Sarah "Sallie" Belle Raymond Herndon was born September 7, 1840, in Maryland, the daughter of Daniel Fitch Raymond (1786-1849) and Delilah Matlick Raymond (1812-1896). The family moved to Cincinatti, Ohio, in 1842, where Daniel published the
The Raymond family was prominent in Virginia City and Madison County. They began a successful freight company and the Raymond Brothers store. W. Hillhouse took over Belmont Park which became renowned for its trotters and Winthrop platted the town of Sheridan, Montana, where he was in banking and land development.
The Sarah Raymond Herndon Papers document the Raymond family's life in Virginia City, Montana Territory, and Sarah's work as a teacher in the first formally established school in the territory. The diary, with daily entries for each day of 1866, describes life in Virginia City, Montana Territory, including weather, sewing, laundry, food, church services, letter writing and mail received, and feelings and moods. Social events are well documented including comings and goings within the town, parties, making and receiving calls, a wedding, deaths and funerals, and celebrating Christmas. Herndon also describes her school and pupils, suitors Ben and Judge McCullogh, and visits with Harriet P. Fenn Sanders. The back section of the journal contains continuations of longer entries, financial accounts, and a list of letters written and received. There is also a note with genealogical details for Herndon written at an unknown later date by grandson Howard Herndon Wilcomb.
The papers also include letters by Sarah Raymond Herndon dated 1899 to Mrs. Howie, Montana Superintendent of Schools, with an attached story of the first school in Virginia City. There are also family obituaries, newspaper accounts of the Raymond family, a catalog of Belmont Farms Stallions, and five family photographs with negatives.
This collection is open for research.
Papers collected and created by Sarah Raymond Herndon were sent in 1964 by Mrs. J. Earl (Mary Raymond) Johnson of Sheridan, Montana, to librarian Minnie Paugh to photocopy and add to the newly established Montana Historical Manuscripts Collection of Montana State College Library in Bozeman. They consisted of newspaper articles and obituaries of family members, a horse catalog, photographs and a diary and letters written by Sarah Raymond Herndon who was Mrs. Johnson's aunt. Originals were returned to Mrs. Johnson and her family following their reproduction.
This collection was processed 2010 October 14
[Creator Name], [Date of Creation], [Brief Description of Object], Folder [#], Box [#], [Collection Name], [Collection #], Montana State University (MSU) Library, Bozeman, MT
The collection is comprised entirely of photocopies, copy negatives, and copy prints. The photocopy of the diary includes typed transcriptions on each page and handwritten margin notes. A microfilmed copy of the diary is also available.
Some originals of the copies in this collection are located at the Montana Historical Society.