A new branch line of the Great Northern Railroad provided the impetus for founding Rexford, Montana in 1903. The Rexford Townsite Company dealt with the initial steps from legalities to laying out the streets and land sales. Five men owned two-thirds of the stock in this company. Leon N. Brown, the company secretary, became co-proprietor of Brown & Fewkes (general merchandise) in Rexford, Montana. Charles B. Kemp, a company director, owned substantial property in nearby Libby, Montana. Allen B. Johnston, a company director, moved to Libby, Montana, in 1892 and was active in merchandising, real estate, politics, and mining. Walter H. Griffin, a company director, owned an established and respected insurance and real estate company in Kalispell, Montana. George Francis Stannard, a company director and a partner of Griffin's since 1892, was born on the Island of Guernsey in the English Channel in 1860. Stannard, a notably successful Montana resident, dealt in insurance real estate, and mining as well as acquiring substantial property in the Flathead Valley.
Early citizens of Rexford, Montana, could travel by railroad or water as the town was near Kootenay Lake but Rexford was not connected to Libby, Montana, by a road until 1924. While the road must have brought changes to Rexford, the greatest change came in the late 1960s when the Corps of Engineers relocated the entire town above the old townsite which was covered with water by the reservoir created with the building of Libby Dam.
This collection details the initial steps taken by the Rexford Townsite Company to set up the original townsite of Rexford, Montana, as well as a few records of later town activities. The collection includes limited general correspondence, legal documents such as articles of incorporation and deeds and lot contracts, townsite sales ledger, accounting records of both receipts and expenses. Most material is from 1903 when the townsite was actually set up, although miscellaneous details dragged on into 1907. Major exceptions include the Rexford Athletic Association Book from 1912 and a precinct register from 1911-1912.
The collection is divided into two series:
Series I: Rexford Townsite Company, 0.5 linear feet, 1903-1907
Series II: General Rexford Records, 0.25 linear feet, 1911-1912
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and The University of Montana--Missoula.
Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Copyright not transferred to The University of Montana.
[Name of document], Rexford (Mont.) Collection, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana--Missoula.
Townsite sales ledger donated by William Fewkes. Remainder of collection loaned for microfilming by Mrs. Clara Brock.
Gifts of William Fewkes, date unknown, and Clara Brock, 1972
The actions of the original processors are unknown. In 2001, the collection was reprocessed.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.
This Series includes the Rexford Townsite Company general correspondence (limited), articles of incorporation, deeds and lot contracts for various sites in Rexford, a rough pencil drawing of street layout, receipts, invoices, canceled checks, a cashbook, a ledger, townsite sales ledger, and a stock ledger.
These materials are arranged in folders with the folder contents in chronological order.
This Series includes a Rexford Athletic Association book which holds brief minutes for two meetings in April, 1912, and nine receipts for bills paid in 1912. This Series also includes the 1911-1912 precinct record book for Rexford as the 9th precinct of Lincoln County.