Merrill G. Burlingame was born in Boone, Iowa on March 13, 1901, the son of Nathan and Teresa Gildea Burlingame. He attended local schools prior to receiving his doctorate at the University of Iowa in 1936. In 1929 he joined the faculty of Montana State College (now Montana State University) and became chair of the history department in 1935. Burlingame's research interests were primarily concerned with Montana and the frontier west and he collected many documents from a variety of sources during his career. He donated the majority of the items in this collection directly to the library, or to the Museum of the Rockies, another heritage organization he helped establish. The museum later transferred materials deposited by Burlingame and others to the library.
The ephemera and documents in this collection covers a wide variety of subjects, places, and people. Subjects include Civil War veterans, mining, schools, homesteading, capital punishment, social life and customs, agricultural societies, elections, crime, and trials. Places represented include: Missoula County (Mont.); Madison County (Montana); Gallatin County (Montana); Bucks County (Pennsylvania); Lee County (Georga.); Mecklenburg County (Virginia); Livingston (Montana); Bozeman (Montana); Virginia City (Montana). People represented include Sarah E. Bickford, William J. Beall, William W. DeLacy, Albert Gallatin, James H. Williams, Sarah Miller, Mary Hanna, Henry McEvoy, and Mrs. William Alward. Document types include land deeds, title abstracts, licenses, election ballots, pay warrants, invitations, and school awards. The materials have been calendared in this finding aid, with the original accession numbers presented in brackets where appropriate.
This collection is open for research.
Original documents collected by Merrill G. Burlingame of Bozeman, Montana were donated to the Montana State University Library in 1973. This collections also incorporates the following former accession numbers: 1422, 1423, 2145, 2169, 2170, 2175, 2176 and 2180 donated by the Museum of the Rockies in 1985; number 2232, donated by Myra Schapps of San Marcos, California in 1990; number 80, donated by Mrs. Kit Miller of Bozeman, Montana; number 592, donated by Vangie Chandler of Bozeman, Montana in 1968; number 2022, donated by E. Paul Orcutt of Bozeman, Montana, 1973; number 7, donated by Lois Diacon of Loma, Montana in 1951; number 782, donated by Rex Bundy of Kevin, Montana, number 2293, donated by Scott Aldrich of Hillsboro, Oregon; number 2434, donated by Jim Jenks of Bozeman, Montana in 2001; number 2549, donated by Robert Blackwell of Raymore, Missouri in 2011.
This collection was processed 2018 May
Receipt for payment of juror Joseph Boyles, May 23, 1865.
Poll and land tax collected in Madison County, August 1, 1865: Pine Grove, Highland, Summit, and Madison Valley. Book kept by collector Theophilus Muffly.
Telegram from D. A. Steele asking W.G. Pfouts, Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners, to pay J. J. Tasker on contract, October 29, 1875.
Letter from W. W. DeLacy about staking a road in Madison County, June 4, 1866.
Suit to redress grievances for assault with a deadly weapon against S. E. Bickford and Mary Hanna by Henry McEvoy, October 22, 1870.
Marriage license of James H. Williams and Sarah Miller, Virginia City, April 8, 1868.
Land grant for parcel in Lee County to John Turner. July 11, 1832.
Tobacco inspector appointment for signed by John Floyd, September 17, 1893.
Last will and Testament of Debora Rothermel, March 19, 1844.
One-hundred-dollar bond issued to Philip D. C. Jones, February 13, 1865.
Democratic Ballot, 1864.
Stock certificates 303,304, 305, 306 issued to John, Jane, and Helen Schapps, April 10, 1907. [Original accession number 2232]
Homestead certificate issued to Jacob Adami, September 2, 1892. [Original accession number 1422]
Stampless cover franked by Albert Gallatin to Jacob Kittridge, Glouster, Massachusetts, February 12, 1806. [Original accession number 1423]
Invitation to the execution of Clarance Cates, July 28, 1934. [Original accession number 1430]
Stock certificate number 1807, issued to Margaret D. Orcutt, March 27, 1935; prospectus and communications included. [Original accession number 2022]
Official ballot, October 1, 1889. [Original accession number 2145]
Invitation to social dance July 23, 1886. [Original accession number 2169]
Certificate of membership number 5645. [Original accession number 2170]
Alternate delegate certificate to Henry Roberts, January 1, 1892. [Original accession number 2175]
Municipal bonds issued to Warren Construction Company, October 16, 1916. [Original accession number 2176]
Invitation to a bowling party, May 11, 1923. [Original accession number 2180]
Choteau County tax receipts for C. J. McNamara, November 30, 1891. [Original accession number 7]
Honor Card issued to Thomas Cosgriff, 1906. [Original accession number 80]
Warrants for payment from territorial government for boarding convicts, bear bounties, and post office box rent, 1885-1889. [Original accession number 592]
Receipt for mining claim filing by Amos W. Hall, October 26, 1864. [Original accession number 782]
Attorney’s license issued to F. A. Merideth, March 4, 1867. Also license issued by the U.S. Internal Revenue Collector dated June 22, 1867. [Original accession number 907]
High school diploma awarded to Montana Hawthorn, June 14, 1897. [Original accession number 960]
Bozeman for Capitol of Montana sticker, 1894. [Original accession number 2293]
Deed issued to William J. Beall, March 23, 1870. [Original accession number 1279]
Organizational charter, November 30, 1901. [Original accession number 2363]
Abstract of title, lots 7 and 8 in Dawes subdivision, of portions of Block C, Blacks addition and fractional lot 17, Lindley and Guys addition to Bozeman, Montana. [Original accession number 2434]
Abstract of title, east 115.93 feet off tract 9, Beatty’s subdivision, Bozeman, Montana. [Original accession number 2549]