Collection is open for research.
Edward Charles "Teddy Blue" Abbott was born December 17, 1860, in Cranwich Hall, Norfolk County, England. In 1871, he moved to the United States with his father, J.B. Abbott. They traveled to Texas, eventually purchased a cattle herd, and drove it north to Nebraska. Teddy Blue settled with his family at the end of the Texas cattle trail near Lincoln, Nebraska. In 1883, he entered Montana Territory with a herd of longhorns, and two years later, signed on with the DHS Ranch at Fort Maginnis. He became engaged to Mary Stuart, daughter of one of his employers, Granville Stuart. The couple married on September 29, 1889, and settled on the 3 Deuce Ranch at Giltedge, Montana. They had ten children: Katie Anne (1890-1986); Charles Edward (1892-1959); Mary E. (1895-1904); William (1897-1897); Elsie Blue (1898-1995); Granville Stuart (1901-1990); James Jefferson (1903-1988); William Robert [Robert] (1906-1964); Teddie Blue [Ted] (1909-1982); and Mary Inez (1915-1984).
Teddy Blue Abbott was a longtime member of the Montana Stockgrowers Association, he served six years on the Montana Stock Commission for Fergus County, thirty years as a member of the Democratic Central Committee, and sixteen years as a school trustee. In 1924, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Montana State Legislature. In 1938, Abbott collaborated with Helena Huntington Smith on his autobiography,
Mary Stuart Abbott was born February 2, 1870, in Deer Lodge, Montana, to Granville and Arbonnie Stuart. She died February 5, 1967, in Lewistown, Montana.
The collection consists of five subgroups: Teddy Blue Abbott, Mary Stuart Abbott, Mary Inez Abbott Swanson Matejcek, Robert and Granville Abbott, and Katie Stuart. The Teddy Blue Abbott Subgroup contains ten series: Incoming Correspondence (1889-1946, undated), Outgoing Correspondence (1888-1939), Miscellaneous Correspondence (1909-1939, undated), Court Papers (1910), Diaries (1887-1890), Financial Records (1907-1963), Legal Documents (1888-1941), Writings (1938, undated), Miscellany (1888-1939, undated), and Clippings (1920-1939, undated). The Incoming Correspondence includes letters from Abbott family members, the Democratic Central Committee for Fergus County, Kenneth M. Ireland, Oscar O. Mueller, D.J. O'Malley and Mary Alicia O'Malley, Margot Pringle, Charles M. Russell, Helena Huntington Smith (Pringle), Mary Stuart before she married Teddy Blue, and Johnnie W. Young. The Outgoing Correspondence includes letters to Helena Huntington Smith (Pringle) and Mary Stuart before she married Teddy Blue. The Miscellaneous Correspondence includes letters between the U.S. General Land Office and the U.S. Land Office in Lewistown, from publisher Farrar and Rinehart to Helena Huntington Smith (Pringle), and from James Fergus to the Lewistown "Argus" concerning the funeral of Mrs. Granville Stuart. The Court Papers consist of the testimony of Stephen E. Suitor in his trial for the murder of Tom Burke and miscellaneous other cases. The Legal Documents include mortgages, warranty deeds, leases, recorded brands, and a homestead certificate. Some plats and land descriptions can be found in the Miscellany series. The Diaries series contains four diaries: 1887-1888, 1888-1889 (includes entries at the end from 1910, 1912, 1938, and a list of his children and when they were born), 1889 (includes a list of wedding expenses), and 1890 (includes an extensive list of expenses, some from 1889). The Miscellany series contains 18 notebooks, which also include diary entries and financial notations. The Financial Records contain check stub books (1907-1923), insurance policies, promissory notes, tax statements, a list of brands, and miscellaneous bills of sale, receipts, and invoices. The Writings series consists of handwritten and typed drafts of
The Mary Stuart Abbott Subgroup consists of a General Correspondence series (1888-1951, undated), Financial Records series (1899-1948), Legal Documents series (1909-1938), and a Miscellany series (1885-1934). Correspondents include Helena Huntington Smith (Pringle), Abbott and Stuart family members, and D.J. O'Malley. Financial records include tax statements, bank statements, and Land Office receipts. The miscellaneous legal documents include seed liens, crop mortgages, and land patents. The miscellany series contains an autograph book (1885) and invitations (1918-1934).
The Mary Inez Abbott Swanson Matejcek Subgroup consists of a General Correspondence series (1931-1953), Court Papers series, Financial Records series, and a Miscellany series. The correspondents include Helena Huntington Smith (Pringle) and Jack Abbott. The court papers consist of a subpoena (1949) and the financial records contain a tax assessment list (1952). The miscellany series contains a sketching instruction book (1857) and a sketchbook (undated) used by Mary and by James and Granville Stuart.
The Robert and Granville Abbott Subgroup contains two series, General Correspondence, consisting of a postcard (undated) from a friend to Granville Abbott and correspondence from Granville Abbott to David Remley (1980-1983); and Miscellany, consisting of notebooks (1915-1919) of Robert and Granville.
The Katie Stuart Subgroup contains Katie Stuart's autograph book (1881-1887). Katie Stuart was Mary Stuart Abbott's older sister. She died of tuberculosis and the Abbotts postponed their wedding for six months out of respect for her.
Arranged by subgroups with topical series.
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]. Edward Charles "Teddy Blue" Abbott Papers. MC 51. [Box and folder number]. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.
Acquisition information available upon request.
Photographs and printed material were transferred from this collection to the MHS Photo Archives and MHS Library respectively.
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.
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection