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Gilman (Mont.) State Bank Records, 1910-1926

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Gilman (Mont.) State Bank
Title
Gilman (Mont.) State Bank Records
Dates
1910-1926 (inclusive)
Quantity
20.0 linear feet, (27 archival boxes, 3 oversize boxes, and 10 oversize volumes)
Collection Number
Mss 009
Summary
Gilman was a small town located near Great Falls, Montana. This collection contains correspondence, financial, legal, and organizational papers generated by Gilman State Bank officials during its years of operation and the period of receivership following closure. The collection presents an insightful record of the successes, challenges, and (often) failure encountered by Montana's rural financial institutions during the first quarter of the twentieth century.
Repository
University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections
Archives and Special Collections
Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
University of Montana
32 Campus Dr. #9936
59812-9936
Missoula, MT
Telephone: 406-243-2053
library.archives@umontana.edu
Access Restrictions

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.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for creating this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historic Publications and Records Commission. Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Historical Note

Gilman State Bank was founded in 1910 in Gilman, Montana, about one mile from Augusta, Montana. The Great Northern Railway founded Gilman to be a center for homesteaders who had moved to central Montana to farm. Among the directors of the bank were A. L. Bradley, President; E. D. Boone, Vice-President; R. Percy Abbey; C. W. Tewell; Harry Lord; Oliver Bernier; M. M. Connor; Grand B. Christian; and Alex Chisholm.

The town reached its peak in a few years with a population of about 1400. However, difficult conditions in the early 1920s meant that the bank did not prosper; it had made agricultural loans to farmers who could not repay them. The bank continued in operation until Thanksgiving eve, 1923, when it closed its doors and went into receivership. Soon after, the town ceased to exist as its occupants moved away, taking most of the buildings to Augusta.

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Content Description

This collection contains correspondence, financial, legal, and organizational papers generated by Gilman State Bank officials during its years of operation and the period of receivership following closure. Collection materials predominantly consist of correspondence, presenting nearly all of the correspondence records kept by the bank during its existence. Condition reports and tax records are nearly complete; however, significant gaps occur in the other financial sequences as well as the legal and organizational records. Most of the correspondence is concerned with banking matters, but there is reference to general economic and political activities in the area. Numerous eastern and central Montana financial institutions closed during the 1920s amid a prolonged drought, banking trade instability after the 1910-1916 homesteading boom, and profound national economic changes following World War I. The Gilman State Bank records present an insightful record of the successes, challenges, and (often) failure encountered by Montana's rural financial institutions during the first quarter of the twentieth century. Additionally, this collection preserves significant documentation of what is now a Montana ghost town.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

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.

Preferred Citation

[Name of document], Gilman (Mont.) State Bank Records, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana—Missoula.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in four series:

Series I: General Correspondence, 12.75 linear feet, 1910-1926

Series II: Financial Records, 3.75 linear feet and 10 oversize volumes, 1910-1924

Series III: Legal Documents, 4 folders,1911-1923

Series IV: Organization, 0.5 linear feet, 1910-1924

Custodial History

The bank records were abandoned for many years in what remained of Gilman. Through a tip from Hugh Galusha, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Dr. K. Ross Toole located the records. Mr. and Mrs. Albert Orcutt and other area residents provided background on the records and the history of the town.

Acquisition Information

Acquired by the Archives in 1968.

Processing Note

The actions of the original processers are unknown. In 2004, the collection was re-described.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Banks and banking--Montana--Gilman

Geographical Names

  • Gilman (Mont.)--Economic conditions
  • Gilman (Mont.)--Politics and government

Finding aid prepared by Jodi Allison-Bunnell and Jack Rowan (2004)
2004

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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