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Oscar Mueller Family papers, 1832-2017

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Mueller, Oscar O., 1877-1964
Title
Oscar Mueller Family papers
Dates
1832-2017 (inclusive)
Quantity
10.0 linear feet
1 oversize folder
11 volumes
2 oversize boxes
Collection Number
MC 442 (collection)
Summary
This collection consists of records collected and created by the Oscar Mueller family. The records document their professional and personal lives spanning from 1856 to 2017. Record types include correspondence, diaries, biographical articles, membership documents, obituaries, military documents, certificates, diplomas, transcripts, court papers, financial records, real estate contracts, and research files.
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
Access Restrictions

Collection open for research.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

Oscar Otto Mueller was born March 29, 1877 on a farm near Van Meter, Iowa. He was the son of George and Catherine (Schott) Mueller who both emigrated from Germany. He graduated from the Iowa State Normal School in 1903 and then filled the position as principal of schools at Stacyville, Iowa for two years. He graduated from the University of Iowa in June 1908 with a degree in law.

In September 1908, Oscar Mueller relocated to Lewistown, Montana where he filled the position of assistant county attorney in 1909 and 1910. Then, in 1917, he was appointed city attorney. He was elected mayor of the City of Lewistown and served one term from 1929 to 1931. Oscar was an active member of the Masons since 1903. He was also a long-time member of the Outlook Club, Rotary, and the Chamber of Commerce. On June 9, 1915 he married Josephine Cook of White Sulphur Springs, the daughter of the Montana Pioneer Charles W. Cook. They had three children, Charles, Glenn, and George. Charles died in infancy in 1917. In addition to his work as an attorney, Oscar was an active amateur historian. He was interested in Central Montana history and contributed many historical articles to local newspapers including the Great Falls Tribune. He also made many material contributions to the Montana Historical Society in Helena. In addition to his work as a historian, Oscar was an amateur archaeologist and paleontologist. He spent time collecting geological specimens for the U.S. Geological Survey and, in honor of his work, three new species were named for him.

Oscar studied Native American pictographs and artifacts found near the Judith River. He was responsible for the transfer of a Native American mummy to Montana State University as well as the publishing of sketches of prehistoric drawings in Central Montana. As a supporter of the Lewistown Public Library, he was a member of the trustees and served as chairman until his death. Oscar Mueller died January 3, 1964 at the age of 86.

Alice Josephine (Cook) Mueller was born on March 23, 1883 in Unity, Montana. Josephine was educated privately on her father's ranch in Unity and in the schools of White Sulphur Springs, Montana. Starting in 1902, she was a life-long member of Martha Chapter No. 11 O.E.S. and served as Worthy Matron from 1909 to 1910. Josephine was also a long-term member of the Julia Hancock Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Sons and Daughters of the Montana Pioneers, and the First United Presbyterian Church of Lewistown. While traveling between her desert claim near Ryegate and her home in White Sulphur Springs, she met Oscar Mueller in a boarding house in Lewistown. After a lengthy correspondence, they were married. Josephine Mueller died on September 3, 1976 at the age of 93.

George Donald Mueller was born on November 4, 1921 in Lewistown, Montana. He graduated from Lewistown High School in 1939 and attended an additional year of post-graduate work. In 1940, he went to Bozeman to attend Montana State College (Montana State University). World War II interrupted his education when he was drafted in 1943 after two deferments. George served mostly overseas in the European theater, reaching the rank of Private First Class. He was honorably discharged from his station in Frankfurt, Germany in February 1946. After the war, George Mueller returned to Montana State College and graduated in 1948 with a degree in applied science. He spent the summers of 1948 and 1949 working on Yogo Peak at the fire lookout station. In 1950, he started working for the U.S. Weather Service in Meachem, Oregon. George transferred to the weather station in Great Falls, Montana after six years of service in Oregon. He worked in Great Falls until retiring in 1976. He was a member of the Al Bedo Shrine Temple of Billings and the Central Montana Shrine Club. George was also a member of the Lewistown Rotary Club serving as the sergeant-at-arms for many years. Additionally, he was a president of the Outlook Club, a president of the Central Montana Historical Association, and a president of the Sons and Daughters of Montana Pioneers. Like his father, he actively researched and wrote about Montana history, publishing articles in the Lewistown News-Argus Christmas Editions and in Montana: The Magazine of Western History. He was engaged to Marjory Simonton who passed away August 20, 1966 before they could marry. George Mueller died on October 15, 2016 at the age of 94.

Glenn Herman Mueller was born on February 18, 1918 in Lewistown, Montana. In 1932, he graduated from Lewistown High School. He received his college education from the University of Montana in Missoula where he graduated with a B.S. in Forestry in 1940. During his summer breaks in college, he worked as a fire lookout. Glenn was a Junior Range Examiner for the U.S. Department of Agriculture until 1942, when he was drafted into the army. He was stationed in the European theater of World War II and traveled between England, North Africa, Italy, Germany, and France. He was honorably discharged in September of 1945. Glenn married Helen Weinmeister of Nashua, Montana on November 9, 1952. Glenn and Helen met in Malta, Montana in the early 1950s, while he was working for the Soil Conservation Service and she was the Home Economics teacher at Malta High School. In 1956, Glenn accepted a job as assistant ranger and the family moved to White Sulphur Springs, Montana. Less than a year later, Glenn became the district ranger for the Meyer's Creek District in the Beartooth Mountains. After five years, in 1962, they moved to Libby, Montana where he worked for the Forest Service Supervisor's office as the lands and recreation staffer for the Kootenai National Forest until retirement. After retiring, he served in the Montana State Legislature for two terms. Glenn Mueller died March 2, 2018 at the age of 100.

