Archives West Finding Aid
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Caroline McGill papers, 1909-1958
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- McGill, Caroline, 1879-1959
- Title
- Caroline McGill papers
- Dates
- 1909-1958 (inclusive)19091958
- Quantity
- 1.6 linear feet, (4 boxes)
- Collection Number
- 0945, Collection 945, MtBC, us (collection)
- Summary
- Caroline McGill was a Butte, Montana, physician and collector of historical memorabilia. Her papers consist of autobiographical materials, including a transcription of travel notes originally kept by McGill on the back of postcards during her 1909-1910 European tour, her reminiscences of Gallatin Canyon prior to her purchase of the 320 Ranch in 1936, and notes on the establishment of the Museum of the Rockies; an original manuscript history of Gallatin Canyon prepared by McGill from various interviews, letters, and research readings supplemented by an index prepared by Harriet Cushman and members of the Montana Institute for the Arts; subject files pertaining mostly to personalities associated with the history of Gallatin Canyon; tourist information brochures and pamphlets; general personal and research correspondence.
- Repository
-
Montana State University Library, Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections
Montana State University-Bozeman Library
Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT
59717-3320
Telephone: 4069944242
Fax: 4069942851
- Access Restrictions
-
This collection is open for research.
- Additional Reference Guides
- Languages
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Caroline McGill (1879-1959) was a Butte, Montana physician and collector of historical memorabilia. Born in Mansfield, Ohio on May 18, 1879, McGill moved to Lebanon, Missouri with her family at the age of five. She attended normal school at nearby Springfield and eventually Missouri State University at Columbia where she earned a doctorate in anatomy in 1908. In 1909 she left for Europe to study medicine. In 1911 McGill began her work at the Murray Hospital in Butte, Montana, but shortly thereafter left to earn her MD at Johns Hopkins University. She returned to Butte in 1913 and continued to practice medicine until her retirement in 1956. She purchased the 320 Ranch in Gallatin Canyon, near Bozeman, Montana, in 1936 and took a keen interest in the area's history. Collecting antiques complemented her research on Gallatin Canyon's past and she stored much of her growing collection of objects and memorabilia at the ranch as well as her apartment in Butte. She eventually moved the collection to the Montana State University campus where it formed the core of the Museum of the Rockies' collections. Caroline McGill died on February 4, 1959.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The papers in this collection consist of autobiographical materials, including a transcription of travel notes originally kept by McGill on the back of postcards during her 1909-1910 European tour, her reminiscences of Gallatin Canyon prior to her purchase of the 320 Ranch in 1936, and notes on the establishment of the Museum of the Rockies; an original manuscript history of Gallatin Canyon prepared by McGill from various interviews, letters, and research readings supplemented by an index prepared by Harriet Cushman and members of the Montana Institute for the Arts; subject files pertaining mostly to personalities associated with the history of Gallatin Canyon; tourist information brochures and pamphlets; general personal and research correspondence. Persons mentioned include: Andrew Levinski, Bert Stillman, Charles Franklin High, Cunningham and Behring, Dr. L.E. Safely, Henry Sapplington, Lew Bartholomew, Pete Karst, Plenty Coups, Ralph Oliver, Richard A. Harlow, Sam Wilson, Stanley Davis, Story Ranch, Thomas Michener, Vick Smith, Walter Cooper, and Zachariah Sales.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
[Creator Name], [Date of Creation], [Brief Description of Object], Folder [#], Box [#], [Collection Name], [Collection #], Montana State University (MSU) Library, Bozeman, MT
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Series 1 Autobiographical materials, 1909-1956
Series 2 Gallatin Canyon History manuscript
Series 3 Subject files
Series 4 Tourist ephemera collection, circa 1930-1950
Series 5 Correspondence, 1931-1958
Acquisition Information
Original and photocopied personal papers, literary manuscripts, and printed ephemera pertaining to Dr. Caroline McGill were added to Special Collections by: Mrs. James Goodrich of Gallatin Canyon in 1965 (accession number ACC-0025); Dr. Merrill G. Burlingame of Bozeman in 1971 and 1972 (accession numbers ACC-0945 and ACC-0990); estate of Harriet Cushman (accession number ACC-1245); Helen M. Johnson of Missoula in 1984 (accession number ACC-1403); Museum of the Rockies in 1973 and 1985 (accession numbers ACC-0945 and ACC-1418); Dorothy Vick of Bozeman in 1992; Marian Stephens of Bozeman in 1994 (accession number ACC-2296).
Processing Note
This collection was processed 2009 February 27
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series 1: Autobiographical materials, 1909-1956Return to Top
Spirit duplication transcription of European travel notes made by McGill while studying in Europe during 1909-1910, prepared by Helen Berg from the original notes kept on the back of postcards. An original handwritten reminiscence, and subsequent photocopies of typed transcriptions with corrections made by Merrill G. Burlingame, of McGill's experiences in Gallatin Canyon prior to her purchase of the 320 ranch in 1936; positive photocopy of typewritten reminiscence of McGill's experiences establishing the Museum of the Rockies.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | Notes and observations made while traveling in Europe |
|
| 1 | 2 | "Before the 320 Ranch," handwritten reminiscence |
|
| 1 | 3 | "Before the 320 Ranch," photocopy of typescript with corrections |
|
| 1 | 4 | "Before the 320 Ranch," first carbon of typescript with corrections |
|
| 1 | 5 | "Before the 320 Ranch," second carbon of typescript |
|
| 1 | 6 | Dr. McGill's Museum Notes |
Series 2: Gallatin Canyon History manuscriptReturn to Top
Original rough draft manuscript, consisting of sequentially numbered pages of handwritten, typescript, and carbon copy text, of a historical study of Gallatin Canyon, Montana, apparently started by McGill but never completed. The first four folders consist of an index, prepared by Harriet Cushman and members of the Montana Institute of the Arts History Group, which refers to the manuscript pagination.
| Container(s) | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | |
| 2 | 1 | Index, A-D |
| 2 | 2 | Index, E-K |
| 2 | 3 | Index, L-R |
| 2 | 4 | Index, S-Z |
| 2 | 5 | Manuscript, pages 1-29 |
| 2 | 6 | Manuscript, pages 30-59 |
| 2 | 7 | Manuscript, pages 60-97 |
| 2 | 8 | Manuscript, pages 98-130 |
| 2 | 9 | Manuscript, pages 131-161 |
| 2 | 10 | Manuscript, pages 162-197 |
| 2 | 11 | Manuscript, pages 198-227 |
| 2 | 12 | Manuscript, pages 228-249 |
| 2 | 13 | Manuscript, pages 250-272 |
| 2 | 14 | Manuscript, pages 273-293 |
| 2 | 15 | Manuscript, pages 294-313 |
| 2 | 16 | Manuscript, pages 314-328 |
| 2 | 17 | Manuscript, pages 329-373 |
| 2 | 18 | Manuscript, pages 374-414 and 418 |
Series 3: Subject FilesReturn to Top
Letters, interview notes, and miscellaneous research notations compiled by Caroline McGill during the course of her research for her intended history of Gallatin Canyon and other historical projects. Some of the material in the subject files duplicates the numbered pages from Series 2, but bear additional marginalia added by either McGill or Merrill G. Burlingame. The files have been alphabetically arranged.
| Container(s) | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | |
| 3 | 1 | Avant Courier extracts |
| 3 | 2 | Bart, Lewis |
| 3 | 3 | Benham, Earl |
| 3 | 4 | Benson, V.H. |
| 3 | 5 | Blanchard |
| 3 | 6 | Bohart, Seth F. |
| 3 | 7 | Butler, Julius |
| 3 | 8 | Comly, Samuel |
| 3 | 9 | Cooper, Walter; Cope, Kate |
| 3 | 10 | Crail, Franklin |
| 3 | 11 | Cunningham and Behring |
| 3 | 12 | Davis, Stanley |
| 3 | 13 | Dier, Alfred |
| 3 | 14 | Ewan, Joseph A. |
| 3 | 15 | Foster, John Rhodes |
| 3 | 16 | Gallatin Canyon Women's Club |
| 3 | 17 | Goodrich, Jim and Patty |
| 3 | 18 | Hapner, Leora |
| 3 | 19 | Holter, Anton M. |
| 3 | 20 | Johnson, David Angus |
