MTLMC36.xml Guide to the Thomas Cruse papers 1841-1956 Cruse (Thomas) papers Finding aid prepared by MHS staff. Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Montana Historical Society 2004
Helena, MT
Finding aid encoded by Ellie Arguimbau with assistance by Cuadra Assoc. 2004 Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard) 2nd Edition. 2022 November 1 Updated by Lindsey Mick 2022 November 1 Updated; removed weeded item: Volume 8. Volume 9 are missing and have been removed from the finding aid until found. Montana Historical Society Archives MC 36 Cruse, Thomas, 1836-1914 Thomas Cruse papers 1841-1956 10 linear feet of shelf space Thomas Cruse was a Helena, Montana, miner, banker, and businessman. This collection (1841-1956) consists of incoming correspondence; legal and financial records; maps; reports; and miscellany. Records for Cruse's various enterprises are divided into nine subgroups including the Thomas Cruse Savings Bank; Thomas Cruse Estate; Thomas Cruse Mining and Development Company; etc. 2:3-6 English

Thomas Cruse was born in County Cavan, Ireland, in 1836. He immigrated to America in 1856, spent seven years in New York, and then traveled to California by steamer in 1863. He prospected for gold throughout the California, Nevada, Idaho, and Montana mining regions for several years without success. In 1876, he discovered a rich lode, at Marysville, Montana, which became famous as the Drumlummon Mine and yielded millions in gold and silver. Cruse sold the mine in 1882 to the London Company Associated in England for nearly one and one-half million dollars. This company reorganized as Montana Company, Limited to operate the mine. Cruse formed the Thomas Cruse Savings Bank in Helena in 1887 and expanded his investment and mining enterprises into cattle and sheep ranching and oil speculation in Montana. Cruse married the sister of Montana's Senator Thomas H. Carter, Margaret Carter, in 1886. Cruse became one of the leading philanthropists in Montana. He was noted especially for his large contribution toward the construction of the Saint Helena Cathedral in Helena. Thomas Cruse died December 21, 1914.

This collection contains incoming and outgoing correspondence, financial records, legal documents, reports, and miscellany dealing with Cruse's various activities (1882-1914), including the Thomas Cruse Savings Bank and the N Bar Ranch. The collection also documents the Thomas Cruse Estate and the Thomas Cruse Mining and Development Company, which was formed from many of the Cruse holdings. Other subgroups represent key individuals active in the various Cruse organizations: Fred T. Cruse, Mamie T. Cruse, Richard Cruse, William J. Cruse, William Scallon, and William J. Sweeney. The collection documents mining activity in Montana (1879-1956), Montana banking (1887-1916), and Montana cattle and sheep ranching (1890-1913).

Arranged by subgroup and series. Some material housed in oversize folder in archives map case. Some material housed in manuscript volumes. See inventory below for more information.

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, selected printed material, and artifacts were transferred from this collection to the M.H.S. Photo Archives, Library, and Museum 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.

