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William Gaddis Papers, 1871-1885

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Gaddis, William, 1831-1908
Title
William Gaddis Papers
Dates
1871-1885
Quantity
.2 linear feet
Collection Number
Collection 0028, MtBC, us (collection)
Summary
The William Gaddis Papers consist of a painstakingly prepared 1963 typescript of a 599 page financial journal that documents transactions at the Camp Baker (Fort Logan) trading post between 1871 and 1876. The original financial journal volume, has been assigned collection number SC 219 at the Montana Historical Society in Helena. Most of the customers listed in the financial journal appear to be officers or enlisted men of the garrison, and their purchases include sundry items, tobacco, alcohol, and games of pool. Also included are business letters written to William Gaddis and receipts for wholesale goods he purchased.
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
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
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Biographical Note

William Gaddis was born in Washington, D.C., in 1831. In 1869, he moved to Montana Territory, working at the Fort Shaw trading post. A short time later, Gaddis became the proprietor for the Camp Baker trading post in Meagher County. The name was changed to Fort Logan in 1877. In 1880, Fort Logan was abandoned, and in 1881, it was sold to Gaddis. Gaddis also had interests in cattle and horse breeding and owned a ranch in Meagher County. William Gaddis died 19 June 1908 in Washington, D.C.

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Content Description

The William Gaddis papers consist of a painstakingly prepared 1963 typescript of a 599 page financial journal that documents transactions at the Camp Baker (Fort Logan) trading post between 1871 and 1876. The entries are presented in chronological order, documenting the name of the purchaser, the services or goods purchased, the price, and pagination to indicate where the customer's entries are recorded in a separate account ledger. The ledger referred to, along with the original financial journal volume, have been assigned collection number SC 219 at the Montana Historical Society in Helena. Most of the customers listed in the financial journal appear to be officers or enlisted men of the garrison, and their purchases include sundry items, tobacco, alcohol, and games of pool. Another folder of original documents, including two business letters written to William Gaddis and ten receipts for wholesale goods he purchased, has been calendared in the inventory below.

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Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

An original financial journal book kept by William Gaddis from 1871 to 1876 was loaned to Special Collections by Gertrude McStravick, White Sulphur Springs, Montana, in October, 1963. The contents were transcribed by library personnel and the book returned to McStravick a few months afterwards. The original volume has since been donated to the Montana Historical Society in Helena, Montana. Additional documents created or collected by Gaddis were donated to Special Collections by Dr. Merrill G. Burlingame, Bozeman, Montana, in 1970.

Processing Note

This collection was processed 2009 August 10

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Businessmen-Montana-Meagher County
  • Trading posts-Montana-Meagher County

Geographical Names

  • Camp Baker (Mont.)
  • Fort Logan (Mont. : Fort)

Form or Genre Terms

  • Business records-Montana-Meagher County

Kim Allen Scott, 2009
September 11, 2015

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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