| 3 | 21 | Karst, Pete |
| 3 | 22 | Kelly, Margaret Michener |
| 3 | 23 | Knox, Michael |
| 3 | 24 | Levinski, Andrew |
| 3 | 25 | Lincoln, Tom |
| 3 | 26 | Lythe, William |
| 3 | 27 | Map |
| 3 | 28 | Marble, Charles |
| 3 | 29 | Marshall, Frank Rumreill |
| 3 | 30 | McGill, Caroline (miscellaneous research notes) |
| 3 | 31 | Michener, Tom |
| 3 | 32 | Miles, Arthur W. |
| 3 | 33 | Miller, Ernest |
| 3 | 34 | Pierstorff, Lester Andrew; Plenty Coups |
| 3 | 35 | Roosevelt, Theodore |
| 3 | 36 | Safley |
| 3 | 37 | Sales, Zachariah |
| 3 | 38 | Schools |
| 3 | 39 | Smith, Vick |
| 3 | 40 | Stillman, Burt |
| 3 | 41 | Story, Nelson |
| 3 | 42 | Taylor, Clark |
| 3 | 43 | VerWolfe, Mrs. Ira |
| 3 | 44 | Vick, Dorothy Michener |
| 3 | 45 | Watkin, A. J. |
| 3 | 46 | Wilson, Samuel |
| 3 | 47 | Willson, Fred F. |
| 3 | 48 | Wonder, Mrs. Denny |
| 3 | 49 | Woods, Jack |
Series 4: Tourist Ephemera, circa 1930-1950Return to Top
Brochures, pamphlets, and other printed ephemera pertaining to the tourist trade in Gallatin County, Montana, the Northern Plains and Rocky Mountains. Dude ranch materials especially predominate.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 4 | 1 | Bozeman Victory Roundup |
1942 |
| 4 | 2 | Allen Ranch |
|
| 4 | 3 | Deep Canyon Ranch |
|
| 4 | 4 | Haggin y/p Ranch |
|
| 4 | 5 | Karst's Ranch |
|
| 4 | 6 | Montana Dude Ranches |
|
| 4 | 7 | Nine Quarter Circle Ranch |
|
| 4 | 8 | Ranch Vacations |
|
| 4 | 9 | Richel Lodge |
|
| 4 | 10 | Rising Sun Ranch |
|
| 4 | 11 | Vacation Western Dude Ranches |
|
| 4 | 12 | Western Vacation Lands |
|
| 4 | 13 | Gallatin County/Bozeman Map |
|
| 4 | 14 | Gallatin Gateway to YNP |
|
| 4 | 15 | Gallatin Horse Show and Sale |
|
| 4 | 16 | Guide to Hunting and Fishing |
|
| 4 | 17 | American Mountains |
|
| 4 | 18 | Beaverhead County/Dillon |
|
| 4 | 19 | Billings-map |
|
| 4 | 20 | Butte |
|
| 4 | 21 | Flathead Valley |
|
| 4 | 22 | Glacier National Park |
|
| 4 | 23 | GNP Wilderness Trail Trips |
|
| 4 | 24 | Helena-Where to go, what to see |
|
| 4 | 25 | Madison County |
|
| 4 | 26 | Maps-Yellowstone to Glacier, Between Canadian Prairies |
|
| 4 | 27 | Tourist brochures-general |
|
| 4 | 28 | Montana State University-Bozeman and vicinity |
|
| 4 | 29 | Parade Rest, West Yellowstone |
|
| 4 | 30 | Skalkaho Highway |
|
| 4 | 31 | Virginia City |
|
| 4 | 32 | Map-Canadian Pacific |
|
| 4 | 33 | Map-South Dakota |
|
| 4 | 34 | Utah guide |
|
| 4 | 35 | Sheridan, Wyoming |
|
| 4 | 36 | "We Love our Montana," by Alice Weiser |
Series 5: Correspondence, 1931-1958Return to Top
Miscellaneous correspondence, both personal and research related, received or created by Caroline McGill. Some of the letters are from people named in the subject files of Series 4, but the content pertains to a wide variety of personal and research related subjects. Alphabetically arranged by the name of the letter writer with McGill responses interfiled.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 4 | 37 | A-B |
|
| 4 | 38 | C-J |
|
| 4 | 39 | K-U |
|
| 4 | 40 | V (Vick, Dorothy) |
|
| 4 | 41 | W-Z |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Women physicians--Montana--Biographies
Personal Names
- McGill, Caroline, 1879-1959
Geographical Names
- Gallatin County (Mont.)--History
- Montana
Form or Genre Terms
- Biographies
- Biography
Kim Allen Scott, 2009; Updated by Jodi Allison-Bunnell
2024
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
