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Samuel Thomas Hauser papers, 1864-1914

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Hauser, Samuel Thomas, 1833-1914
Title
Samuel Thomas Hauser papers
Dates
1864-1914 (inclusive)
Quantity
22 linear feet of shelf space.
Collection Number
MC 37
Summary
Samuel T. Hauser (1833-1914) was a Helena, Montana, Territory, pioneer, territorial governor (1885-1886), and entrepreneur in the fields of banking, mining, smelting, ranching, railroads, irrigation, and hydro-electric power. More than fifty percent of the collection is incoming correspondence (1864-1914). There are also outgoing correspondence, financial records, legal documents, organizational records, and reports. Included are thirty-eight subgroups of the Hauser family and Hauser's business enterprises.
Repository
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov
Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Biographical Note

Samuel T. Hauser was born at Falmouth, Kentucky, January 10, 1833, son of Samuel T. Hauser, a prominent lawyer and legislator and his wife Mary Anne Kennett. Young Hauser spent his early life and was educated in the Falmouth area. His academic and practical education completed, he migrated to St. Louis, Missouri in 1854, where several of his mother's relatives were successful businessmen. Hauser began his career as a civil engineer, participating in the construction of several branch railroads in the Missouri area. The outbreak of the Civil War, with its attendant local strife and family controversy, persuaded him to try his luck in the recently discovered gold fields of the Salmon River area. In the spring of 1862, Hauser embarked on one of the first steamboats up the Missouri River. After his arrival at Ft. Benton, he and a party of miners began the cross-country trip to the placer mines. Hard traveling and discouraging reports about the Salmon River claims prevented Hauser's party from completing their journey. They instead followed the rush to the new strike at Bannack. The following year, James Stuart, Hauser and others set out on the now famous Yellowstone Expedition of 1863. While largely unsuccessful, particularly for Hauser (he was wounded by hostile Indians) it did result in the discovery of the fabulous Alder Gulch placers by some members who had failed to join the main party. Sam Hauser later returned to the Yellowstone River area, as a member of the Washburn-Doane Expedition of 1870, which was so influential in the creation of Yellowstone National Park. Hauser quickly established himself as one of the more dynamic and farseeing of Montana's pioneer citizens. In addition to his early interest in placer mining, he, Hezekiah Hosmer and N.P. Langford established one of the first banks at Virginia City, in 1864. This interest in banking later led him to participate in the founding and operation of banks in Helena, Butte, Missoula and Fort Benton. While mining and smelting, and banking were major interests of Hauser's throughout his career, he was also active in many other facets of Montana's economic life. As an officer, founder or major stockholder, Hauser was involved in townsite development, real estate, irrigation, cattle ranching, coal mining and coke roasting, branch railroads, and hydro-electric power. Hauser's mining interests alone caused him to form or participate in more than thirty mining and smelting companies which operated throughout western and central Montana and Northern Id.. These wide and varied business interests were instrumental in the development of the Territory and the young state. His activities drew great sums of eastern capital to Montana and set the pattern for the state's economic future. W.A. Clark, Marcus Daly, C.A. Broadwater and Hauser were the "Big Four" in Montana Territory's Democratic Party. Hauser served as Territorial Governor, 1885-1886, as an appointee of President Cleveland, and was a delegate several times to the Democratic National Convention. He played a large role in the "War of the Copper Kings," largely because of his interest in retaining the capitol for Helena, and because of W.A. Clark's support of Helena in its confrontation with Daly's Anaconda. The decline of silver and national economic panics of the late 19th and early 20th centuries brought Hauser close to ruin. He sought relief in a relatively new industry, the generation and marketing of hydro-electric power. In the latter years of his life, the greatest portion of his energies were spent in this enterprise. Just before his death, natural disaster and competition ended this attempt to recover his financial losses. Samuel T. Hauser's business affairs were closely allied with his family affairs. In 1871 he married Ellen Farrar Kennett who was divorced from James White Kennett, Hauser's second cousin. Ellen had three children Harry Percy Kennett, Samuel Hauser Kennett, and Anne Kennett from her first marriage. Both the Farrar's and the Kennett's were close business associates. Hauser's three sisters married Edward W. Knight, Henry H. Hill, and James Hervey Barbour respectively. Hauser's brothers-in-law and their children were closely involved in his business affairs. His step-daughter Anna married Otis R. Allen, manager of the Helena and Livingston Smelting and Reduction Company. Ellen Farrar Hauser died in 1906. Samuel Hauser died in Helena, Montana, November 10, 1914.

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Content Description

The materials in this collection reflect the entire range of Hauser's activities. It is especially strong in the business and political areas of his career. More than fifty percent of the material is incoming correspondence (1864- 1914). This series forms the basis of the collection (see name index to the correspondence which accompanies this inventory). Hauser's outgoing correspondence is also present, being most complete for the years, 1881-1911. Financial records, legal documents, organizational records and reports support the correspondence series. There are thirty-eight subgroups, including the Hauser estate and Hauser's wife, Ellen Farrar Hauser. The remainder of the subgroups are groups into categories of banking, mining, railroads, land and ranching, and hydro-electric power. Many of the subgroups relate closely to records in the A.M. Holter Papers (MC 80), Montana Power Predecessor Companies Records (MC 268) and others. Banking Subgroups include First National Bank, Fort Benton; First National Bank, Helena; S.T. Hauser and Company, Butte and Virginia City; and Missoula National Bank. Mining Subgroups include Alta Montana Company; Bourbon Mining Company; Helena and Frisco Mining Company/Frisco Consolidated Mining Company; Helena and Livingston Smelting and Reduction Company; Helena Mining and Reduction Company; Helena and Victor Mining Company; George H. Hill's mining interests; Hope Mining Company; Independence Gold Mining Company; Lee Mountain Group; Livingston Coke and Coal Company; Maginnis Mining Company; Meteor Mining Company; Missouri Petroleum and Mining Company; Original Mining Company; Parrot Silver and Copper Company; Rumley Mining Company; and St. Louis and Montana Mining Company. Railroad Subgroups include Helena, Boulder Valley and Butte Railroad Company; Helena and Jefferson County Railroad Company; and Montana, National Park and Ut. Railroad Company. Land, Real Estate, and Ranching Subgroups include Cascade Land Company; Pioneer Cattle Company; Rocky Fork Town and Electric Company; Spokane Ranch Company/Spokane Ranch and Water Company; and Sun River Canal Company. Hydroelectric Power Subgroups include Capital City Power Company; Helena Power Transmission Company; Helena Water and Electric Power Company; Missouri River Power Company; and United Missouri River Power Company.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Portions of this collection consist of typescript, originals owned by Coe Collection, Yale University, their permission required to publish. See inventory below for more information. Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.

Preferred Citation

Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Arranged by subgroup and series. Some material housed in oversize folder in archives map case. See inventory below for more information.

Location of Collection

2:4-1

Acquisition Information

Acquisition information available upon request

Separated Materials

Maps transferred to Library. See inventory below for more information.

Related Materials

See MF 148, MF 346D and SC 2529 for more Samual T. Hauser papers. Addition related collection notes listed throughout finding aid.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Personal Names

Geographical Names

Finding aid prepared by MHS staff
2004

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