Montana State University Library, Merrill G. Burlingame
Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT 59717-3320
United States
Phone (406) 994-4242
Fax (406) 994-2851
http://www.lib.montana.edu/archives/
University Archivist
spcoll@www.lib.montana.edu
Collection 0172, MtBC, us
Hamilton, James McClellan,
1861-1940
James M. Hamilton Papers
1938-1969
2.75 linear feet
The James M. Hamilton Papers include notes, rough drafts,
final drafts, correspondence and photographs created or collected by Hamilton and Burlingame
in the preparation of From Wilderness to Statehood and History of Yellowstone National Park
Previous to 1895. There is also a small selection of speeches and papers delivered by
Hamilton on topics such as the Lewis and Clark expedition, the battle of the Little Big
Horn, and the history of Fort Ellis, Montana. Photographs include images that appeared in
the 1970 edition of From Wilderness to Statehood and others pertaining to Montana history
that were not used by the publisher.
Collection materials are in English
Biographical Note
James McClellan Hamilton was born October 1, 1861 in Crawford County, Illinois and came to
Montana in 1889. In 1893, when the University System was created and the State Board of
Education was established, he was named a member. In 1901 he became Professor of History and
Economics, then vice-president of Montana State University shortly thereafter. Three years
later he was made president of the Agricultural College (Montana State College.) Hamilton
resigned from the presidency in 1919 to become Professor of Economics and to also become the
first Dean of Men, serving in these roles until his death. In 1918 Hamilton married Miss
Florence Ballinger, a member of the Home Economics staff. October 18, 1929 was set aside as
"Dean Hamilton Day" to recognize his 25 years of service at Montana State College and at the
June 1930 Commencement the honorary L.L.D. degree was conferred upon Dean Hamilton by the
college. He completed a manuscript history of Yellowstone Park, which was posthumously
published in 1947. He planned on completing a second volume on the history of Montana but in
the spring of 1940 Hamilton suffered a slight stroke and failed in health rapidly until his
death on September 23, 1940. Some fifteen years after Hamilton's death Merrill G.
Burlingame, then a history professor at Montana State College, edited the manuscript at the
request of Hamilton's widow. It was published in 1957 and in 1970 a new edition was issued
with some revisions and a chapter written by Burlingame at the publishers request.
The Hamilton papers include notes, rough drafts, final drafts, correspondence and
photographs created or collected by Hamilton and Burlingame in the preparation of
From Wilderness to Statehood and History of
Yellowstone National Park Previous to 1895. There is also a small selection of
speeches and papers delivered by Hamilton on topics such as the Lewis and Clark expedition,
the battle of the Little Big Horn, and the history of Fort Ellis, Montana. Photographs
include images that appeared in the 1970 edition of From Wilderness
to Statehood and others pertaining to Montana history that were not used by the
publisher. The materials have been arranged in four series.
Series 1 From Wilderness to Statehood
Series 2 History of Y.N.P. previous to 1895
Series 3 Miscellaneous articles and speeches
Series 4 Photographs and drawings
This collection is open for research.
The notes from which
From Wilderness to Statehood was most
likely compiled and the manuscript draft for History of Yellowstone
National Park Previous to 1895, were from the Hamilton home, donated by Dr. Paul
Davidson, the fall of 1969. The manuscript drafts of From Wilderness
to Statehood and related correspondence were donated by M. G. Burlingame in the
summer of 1970.
This collection was processed 2009 January 28
Burlingame, Merrill G.-(Merrill
Gildea),-1901-1994
Hamilton, James
McClellan,-1861-1940.-From wilderness to statehood
Hamilton, James
McClellan,-1861-1940.-History of Montana, from wilderness to statehood
Hamilton, James
McClellan,-1861-1940.-History of Yellowstone National Park Previous to 1895
Lewis and Clark
Expedition-(1804-1806)
Fort Ellis
(Mont.)-History
Montana-History
Yellowstone National
Park-History
Little Bighorn, Battle of the, Mont.,
1876
Historians-Montana
Expeditions and
Adventure
Military
Native
Americans
Parks and
Playgrounds
Montana
Photographs
Series 1
From Wilderness to Statehood
Manuscripts, research notes and correspondence pertaining to the publication of both
editions of
From Wilderness to Statehood. Most of the
correspondence is between Burlingame and the publishers, Binfords and Mort, Portland,
Oregon.
