Patten Family Papers, 1895-1986

Correspondence contains incoming and outgoing letters from members of the Patten family and are arranged chronologically. Early correspondence, prior to 1900, refer to F.E.W. Patten's life and death. The later correspondence contains Frances Patten's letters to Julia Martin, George Y. Patten's cousin, and describe Frances' experiences in the Middle East as an American Field Staff agent, 1956-1964. The majority of George Y. Patten's correspondence are integral to his legal work and are arranged within his case files in the Subject Files series.

Biographical Materials contains newspaper clippings, George Patten's scrapbook of his family life at the turn of the century, and a short pioneering account by Eleanor Ferris Patten telling of her early childhood in the American West. George Y. Patten's scrapbook contains both news clippings and photographs from 1892-1910. All other photographs are in Series 8, Photographs.

Subject files contain Frances Smith Patten's extension work case files from 1925 to 1929 and portions of George Y. Patten's legal case files from the 1920s to 1949. The Subject Files series has been divided into two subseries according to creator. Subseries 1 contains Frances Patten's case files, and Subseries 2 contains George Y. Patten's files.

Financial Records contains George Y. Patten's early family and business financial registers.

Printed materials include published works and documents collected by Margaret and Frances Smith Patten. Pamphlets refer to art, art exhibitions, Montana history, and Extension Service work. News clippings from the 1970s focus on Frances Patten's continued interest in world travel, and Montana life and communities. Printed materials are arranged chronologically.

School Notes are arranged chronologically and contain Margaret Patten's secondary and post-school work. Her written works and 1920-1921 school annual are in box 4. Her artwork, found in box 5, contains art exercises in pencil, ink, watercolor, and acrylic. Finished works are found in Box 5, file 2.

Memorabilia contains objects, some photos and documents collected by either Margaret or Frances Patten. Margaret Patten's scrapbook dates from 1911-1920 and relates her interests and social activities during this time. Frances Patten's memorabilia are limited and contain primarily placecards from and invitations to social gatherings.

All photographs are printed in black and white, and the majority pertain to Frances Patten's work as a home economics instructor for Extension Services and for the Department of Home Economics at Montana State College. Photos in folders 8-12 were removed from the case files in Series 3, subseries 1, and bear the same number indicated on the pages from which they were removed. Frances Patten's marriage to George Y. Patten and subsequent family life is also documented. Missing are any photos of her work in the Middle East. Photographs which were glued to scrapbook pages, and which could not be removed without damage remain in George Y. Patten's scrapbook in box 1, file 15, and in Margaret Patten's scrapbook in Box 6, file 1.