This collection is open for research.
Corporate ranch records, personal correspondence, and other documents collected or created by the various entities involved with the Winnecook Ranch were donated to Montana State University Special Collections by Robert E. and Douglas A. Smith of Great Falls, Montana on October 30, 2004.
Series 1: Correspondence, 1882-1999
Series 2: Financial and legal documents, 1896-1983
Series 3: Literary productions
Series 4: Elwyn Dole and the Heart E Ranch, 1916-1936
Winnecook Ranch was started by Ralph and Samuel Berry on the Musselshell River in 1880. Samuel immediately began putting up buildings to house them and Ralph's wife, Evie. In the meantime, Ralph traveled to Utah to purchase their first flock of Merino sheep. Two years later, Samuel sold his half of the venture which Ralph, in turn, traded to various resident ranch managers. In 1887, Evie gave birth to twin sons with only one, Samuel Stillman Berry, surviving. Stillman's frailty had his parents constantly worried about his well being and set their business plan around securing their family's financial future. With the organization of the Winnecook Land and Livestock Company in 1906, Berry's family ranch became a corporation and the family moved to Redlands, CA to protect Stillman's health. With the sudden death of Ralph Berry in 1911, Stillman assumed control of his father's majority stock holdings and took over the presidency of the company in 1917 while still following his academic career in malacology and botany. Stillman held this post until his death in 1984. At that time his shares were put into a trust called the Goodly Heritage Foundation and eventually divided between Stanford University, Redlands Community Hospital, and the A. K. Smiley Library of Redlands, California. In 1992, the Berry family's stake in the Winnecook was eliminated by the purchase of the stock by the Mormon Farm Management Company.
This collection was processed 2007 November 29
The Winnecook Ranch records consist of correspondence and materials produced by ranch management, employees, and stockholders such as corporate documents, work logs, and financial records. Correspondents include Samuel Stillman, Ralph Berry, and Evie Berry. Operations of the Winnecook Ranch Company are covered in correspondence and business materials. Also included are a series of topical newspaper clippings, ranch photographs, materials related to a published manuscript dealing with ranch history, and documents related to the General Manager Elwyn Dole's Heart E Ranch. This series also contains a selection of photocopied letters from the Stillman Berry papers held by the A. K. Smiley Library of Redlands, California, which should be credited by any researchers making use of this material. All files are arranged by subject and correlated by date where applicable.
Personal and business material produced by the extended family of Ralph, Evie, and Stillman Berry. Included within this group are folders of correspondence between family members, officers and stockholders, and parties interested in ranch business. The files have been sorted in chronological order.
Financial and legal documents produced by the Berry family and management of the Winnecook Ranch. Included within this group are General Manager's reports, working capitol and real estate documentation, and financial statements.
Manuscript history of Winnecook Ranch, with related research notes and miscellaneous historical material. The history was written by Mary Dole Smith, Harold R. Hill, and Marcel "Dutch" Callant.
Personal and business material produced or collected by the extended family of Elwyn Dole. Dole was an employee of the Winnecook Ranch Company who also briefly operated his own ranch, the Heart E, on nearby property. Documents include Dole's financial arrangements with Winnecook regarding the purchase and operation of the Heart E.