Cruse, Thomas, 1836-1914 Drumlummon Mine (Marysville, Mont.) Gallatin County (Mont.) Helena (Mont.)--Commerce Helena (Mont.)--Religious life and source=lcsh"> Marysville (Mont.) N Bar Ranch (Mont.) Park County (Mont.) St. Helena Cathedral (Helena, Mont.) Banks and banking--Montana--Helena Cattle Raising--Montana [Central] Mines and mineral resources--Montana--Lewis and Clark County Montana Business, Industry and Labor Labor History Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection

Thomas Cruse Biographical Materials 1 / 1 Vital statistics photocopies from Cruse Family Bible (original bible transferred to Museum) 1886 Incoming Correspondence 1 / 2-4 B - C (includes Frank Cruse, Micheal Cruse) 1880, 1892-1894, 1900-1901 1 / 5 D - F 1893, 1899-1900 1 / 6 H - I 1894, 1898-1901 1 / 7-9 Montana Company, Limited 1882-1887, 1890 1 / 10 Montana National Bank, Helena 1893 1 / 11-16 O - S (includes W.J. Sweeney) 1893-1894 1911 1 / 17 T - W 1884, 1893-1895, 1903 1 / 18 Unidentified (includes reports of detective "R.H." tailing an African American man) 1892 1 / 19 Post Cards (includes Bishop John P. Carroll; Lizzie and Will Cruse; Father Victor Day; Mame Cruse; Anna Olson; Nettie Rosenbaum; Sister Rose Vincent; Sister M. Cecilia of St. Vincent's Academy; Sophie and Charles Watkins) 1905, 1912-1913 Outgoing Correspondence 2 / 1 Montana Company, Limited 1882-1886 2 / 2 Miscellaneous 1889, 1893 1902, 1914 Court Papers 2 / 3 Miscellaneous: affidavit re Comer Lodge; subpoena; judgement Montana Mining Company vs Charles Mayger 1884, 1886, 1895 Financial Records 2 / 4 Dividend reports of Montana Company, Limited 1884-1889 1-3 General ledgers 1885-1899, 1909-1914 2 / 5 Promissory notes 1880-1884 2 / 6 Time book 1895 4-5 Trial balance book (includes Thomas Cruse estate) 1914-1921 Legal Documents 2 / 7 Affidavits of annual representation 1900-1909 2 / 8 Agreements with Catholic Church 1911, 1916 2 / 9 Agreements: miscellaneous 1882-1884 1887, 1896 1898 2 / 10 Bills of sale 1886, undated 2 / 11 Contracts 1896, 1898 2 / 12 Declarations of trust 1882 2 / 13 Declaratory statements: lode locations, lode mining claims, mill sites, placer locations, quartz locations, tunnel sites 1879-1901 2 / 14-15 Deeds 1869, 1879-1889 1 Deeds [Map Case] 1869, 1879-1889 3 / 1-4 Deeds 1891-1914 3 / 5 Indentures: Resurrection Cemetery Association; Judith Farms Company 1913 3 / 6 Letters of agreement with A.H. Mallory 1882-1883 3 / 7 Mortgages 1880, 1884 3 / 8 Patents: assignments of patents 1883-1903 1 Patents: assignments of patents [Map Case] 1883-1903 3 / 9 Patents: "Method of Extracting Gold and Silver from their Ores" 1898 3 / 10 Penobscot Mining Company 1898, 1909 3 / 11 Resolutions: Montana Company, Limited 1885, 1887 3 / 12 Settlement with H.C. Cotter in re Mary Margaret Cotter 1914 3 / 13 Titles: abstract to "Topsy" Lode, etc.; memorandum re "Frank Kratky", "Gold Hill", and "Fold Rocky Hill" claims 1900 3 / 14 Wills 1897, 1914 1 Miscellaneous 1864, 1889, 1913 Maps, Photographs, Printed Materials: 3 / 15 List of materials transferred to the Library and Photo Archives undated Reports 4 / 1 "Drum Lummon gold & Silver Mine, Montana", by John Darlington (with maps) November 1, 1882 4 / 2 Helena Daily Business Report No. 22 (in re sale of placer claim deed to S. Foster by Thomas Cruse) June 26, 1894 4 / 3-6 The Montana Company, Limited 1883-1885, 1887-1889, 1893 4 / 7 "Report to Thomas Cruse by G.C. Swallow M.D. Oil Springs Park County (now Carbon), Montana" 1894 Miscellany 4 / 8 Letter to Miss Cruse from West Point Cadet "Allen" undated 4 / 9 Miscellaneous: includes American Mining Congress certificate of membership; New York Catholic Club membership book; Thomas and Margaret Cruse wedding invitation 1886, 1894, 1902 1 Miscellaneous [see