1/1
Agriculture Notes
(typed)
1/2
Agriculture Notes
(handwritten)
1/3
Banking Notes
(handwritten)
1/4
Churches Notes
(typed)
1/5
Courts Notes
1/6
Dry Farming Notes
1/7
Flour Mills Notes
1/8
Indian Land Notes
1/9
Irrigation Notes
1/10
Lewis and Clark Expedition Notes
1/11
Lewis and Clark Expedition Notes
1/12
Libraries Notes
1/13
Newspapers Notes
1/14
Territory State Notes
1/15
Public Lands Notes
1/16
Railroad Notes
1/17
Ranching - Cattle Notes
1/18
Ranching - Sheep Notes
1/19
Society of Montana Pioneers Notes
1/20
Sugar Beets Notes
2/1
Early Draft
2/2
Early Draft
2/3
Rough Draft of Preface
2/4
Rough Draft of Preface
2/5
Rough Draft of Table of Contents and Title
page
2/6
Rough Draft up to part 7
2/7
Rough Draft
2/8
Rough Draft
2/9
Rough Draft
2/10
Rough Draft
2/11
Rough Draft
2/12
Rough Draft
3/1
Rough Draft
3/2
Rough Draft
3/3
Rough Draft of Appendix
3/4
Rough Draft of Index
3/5
Original Manuscript
3/6
Original Manuscript
3/7
Original Manuscript
3/8
Original Manuscript
3/9
Original Manuscript
3/10
Original Manuscript
3/11
Original Manuscript
3/12
Original Manuscript
3/13
Original Manuscript
4/1
Original Manuscript
4/2
Original Manuscript
4/3
Original Manuscript
4/4
Original Manuscript
4/5
Montana in the Twentieth Century by
Burlingame
4/6
References
4/7
Biographical Data
4/8
Editorial Comment
4/9
Unused Manuscripts - Indian Notes
4/10
Unused Manuscripts
4/11
Unused Manuscripts
4/12
Cartoons by Marlow Undhal
1956
not used
4/13
Corrections and Suggestions
5/1
Correspondence - Burlingame and Binford and Mort
Publishers
5/2
Correspondence - Caxton Publishers, Inc
5/3
Correspondence - W. F. Kelleher
5/4
Correspondence - Montana State University,
Missoula
5/5
Correspondence - B. G. Ryan
(illustrator)
5/6
Correspondence - State Publishing Company
5/7
Correspondence - A. L. Strand
5/8
Correspondence - Miscellaneous
Series 2
A History of Y.N.P. previous to
1895
Manuscripts drafts created by Hamilton and subsequently edited by Burlingame.
5/9-32
Original Hamilton manuscript
5/33
Burlingame corrected manuscript
5/32
Burlingame corrected manuscript
6/1
Burlingame corrected manuscript
Series 3
Miscellaneous speeches and papers
Speeches and papers on diverse historical topics delivered by Hamilton to various
organizations.
6/2
"The Claims of Montana as a site for the Montanan
State Lewis and Clark Monument"
6/3
"Custer's Last Fight"
6/4
"The Fur Trade in Montana"
6/5
"History of Fort Ellis"
6/6
Montana Collegian, Memorial to Hamilton
1940 September
6/7
"The Naming of Sacajawea"
6/8
"P. W. Norris - Second Superintendent of
YNP"
6/9
"Ridin' Trail back to the Old Wild West"
6/10
"A Story of A March, Goldseekers Against the Redskins,
Bozeman to Wolf Mountains"
6/11
"The Founding of Bozeman"
Series 4
Photographs and drawings
Selection of copy photographic prints used or intended for use in the 1970 edition of
From Wilderness to Statehood, taken from originals held
by various institutions and individuals including: W. H. Culver Studios, Lewistown; C.
Owen Smithers, Butte; L. H. Jorud, Helena; U. S. Forest Service; Montana Historical
Society. No photographs were credited and numbers 1-12 have been arranged in the same
order in which they appear in the book. Photographs numbered 13-42 were not used by the
publisher. Folder 11 contains copies of the original pen sketches by Betty Ryan that
were used in the chapter headings of the book and have not been numbered with the
photographs.
6/12
Pen and ink sketches by Betty Ryan
6/13
Photographs 1-12
1
John Mullan
2
Alexander Culbertson
3
Trails to the Northwest in the
1860s
[map]
4
Thomas F. Meagher
5
Paris Gibson
6
Marcus Daly
7
Wilbur F. Sanders
8
Gallatin Valley wheat field
9
Judith Basin strip farming
10
Cornelius Hedges
11
MSU campus
1968
12
Capitol building, Helena
6/14
Photographs 13-24
13
St. Helena Cathedral
14
Anaconda Company sawmill, Bonner, MT
15
Marion loader, Colstrip, MT
16
Montana School of Mines, Butte
17
Lewistown, MT
1888
18
Capital building, Helena
19
Montana Club building, Helena
20
Main Street, Helena
1870
21
Miners at work, Butte
22
Butte Hill from east
23
Butte, view from hill
24
Butte, view from college
6/15
Photographs 25-42
25
Vigilante receipt
26
Pardon for James B. Daniels
1866
27
Pardon for James B. Daniels
1866
28
Masonic Temple, Bannack
29
"Spokane," racehorse, Twin Bridges
30
M.H. Lott ranch, Twin Bridges
31
Trail herd on Powder River
1886
32
Flatboat "Last Chance" on Yellowstone
33
Neihart, MT
34
Flathead lake
35
Coyote eating cow
36
Indian Buffalo hunt
[painting]
37
The Summer Rendezvous
[engraving]
38
Stage at Lewistown
1895
39
Maiden, MT
40
Bull team, Maiden, MT
1884
41
Robbers Roost
42
Indian Pictographs near Armstead, MT
6/16
Negatives: 20, 21, 22, 28, 33, 39