Jessie Perro Dombey Papers

Jessie Perro Dombey Papers, 1902-2000

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Dombey, Jessie Perro, 1907-2001
Title: Jessie Perro Dombey Papers
Dates: 1902-2000 (inclusive)
19022000
Quantity: 7.5 linear feet
Collection Number: Mss 899
Summary: The Jessie Perro Dombey Papers primarily consists of poetry, stories, historical articles and monographs written by Dombey, a Montana poet and author. Also included are correspondence, research notes, personal records, photographs, art, scrapbooks and memorabilia. The collection documents Dombey’s writing career and family history.
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

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Jessie Perro Dombey (1907-2001) was born in Glendive, Montana and was raised on a ranch nearby. As an adult Dombey worked as a mail carrier, a practical nurse, surgical technician, service station owner and personnel director for the Missoula Community Action Agency. During all of this Dombey found time to write and publish her poetry, stories and historical articles. In the 1940s Dombey created the Montana Poetry Quarterly which she published for eighteen years and eventually had over 500 subscribers from 22 countries. In the 1950s, Dombey published the first newspaper in Seeley Lake, Montana, The Seeley Lake Times. On October 15, 1950 Montana Poetry Day was established after Dombey successfully petitioned the Montana governor for its creation. In 1991, Dombey was inducted into the Montana Poetry Hall of Fame. Dombey’s poems have been published in three American Anthologies and several collections including the British Poetry Anthology. Dombey passed away in Missoula on May 15, 2001.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This collection contains the personal papers of Jessie Perro Dombey. The majority of the collection is comprised of materials related to Dombey’s poetry, short stories, historical articles, monograph length works, and art. These materials include drafts, research notes and published works. Among the published works are chapbooks that Dombey self-published and a partial run of the Montana Poetry Quarterly which Dombey created, edited, and published five times a year. The Montana Poetry Quarterly ran for eighteen years from the 1940s through the 1960s and ended with a subscription base of over 500 people in 22 countries. Also contained in this collection are Dombey’s personal correspondence, newspaper articles written about Dombey’s many accomplishments, photographs Dombey took to document her artwork, Dombey’s family photos, awards Dombey won for her art and poetry and scrapbooks documenting the history of Montana and Dombey’s achievements as a poet, artist and author. Notably, one scrapbook contains thank you letters from Montana Governors, United States presidents, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Copyright transferred to the University of Montana.

Preferred Citation

Jessie Perro Dombey Papers, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The Jessie Perro Dombey Papers consist of six series:

Series I: Works, 1918-2000, 3.5 linear feet

Subseries 1: Poetry, 1918-1996, 0.75 linear feet

Subseries 2: Articles, 1962-1997, 0.75 linear feet

Subseries 3: Monographs, 1987-2000, 1.0 linear feet

Subseries 4: Chapbooks, 1943-1970, 1.0 linear feet

Series II: Research Notes, 1902-1998, 0.5 linear feet

Series III: Personal Records, 1927-1998, 0.45 linear feet

Series IV: Photographs, 1939-1991, 0.05 linear feet

Series V: Scrapbooks, 1911-1991, 2.5 linear feet

Series VI: Memorabilia, 1986-1998, 0.5 linear feet

Acquisition Information

Gift of Jessie Perro Dombey, 2000, and Melanie J. Evans, 2024.

Processing Note

The materials of this collection arrived in binders and loose piles of papers. Some of the binders were organized according to category. The materials in binders which had a clear organization were kept together during processing. For preservation purposes the materials were removed from the binders, the binders were discarded and the materials were placed into folders by category. The loose papers were also arranged into folders by category. The folders were then organized into series and subseries according to the categories established by Dombey’s binders. In each series and subseries, folders were arranged alphabetically by title. Duplicate materials were removed and disposed of according to the Donor Agreement. In 2024, copies of "Sincerely Yours" a compilation of Dombey's poems, which were previously read on air at KGVO, and a complete version of Dombey's autobiography "Dawn to Dusk" were added to the collection.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series I: Works, 1918-1999Return to Top