Charles Wheeler Cook, born 1838 in Unity, Maine to parents Daniel and Elizabeth Hussey Cook, arrived in Montana in September 1864. He was employed as a miner until 1869. Cook was one of the first stockmen of the state and a member of the Cook-Folsom-Peterson party of 1869 that made the first exploration of the Yellowstone Park region. In 1872, he located a ranch property on the east slope of the Big Belts, ten miles west of White Sulphur Springs. Before his retirement he had developed a large sheep ranch consisting of over 10,000 acres of deeded land and running at times over 10,000 sheep. Charles married Abigail Kennicott, born in 1849 and daughter of James and Abigail Wells Kennicott, in 1880. They had three children Mary Elizabeth (Maidie) 1881-1903, Alice Josephine 1883-1976, and Donald 1891-1960. Donald Cook attended Montana State College in Bozeman. He received his master's degree from New Mexico State College in Las Cruces and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Columbia University. He taught chemistry and was the Dean of Columbia's School of Tropical Medicine in San Juan, Puerto Rico. While in Las Cruces he met Ruth Bronson and the two married in 1919. Charles W. Cook died on January 30, 1927 at the age of 88.

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Content Description

This collection consists of records collected and created by the Oscar Mueller family. The records document their professional and personal lives spanning from 1856 to 2017. Oscar Mueller's papers span from 1864 to 1997 and mainly consist of his activities as a lawyer and an amateur historian. Series include biographical materials, correspondence, court papers, financial records, legal documents, subject files, and miscellany. Record types include professional correspondence, biographical articles, masonic membership documents, obituaries, certificates and diplomas, court transcripts, financial records of attorney fees, real estate contracts and deeds, and research material files. Josephine Mueller's papers span from 1890 to 1977 and mainly consist of her activities in community groups and organizations. Series include biographical materials, correspondence, diaries, legal documents, and miscellany. Record types include family correspondence, masonic membership documents, obituaries, and real estate documents. George Mueller's papers span from 1861 to 2013 and mainly consist of his correspondence and historical research activities. Series include biographical materials, correspondence, diaries, employment records, financial records, legal documents, membership records, organizational records, school records, subject files, miscellany, and clippings. Record types include certificates and diplomas, military records, employment applications and qualifications, stocks, educational transcripts, membership and organizational documents for masonic clubs and rotary, and historical research materials. Glenn and Helen Mueller's records span from 1910 to 2016 and mainly consist of biographical and historical materials. Series include biographical materials, correspondence, diaries, subject files, miscellany, and clippings. Record types include family correspondence, military records, and forestry materials. The Cook Family records span from 1856 to 2017 and mainly consist of genealogical records and family correspondence. Series include biographical materials, correspondence, diaries, legal documents, miscellany, and clippings. Record types include certificates, family letters, real estate documents, and newspaper clippings. Also included is the correspondence between George and Glenn to their parents during their military service in World War II.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

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]. Oscar Mueller Family papers. MC 442. [Box and Folder Numbers]. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

This collection is organized into the following sub-groups:

Oscar Mueller, 1864-1997

Josephine Mueller, 1890-1977

George Mueller, 1861-2013

Glenn and Helen Mueller, 1910-2016

Cook Family, 1856-1946

War Correspondence, 1942-1946

Each sub-group is organized into series based on material type and content. See also the oversize folder containing certificates and maps and the 11 volumes containing Oscar Mueller's financial records located separately from the core of the collection.

Location of Collection

101:3-1; 152:1-11 [Volumes]; 100:7-5 [Oversize Boxes]

Acquisition Information

Acquisition information available upon request.

Processing Note

Oversize folder items humidified and flattened.

Separated Materials

Photographs separated to Photo Archives (Cook-Mueller Family photograph collection, Lot 038), one map separated to Library map collection.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Cattle stealing--Montana
  • County attorneys--Montana
  • Cowboys--Montana
  • Deeds--Montana
  • Education--Montana
  • Forests and forestry--Montana
  • Geological surveys
  • Historical societies--Montana
  • Libraries--Montana
  • Local history
  • Meteorology--Montana
  • Museums--Montana.
  • Native American studies--Montana.
  • Nez Perce Indians--wars, 1877
  • Paleontologists
  • Ranches--Montana--Judith Basin County
  • Stagecoach stations--Montana
  • World War II

Personal Names

  • Cook, Charles W., 1839-1927
  • Cook, Donald H.
  • Mueller, George D.
  • Mueller, Glenn H.
  • Mueller, Josephine Cook, 1883-1976
  • Mueller, Oscar O., 1877-1964
  • Mueller, Sally

Geographical Names

  • Fergus County (Mont.)--History. (subjecty)
  • Lewistown (Mont). (subjecty)
  • Little Bighorn Battlefield (Mont.) (subjecty)
  • Meagher County (Mont.) (subjecty)
  • Missouri River (subjecty)
  • Montana--History (subjecty)
  • Montana--Politics and government (subjecty)
  • Yellowstone National Park (subjecty)
  • Yogo Mining District (Mont.)--History. (subjecty)

Finding aid encoded by Derek Corder.
2018

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

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