnell moved to Montana in 1900. The Bunnell family engaged in ranching after moving to the Gallatin Valley in 1913. Wells Seaman Davidson and Lucy "Lulu" Ballinger Davidson took up residence in Bozeman, Montana circa 1896. The Davidson's were active in the community. He served as president of the Gallatin Trust and Savings bank (circa 1921-1934); prior to her marriage she taught school in Livingston; in addition, Lucy was a charter member of the Bozeman Woman's Club. Paul Ballinger Davidson, PhD (son of Mr. and Mrs. Wells S. Davison) and his wife Marie Bunnell Davidson (daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Bunnell) returned to Bozeman, Montana in 1963 after living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for 35 years. Dr. Davidson held several patents related to papermaking and held a research fellowship at the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research. Davidson's fellowship was sponsored by the Strathmore Paper Company; his research helped to develop sizing of papers, art papers, and glues. Marie served as a teacher in home economics in Choteau, Montana; was co-owner of a tea-room in Lexington, Kentucky; as well as performed duties as a devoted helpmate and parent.

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Content Description

The Hamilton, Ballinger, Davidson, Bunnell, McAfee, and Weesner papers were assembled by various members of the families, including Florence Ballinger Hamilton, Paul Ballinger Davidson, PhD, Marie Bunnell Davidson, Jane Davidson Schultz Klockman, and Esther Lee Davidson Engstrom. The material has been divided up into five series pertaining to correspondence, literary productions, financial and legal documents, Dr. Davidson's fellowship at the Mellon Institute and his papermaking materials, as well as the family's Photographs. Materials of interest include Civil War, World War I, and World War II correspondence. Of further interest are two journals relating to Yellowstone National Park. The materials contain correspondence, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, memory and autograph books, etc. that transmitted information across the country and back pertaining to local social and family matters in such locations as Montana, New York, Pennsylvania, Germany, Illinois, Indiana, Colorado, Missouri, Wisconsin, Washington D.C., Minnesota, Alabama, West Virginia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Washington, Michigan, South Carolina, California, Oregon, Ohio, Tennessee, and Idaho. This series contains oversized materials that have been separated from the series, the separation is denoted by an asterisk (*) next to the folder from which material was removed. A duplicate notation of an asterisk (**) refers to the photographs relating to the Mellon Institute Fellowship of Dr. Paul B. Davidson that have been included within the photograph series in box 32 folder 4. More information on the separations may be found listed under series 6, boxes 33 to 37.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Series 1: Correspondence, 1764-1991

Series 2: Literary Productions, 1867-1988

Series 3: Financial and Legal Documents, 1854-1971

Series 4: Mellon Institute Fellowship and Papermaking Materials, 1935-1971

Series 5: Photographs, circa 1850-1998

Acquisition Information

Correspondence, personal documents, estate documents, research, and literary productions pertaining to the Hamilton, Ballinger, Davidson, Bunnell, McAfee, and Weesner families were donated by Jane Davidson Schultz Klockman and Esther Lee Davidson Engstrom in the fall of 2006.

Processing Note

This collection was processed 2007 August 21

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Kim Allen Scott, 2007. Updated by Heather Mulliner, 2022.
2022

CC Attribution
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