3.5 linear feet

This series contains creative and scholarly works produced by Dombey. Within this series are four subseries: Poetry, Articles, Monographs and Chapbooks.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
	Subseries 1: Poetry 0.75 linear feet This subseries contains Dombey's drafts of individual poems, edited collections of poems and correspondence related to the publication of Dombey's poetry	1918-1996
Box/Folder
1/1-3	Garden of Gems	1960-1995
1/4	Letters to a WAC [Women's Army Corps] When Dombey's daughter Ione was in the Women's Army Corps (WAC), Dombey sent her daughter letters in poem form. This is the curated collection of those poems.	1995
1/5	Manuscript of "Beyond Tomorrow"	1954-1989
1/6	Marching Feet	undated
1/7	Old Handwritten Poetry	1939-1941 and undated
2/1-2	Poems Alphabetical by Title	1939-1996
2/3	"Sincerely Yours" Poetry read by Paul Harvey at KGVO	1989
2/4	Typewritten Poetry Ready to be Inserted into Biography	undated
2/5	Various Poetry	1918-1995
	Subseries 2: Articles 0.75 linear feet This subseries contains Dombey's complete and incomplete short stories and non-fiction articles. Many of Dombey's works were published in the Montana Journal.	1962-1999
Box/Folder
2/6	Articles Alphabetical by Title	1997
3/1	Miscellaneous	1962-1998
3/2-4	Montana Journal	1989-1997
3/5	More Montana Journals	1993-1999
4/1-2	Stories	1962-1997
	Subseries 3: Monographs 1.0 linear feet This subseries contains Dombey's drafts of fiction and non-fiction books written about her family's ranch, the first irrigation system of Western Dawson County (Montana), and Dombey's personal and family histories	1987-1999
Box/Folder
4/3	Autobiography Draft	undated
4/4	The Big Ditch	1987-1989
4/5	Beyond Tomorrow	undated
4/6	Dawn to Dusk	1999
5/1	Dawn to Dusk	1999
5/2-3	Notebook Made for Garnet's Miners Dinner and Dance	1986
5/4-5	Old Ranch 3	undated
5/6	Sky Valley	undated
6/1	The Taming of the Bar L 6 or You Can't Fence Heaven	undated
6/2	Unknown Monograph Draft	undated
6/3-4	The Original Manuscript of "The Way it Was"	undated
6/5	Second Revision of "The Way It Was"	undated
	Subseries 4: Chapbooks 0.75 linear feet This subseries contains Dombey's personal chapbooks, original artwork Dombey drew for her chapbooks and the Montana Poetry Quarterly Chapbooks. Dombey created, edited and published The Montana Poetry Quarterly which is a compilation of many different creators' works.	1918-1996
Box/Folder
6/6	A Chuckle … A Tear	1995
6/7	I Hold the Earth	undated
7/1-2	MT [Montana] Poetry Quarterly Chapbooks	1943-1970
7/3	Montana Tapestry	1960
7/4	Not Mine Alone	undated
7/5	Ramshackle Poems	undated
7/6	Silent Echoes	1943
7/7	Songs of Seeley	1951
8/1	Star Route	undated
8/2	Stars	undated
8/3	To Touch a Star, Draft	undated
8/4	Welcome to Garnet	undated
8/5	Original Art	undated
8/6	Copies of Art	undated

Series II: Research Notes, 1902-1998Return to Top

0.5 linear feet

This series contains materials gathered and notes taken about various subjects that Dombey later used when writing her monographs, chapbooks and articles.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
8/7	Big Ditch and XIT Ranch	1962-1989
8/8	Family History	1902-1992
8/9	Glendive, MT [Montana]	1990
8/10	Information on Old Ranch and Family History	1977-1998
8/11	Star Route	undated
8/12	Understanding the Law of Cycles	1986-1987
9/1	Western Dawson County First Irrigation System Legal Documents	1960-1990
9/2	Works in Progress	1943-1991
9/3	XIT Ranch	1962-1988

Series III: Personal Records, 1927-1998Return to Top

0.45 linear feet

This series contains Dombey's family correspondence, newspaper articles written about Dombey and a copy of Dombey's personal diary.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
9/4	Correspondence	1927-1998
9/5	Diary, copy	undated
9/6	International Amateur Who's Who	1947
9/7	Montana Poetry Hall of Fame	1991
9/8	Newspaper Articles about Dombey	1970-1991

Series IV: Photographs, 1939-1991Return to Top

2 folders

This series contains photographs Dombey took to document her artwork and Dombey's family photos.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
9/9	Snapshots of Paintings	1939-1991
9/10	Other Photographs	undated

Series V: Scrapbooks, 1911-1991Return to Top

2.5 linear feet

This series contains Scrapbooks created by Dombey and her family chronicling Montana history through newspaper clippings, autographs, and drawings as well as Dombey's work as a poet and artist.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box
OS 11	Scrapbook This scrapbook contains newspaper clippings, drawings and signatures with a focus on local Montana politics and banking as well as United States elections.	1911-1920
OS 12	Scrapbook This scrapbook was given to Jessie by her children in 1943. The children added to this scrapbook overtime documenting Dombey's work as a poet and writer. Notable is a letter from the Duke and Duchess of Windsor from the 1940s.	1939-1991

Series VI: Memorabilia, 1986-1998Return to Top

0.5 linear feet

This series contains awards Dombey won for her art at county fairs around Montana, Idaho and Washington as well as objects related to her entry into the Montana Poetry Hall of Fame in 1991.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
10/1-3	Awards Ribbons Dombey won for her art at various county fairs in Montana, Washington, Idaho.	1986-1997
10	Montana Poetry Hall of Fame 1991 T-Shirt	1991
10	Montana Poetry Hall of Fame 1991 Award	1991
10	A Celebration of Poets: Showcase Edition	1998

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