above description Map Case] 1886, 1894, 1902 4 / 10 Miscellaneous: map and description of Helena lots 1893 Clippings 4 / 11 The Mining World and Engineering Record 1895 The Thomas Cruse Savings Bank Incoming Correspondence 4 / 12-13 B-W 1892-1897 Outgoing Correspondence 4 / 14 Miscellaneous 1893-1894, 1897, 1913 Organization 4 / 15 Articles of association 1887 4 / 16 Bylaws 1902, undated Miscellany 4 / 17 The Thomas Cruse Savings Bank account book; drafts 1910, 1915 N Bar Ranch General Correspondence 5 / 1 Miscellaneous 1896-1911 Financial Records 5 / 2 Account ledger 1887-1888 5 / 3 Check blanks undated 5 / 4 Inventories of livestock 1891-1896 5 / 5 Inventories undated 5 / 6 Journal (including account and miscellaneous records) 1887-1898 5 / 7 Receipts for cattle purchased 1892, 1898 Maps 5 / 8 List of maps separated to Library undated Thomas Cruse Estate Incoming Correspondence 5 / 9-12 A-G 1915-1921 5 / 13 Hoyt, B.F. 1918-1919 5 / 14 Hunt, William H. 1915 5 / 15-17 I-W 1915-1919 5 / 18 Miscellaneous 1917-1919, undated Outgoing Correspondence 6 / 1-4 Miscellaneous 1915-1919, undated Court Papers 6 / 5 Inventory and appraisement of real and personal property 1915, 1917, undated 6 / 6 Petition for and decree of final distribution 1921 6 / 7 Writs of attachment 1915 Financial Records 6 / 8 Bank deposit account book 1915-1921 6 / 9 Donations and expenses list 1915-1916 7 General ledgers 1914-1920 6 / 10 Receipt: estate payments in Ireland 1915-1916 6 / 11 Receipt: sale of stock 1916 6 / 12 Tax receipts 1915-1917 6 / 13 Vouchers: payments to Catholic Church 1915 Legal Documents 6 / 14 Agreement with Catholic Church in re mausoleum 1915 6 / 15 Agreements 1898, 1915, 1917, 1921 6 / 16 Bill of sale to C.W. Colgrove 1919 6 / 17 Certificates of location 1915 6 / 18 Deeds 1898, 1920 6 / 19 Powers of attorney 1915-1919 Maps 6 / 20 List of maps transferred to Library undated Miscellany 6 / 21 Brunton Oil, Gas, and Development Company 1917 Thomas Cruse Mining And Development Company Incoming Correspondence 6 / 22-28 A-W 1914-1946 Outgoing Correspondence 6 / 29-31 Miscellaneous 1919-1946, undated Court Papers 7 / 1 City of Helena vs Thomas Cruse Mining and Development Company, et al 1938-1942, undated 7 / 2 Thomas Cruse Mining and Development Company vs A.F. Vaughn, et al 1922, 1926, undated 7 / 3 Miscellaneous 1917-1941 Financial Records 7 / 4-13 Annual and monthly statements 1910-1941 8 / 1 Annual and monthly statements: Franklin Mine 1916-1917 8 / 2 Claims against the company 1916, undated 8 / 3 Inventory and list of equipment undated 8 / 4 Lands held by company 1915-1938, undated 8 / 5 Legal fees 1913, 1926, 1937, 1941 8 / 6 Ore payments: Bald Mountain Mine 1933, 1937 8 / 7 Ore payments: Belmont Mines 1934-1936, 1941-1942 8 / 8-12 Ore payments: Franklin Mine 1913, 1915-1918, 1933-1943 8 / 13 Ore payments: Jackson Creek Mine 1901-1902 8 / 14 Ore payments: Kennedy Mine 1934 8 / 15 Ore payments: North Star Mine 1902-1903; 1932 8 / 16 Ore payments: Springhill Mine 1940 1 Payroll: Franklin Mine [Map Case] 1916-1918 9 / 1 Property owned by Thomas Cruse Mining and Development Company and T.C. Power Company 1936 9 / 2 Receipt book: Jackson Creek Mine August 1896- August 1897 9 / 3 Recapitulation statement undated 9 / 4 Royalty remittance: Franklin Mine 1938 9 / 5 Smelter reports: Franlin Mine 1916-1917 9 / 6 Tax receipts 1922, 1931-1943 9 / 7 Miscellaneous 1865, 1882-1934 9 / 8 Miscellaneous: Franklin Mine 1912, 1914, 1932 Legal Documents 9 / 9 Affidavit of annual representation 1920 9 / 10 