The Pondera History Association was founded in Conrad, Montana sometime before 1968, initially for the purpose of gathering information to include in a county history book. Among the founding officers were President Veta Marsh, Secretary R. M. Emery, Treasurer A. J. Kovatch and members Dorothy Floerchinger and Marian Kovatch. After soliciting material from various Pondera County residents and reviewing history papers that had been written for an adult history class taught in Conrad in 1955, the committee found it had more information than they could fit into their proposed publication. Pondera was published in Great Falls, Montana by the Blueprint and Letter Company in 1968, and the additional unpublished material was made available for copying by the Montana State College library.
The Pondera History Association files consist of photocopies and duplicate photographs
primarily of material gathered by the organization and not included in their 1968 book,
This collection is open for research.
Original photographs, documents, reminiscences, and other materials pertaining to the history of Pondera County, Montana, were loaned to the Montana State College library in 1968 for copying by Dorothy Floerchinger of Conrad, Montana. The materials were returned after their duplication and their present location cannot be verified. This collection incorporates material formerly assigned accession numbers 312 and 315.
This collection was processed 2013 March 9
Two advertising flyers for the Pondera book; Letter from Phyllis Gruel and Mrs. Howard to Mrs. Floerchinger telling about the routines of getting a history book published; "Tall tales and Mostly True"; Letter from Ray Turner to his son John which tells family history; Biographies of the Centennial Pioneers: Mary Adams, Mary Rutherford Davis, Mrs. William E. Hadcock Sr., Lucy McKnight, Mrs. A. E. Leech: John B. Pepion, John and Nettie Embody Pfeiffer, Robert J. Ryon, Mrs. Bob Salois, Henry Williamson, Eily Embody York, Louis Orsie.
"Old Travois Trail", Dillon Examiner, Sept. 22 ,1919; Baker Massacre (two terms); Letter from Robert J. Ege; Sundance; Sign Language; Dreams and Lodges; Marriage, Running the Buffalo, Social, Camp Life; Life of Oliver Sanderville.
Introduction to the Upham Letters from the Upper Missouri, 1865; Bill Jones Story Part 2, and the Hanging of the Horse-thieves At Birch Creek; Family of Augustin Hamell, Papers about Willow Rounds; Three Notes about Joe Cobell; Notes about James C. Turner; James Willard Schultz; Ft. Macleod-Ft. Shaw Trail; "Dealer's Choice" (Reminiscence of Pondera Coulee); Note about Robare from Roe; Abbot Coulee Graveyard; Ft. Conrad and the Whoop-up Trail; Chronology of the Marias River.
Cree Review, May 1966; Interview with Robert Salois; "Here's what I said in my Metis report"; Saga of the Metis by Lois Magar; History of My Life by S. H. Vandenacre; Letters from W. Blonder to R. M. Sauer; 2 Letters in Dutch from Pastoor J. Vermaat; Letter to Reverend Father from N. Buycher; other letters and notes from the settlers of the Belgian colony near Valier. 3 items about the Birch Creek Hutterite Colony.
Reminiscences of Pete Bokma.
The Conrads; the Seven Block Ranch; "'Grand Tickler' Queered Nomination"; Notes on the History of the Valier Project by George Ebner.
"Conrad," notes from the directory of Teton County 1911; Reminiscences by Mrs. Mary Slavin and Mrs. Anna Crouch; notes from the Conrad Observer, 1905; Sam Sollid material; clipping on the Conrad Hospital; notes from LaVerne Russell; Mr. and Mrs. E. G. Cheek; Mrs. Mary Buzzell obituary.
Pondera Pageant Press, July 18-19, 1953; "Conrad, Montana, The Pearl of Pondera County," 1960; "The Choteau Road to Macleod," Choteau Calumet, Dec.18, 1885; "Upper Marias Notes."
Notes on Dupuyer; Letter from Larry Gill; Obituary of J. W. McKnight; Minnaleah Kingsbury Buell reminiscence of Brother Van Orsdel; "Foot-notes from the Foot-hills"; Cal Perkins; Norah Cooper Fisher letter about the Cooper family; "David B. Smith-oldest Member of the Toole County Old Timers Association"; Obituaries of Mrs. James Miller and Jacob Lauffer.
Notes on Ledger, Montana; Notes from "The Land Keeps Callin" by Effie Orcutt; Reminiscences by Norma Baumann; essays by Con Christenson; account by Marian Wagner Kovatch; Christmas Wedding.
Mrs. Gordon Monkman, "Montana History," Wheat Center News, v6, 48, 1963; "Old Agency on the Teton", 1964; sketch of Blackfoot Agency Headquarters on Badger Creek, 1880-1895; Priest Butte Crosses.
Miscellaneous Pondera County material
"Montana Backgrounds," essays on Pondera County history by Floerchinger and others created for an extension history course taught at Conrad by Carl Gunderson in 1955. Authors and titles include: Dorothy Floerchinger, "Postscript to the Baker Massacre"; Jean T. Magdall, "Joseph P. Thoroughman"; G. E. Cox, "The Sullivans"; Alice Lewis, "Homestead in the Basin"; Zella Trafelet, "Life of John McLaughlin"; Frances Tideyman, "The Seven Block Ranch", Ida Hofland, "Hutterites of Birch Creek"; Donna Olson, "Samuel Sollid"; Hazel Johnson, "Memories of Lettie Gordon Miller of Dupuyer"; LaVerne Russell, "Mr. and Mrs. E. G. Cheek"; LeVerne Russell, "Reminiscences"; Gene Netvedt Martin, "Samuel Sollid"; Emma Novak, "The Crossing"; Freda Phillips, "John Pfeiffer Reminiscences"; Aileen McComb, "John J. Castner"; Alma Z. Angle, "Ching's Little Indian Wife."