Mary Hunter Doane papers, 1881-1959

The Mary Doane collection consists of speeches, reminiscences, notes, correspondence, a scrapbook, and an oral history interview documenting Doane's experiences as an Army wife and early Montana pioneer as well as her participation in several lineage societies. The collection provides insight into Doane's role in preserving her husband's legacy as well as the history of frontier Army life and Montana's territorial era.

The papers contain manuscript and typescript speeches, writings, and notes prepared for a variety of audiences, including a 1931 address delivered to the Society of Montana Pioneers relating her childhood journey to Montana Territory and early residence in Virginia City and Helena, an undated reminiscence of her experiences of early frontier Army life, a transcription of an undated paper prepared for the Mount Hyalite Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution on the history of Montana forts, a 1930 speech on historic sites in Montana, and 1935 remarks prepared while serving as president of the Gallatin County Pioneers. There are also a couple folders of notes on Doane's experiences at Fort Ellis, Montana Territory, written in preparation for an address before an unknown group.

Correspondence includes documentation of Doane's attempts to register copyright in her husband's Yellowstone Expedition journal; several letters regarding water claims at Hunter's Hot Springs in Park County, Montana; and membership and budget materials written by Roy Crismas, Secretary-Treasurer of the Society of Montana Pioneers, that were apparently sent to Doane in her capacity as Past President. The Society of Montana Pioneers materials also contain a 1949 list of members.

Additional materials include a transcription of an oral history interview conducted with Merrill Burlingame in 1950 discussing St. Vincent's Academy; a circa 1880s portrait of Mary taken while living at the Presidio, San Francisco; and a dance card for a social held at Fort Assiniboine, Montana Territory, on November 23, 1881. The scrapbook contains news clippings from the 1910s-1920s with a focus on Montana and Gallatin County history, pioneers, and historical events, as well as a number of clippings documenting local and state Daughters of the American Revolution members, events, and conventions.