Affidavit of publication 1917-1943 9 / 11 Contracts 1921-1931 9 / 12 Deeds 1919, 1920, 1938 9 / 13 Land and water use agreement with Montana Power Company 1928 9 / 14-15 Leases 1918-1921, 1925-1934 9 / 16 Mortgages 1919 9 / 17 Notice of debt 1933 9 / 18 Notice of quartz locations 1922 9 / 19 Powers of attorney 1919 Maps 9 / 20 List of maps transferred to the library undated Production Records 10 / 1-5 Assay reports 1900-1902, 1908-1911 10 / 6 Assay reports: Bald Mountain Mine 1913, 1932-1936 10 / 7-9 Assay reports: Franklin mine 1913-1915, 1931 1 Assay reports: Franklin mine [blueprint of drilling location in Map Case] 1913-1915, 1931 10 / 10 Assay reports: Jackson Creek Mine 1902 10 / 11 Assay reports: North Star Mine 1902-1903, 1933-1942 10 / 12 Assay reports: mill cleanup, etc. 1900-1942 Organization 11 / 1 Articles of incorporation 1916, 1956 11 / 2 Board meetings 1917, 1919, 1931, 1937, undated 11 / 3 Notice to stockholders 1924-1935 11 / 4 Records index book undated 11 / 5 Stockholders list 1933, undated Reports 11 / 6-7 Future mining feasibility study: Franklin Mine 1917, 1928 11 / 8 "Report on Franklin Mine" by W.J. Cooke August 1, 1917 11 / 9 "Report on Work Done Since August 1st, 1917", by W.F. Word April18, 1918 Miscellany 11 / 10-11 Memoranda (re Cruse properties) 1936-1943, undated 11 / 12 Ore shipman memoranda (re Franklin Mine) 1913-1914 Richard Cruse General Correspondence 12 / 1 W.G. Hunter 1935-1936 Incoming Correspondence 12 / 2 A-C 1911-1914, 1929-1941 12 / 3 D-G 1911, 1916, 1927-1943 12 / 4 H-M (photographs included) 1910-1916, 1921-1942 12 / 5 N-S 1909, 1926-1941 12 / 6 T-W 1904, 1906, 1911-1935 Outgoing Correspondence 12 / 7-8 Miscellaneous 1919-1933, 1937-1942 Financial Records 12 / 9 Cancelled checks 1916-1933 12 / 10 Promissory notes 1915, 1926 12 / 11 Receipts 1939, 1941-1943 12 / 12-13 Tax receipts 1918-1943 Legal Documents 12 / 14 Will of Thomas Cruse (of County Cavan, Ireland) 1937 12 / 15 Miscellaneous 1903, 1906, 1910 Printed Materials 12 / 16 Brotherhood of the Protective Order of the Elks 1917-1939 12 / 17 Catholic Church 1939-1942 12 / 18 Knights of Columbus 1913-1940, undated 12 / 19 Miscellaneous 1932, 1939, 1943 Ephemera 12 / 20 Order of Scottish Clans dues book 1930-1939 12 / 21 "I Am the Light, the Life, the Way" (a poem dedicated to the memory of Margaret Cruse) 1913 Clippings 12 / 22 Miscellaneous 1923-1945, undated William J. Cruse Legal Documents 12 / 23 Miscellaneous 1895, 1912-1913 Fred T. Cruse Outgoing Correspondence 12 / 24 Miscellaneous 1904 Mamie M. Cruse Legal Documents 12 / 25 Divorce decree 1911 William Scallon Incoming Correspondence 13 / 1 A-B 1922-1945 13 / 2 W.P. Caubu 1936-1942 13 / 3 Collins Land Company 1939 13 / 4 W.J. Cooke 1923-1939 13 / 5 Carrie B. Cruse 1936, 1941, undated 13 / 6 Cruse Gold Company 1938-1941 13 / 7 William J. Cruse 1936, 1941 13 / 8 John F. Delvin 1922-1924, 1939-1942 13 / 9 F 1935-1946 13 / 10 G-J 1925-1940 13 / 11 K-M 1927-1943 13 / 12 M-O 1922-1944 13 / 13 P-R 1923-1942 13 / 14 S 1922, 1941 13 / 15 T 1922-1941 13 / 16 U.S. Foreign Service; U.S. Interior Department 1937-1941 13 / 17 W 1937-1941 13 / 18 Unidentified 1931 Outgoing Correspondence 13 / 19-21 Miscellaneous 1922-1928, 1930-1942, 1944-1946 William J. Sweeney Financial Records 13 / 22 Cancelled checks 1890-1891 13 / 23 Deposit book 1894-1897 13 / 24 Expense book 1889 Legal Documents 13 / 25 Miscellaneous 1882-1900, undated Reports 13 / 26 "Field Notes of the Survey of the Mining Claim of William J. Sweeney" (Confident Lode), John W. Wade 1892