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Oscar A. Baarson papers, 1916-1958

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Baarson, Oscar A., 1889-1971
Title
Oscar A. Baarson papers
Dates
1916-1958 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.5 linear feet of shelf space
Collection Number
MC 238 (collection)
Summary
Oscar Baarson was assistant superintendent of the Anaconda Company's East Helena, Montana, plant; Helena City Engineer; district manager for the U.S. War Production Board during World War II, engineer for the State Examiners Office and Lewis and Clark County surveyor. This collection consists of Oscar Baarson's files (1925-1950) concerning his work with the Anaconda Company, the City of Helena, and the State Examiners Office; and a small group of personal papers relating to Baarson's family, private engineering business, and Masonic activities.
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
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

Oscar A. Baarson was born in Madison, South Dakota, on November 16, 1889, the son of Bars Christian Baarson. He served for a time as assistant to the North Dakota State Geologist doing field surveys, and worked for the Homestake Gold Mining Company in Lead, South Dakota. In 1917 he graduated from the University of North Dakota School of Mines, and then went to work for the Cerro de Pasco Mining Company in Peru, and the following year for the Anaconda Copper Mining Company's Chuquicamata Mine in Chile. In 1922 Baarson began teaching high school science in Idaho. He then took graduate work at the University of Washington. After completing his graduate work he returned to Idaho as a teacher at Burley and then as superintendent of schools in Roberts. In 1928 Baarson moved to Great Falls, Montana, to work for the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, first at their Great Falls Refinery and then as assistant superintendent of the East Helena Slag Treatment Plant. From 1931 to 1933 he worked as a private mining engineer, and then in 1933 as a bridge inspector for the State Highway Commission. In 1935 he was hired as Helena City Engineer. One of his first tasks as city engineer was surveying earthquake damage from the 1935 Helena earthquakes. He worked for the city until the start of World War II, when he was hired as district manager for the U.S. War Production Board. After the war he resumed his private mine engineering business, until 1953 when he became Assistant State Engineer for the State Board of Examiners. In this position he evaluated the engineering plans for state buildings. During the 1960s Baarson served as deputy appraiser in the Lewis and Clark County Assessor's Office, and then as County Surveyor. Oscar Baarson was married to Camilla Walton and had five children: Robert, William, Barbara, Mary, and Beverly. He was active in the Episcopal Church, the Eagles Lodge, and the Morning Star Lodge of the Masons. Oscar Baarson died November 29, 1971 in Helena.

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Content Description

This collection consists primarily of papers reflecting Oscar Baarson's work as a mining and civil engineer. Included are records (1928-1929) from his work for the Anaconda Copper Mining Company's East Helena Slag Treatment Plant; records (1933) from his work on the Sun River Bridge for the State Highway Commission; records (1935-1941) on his work as Helena City Engineer, including files on the Helena earthquakes of 1935, water system improvements, and street resurfacing; records (1949-1954) of his work checking construction plans for Montana state government buildings, including a renovation of the Montana State Capitol Building; and records (1955-1958) of his mine surveying work on the Valley View Group of mines near Townsend for Geominerals Corporation. There is also a small amount of family correspondence, and files concerning his teaching career in Idaho; the Masonic order; his work at Chuquicamata, Chile; and private surveying work. [Records of his work for the U.S. War Production Board are included in Manuscript Collection 239. Printed materials, photographs, and maps have been transferred to the Library, Photograph Archives, and Library Map Collection respectively.]

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

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Arrangement by subgroup and series. Some material housed in Archvies Map Case. See inventory below for more information.

Location of Collection

12:6-7

Acquisition Information

Acquisition information available upon request

Related Materials

Baarson's War Production Board materials are contained in Manuscript Collection 239.

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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

  • Bridges--Design and construction
  • Bridges--Montana
  • Capitols--Montana
  • Earthquakes--Montana--Helena
  • Freemasons. Grand Lodge Of Montana
  • Municipal water supply--Montana--Helena
  • School buildings--Design and construction--Montana
  • Smelters--Montana--East Helena
  • Surveyors--Montana
  • Teachers--Montana
  • Water quality--Montana

Personal Names

  • Baarson, Oscar A., 1889-1971 (creator)

Geographical Names

  • Broadwater County (Mont.)
  • Chuquicamata Mine (Chile)
  • East Helena (Mont.)
  • Helena (Mont.)--Earthquake, 1935
  • Helena (Mont.). City Engineer
  • Valley View Mines (Broadwater County, Mont.)
  • Veterans and Pioneers Memorial Building (Helena, Mont.)

Finding aid prepared by MHS staff
2004

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

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