Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Bozeman Fire Department Records, 1880-2020
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Bozeman Fire Dept. (Bozeman, Mont.)
- Title
- Bozeman Fire Department Records
- Dates
- 1880-2020 (inclusive)18802020
- Quantity
-
7.4 linear feet
1 web archive - Collection Number
- 2151
- Summary
- The Bozeman Fire Department Records consist of department records, relief association materials, and union papers. These records include legal and organizational papers; minutes of the department meetings; records of membership, roll calls, dues, reports to the city, records of fires for most years from 1880 to 1961, fire prevention and fire training information, Fire School papers, copies of speeches, business and professional correspondence, materials on special equipment and issues, financial records, newspaper clippings, cards, brochures, invitations, programs and memorabilia of social events, membership records, reports, investment materials, constitution, and assorted International Association of Firefighters papers and communications.
- 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.
- Languages
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The Bozeman Fire Company was established in 1880, and four years later the Bozeman Fire Department was organized as a volunteer group with only 2 paid members. Men requesting membership in the department were voted on by a committee. After five years, an active member could become exempt from call and dues yet still participate in social events and discussion at meetings without voting privileges. For many years a social membership in the department existed, its members also voted on by committee. To raise funds for the department the first Fireman's Ball was held in 1884 and thereafter every year around Thanksgiving. The department had an annual stag banquet each January to review the year's events. The banquet was a significant social event for the men of Bozeman for many years. In 1911, the Montana State Legislature passed legislation to finance fire relief associations with allocated taxes. In response, the Bozeman Fire Department Relief Association was incorporated in 1912, replacing the department's relief committee. In 1939, after legislation on pensions and wages in the late 1930s was unsatisfactory, the Bozeman, Montana firemen joined the International Association of Firefighters Union as Local # 613. The first Fire Marshall (Chief) was A. P. Clark. W. G. Alexander succeeded him in 1889 and served until his retirement in 1925 after 41 years service in the department. Chief Alexander was instrumental in many of the advances in the department including a state-of-the-art centralized fire alarm system in 1910 and total motorization of the equipment by 1914. In 1890, the Fire Department moved into the new City Hall (Opera House) and remained until 1962. There were significant fires in Bozeman in Dec 1887, Dec 1922, 1936 (Nash-Finch building) and October 1961, all of which are documented in these records.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The records include legal and organizational papers; minutes of the department meetings; records of membership, roll calls, dues; reports to the city, the state and the membership; records of fires for most years from 1880 to 1961; fire prevention and fire training information; Fire School papers; copies of speeches; business and professional correspondence; materials on special equipment and issues (1910 fire alarm system, 1922 fire report, resuscitator case histories, W. G. Alexander's retirement, John McCrosson's delayed certificate of birth papers, and Ernest H. Schumacher's life insurance policy); financial records including secretary's and treasurer's cash ledgers, check registers, savings books, cancelled checks, special expenses, plus bills and receipts; scrapbook materials include: newspaper clippings, cards, brochures, invitations, programs and memorabilia of social events. The Relief Association materials include legal and organizational papers, minutes, membership records, reports, correspondence, financial records, and investment materials. The Union Local #613 materials include a copy of the constitution, minutes, membership, correspondence, financial records, and assorted International Association of Firefighters papers and communications. A web archive begins in 2020.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
A newspaper clipping scrapbook in series 1, subseries 4, is restricted due to fragility. An inventory of the newspaper clippings is provided.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Series 1: Departmental papers of the Bozeman Fire Department, 1880-1962
Sub-series 1: Operational reports and documents, 1880-1962
Sub-series 2: Correspondence, 1884-1950
Sub-series 3: Financial records, 1880-1962
Sub-series 4: Scrapbook, news clippings and other memorabilia, 1887-1947
Series 2: Bozeman Fire Department Relief Association papers, 1911-1959
Series 3: Bozeman Fire Department Union papers, 1939-1957
Series 4: Web Archive
Acquisition Information
The Bozeman Montana Fire Department Records were donated by the Museum of the Rockies August 13, 2001. The records had been donated to the museum by former Fire Chiefs Herbert Hoey (1973) and Billy Alexander (1982). One folder of items from 1884-1888 had been donated in 1985 and was integrated into the collection.
Processing Note
This collection was processed 2009 April 3
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
1: Departmental papers of the Bozeman Fire Department, 1880 - 1962Return to Top
The departmental papers have been divided into 4 sub-series: sub-series 1 contains the operational reports, documents, and literary papers related to the subjects of membership, fire prevention and protection, apparatus, histories, reports of fires, and topics of special interest. Sub-series 2 includes the business and departmental correspondence related to operations, individual issues, and appreciation. Sub-series 3 are the financial records of the department including ledgers, bank books, checks, registers, bills, receipts and related materials. Sub-series 4 holds scrapbook material and memorabilia of the department including a scrapbook, newspaper clippings, invitations, dance cards, tickets, brochures, and assorted ephemera.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
1: Operational reports and documents
The constitutions, bylaws, and amendments begin this series. Following are the department record books which in the early years included most pertinent daily records. Later these records split into several categories including: memberships, roll calls, secretary's minutes, treasurer's records, fire reports, and dues records. In 1918, the secretary and treasurer positions were combined. Also present are annual and monthly reports of the Fire Chief to the city and the members; reports of the secretaries, treasurers, and assorted committees; reports to the State Auditor and State Fire Marshall; roll call records; general papers and special topics. Topics featured are Red Cross, Civil Defense, specialized equipment, fire training and prevention, city ordinances and state laws, and maintenance records. Beginning records are arranged chronologically followed by special topics in alphabetical order.
|
1880 - 1962 | ||
Box | Folder | ||
1 | 1 | Constitution and by-laws (Bozeman Fire Company) |
1880 |
1 | 2 | Constitution, bylaws and amendments, (ledger includes member lists) |
1884, 1907 |
1 | 3 | Constitution and instruction for members booklets |
1884, 1903, 1906 |
1 | 4 | Histories of Bozeman Fire Department |
|
1 | 5 | Fire Department records book |
1884-1886 |
1 | 6 | Fire Department records book |
1887-1891 |
1 | 7 | Fire Department records book |
1891-1893 |
2 | 1 | Fire Department records book |
1894-1895 |
2 | 2 | Fire Department records book |
1900-1907 |
2 | 3 | Fire Department records book |
1907-1914 |
2 | 4 | Fire Department minutes |
1914-1944 |
2 | 5 | Fire Chief's Book - includes fire records and inventories |
1902-1912 |
3 | 1 | Chief's annual report to the city |
1884-1923 |
3 | 2 | Chief's annual report to the city |
1924-1938 |
3 | 3 | Chief's annual report to the city |
1941-1956 |
3 | 4 | Chief's monthly report to the city |
1942-1951 |
3 | 5 | Annual reports to the members |
1884-1922 |
3 | 6 | Secretary's and Treasurer's reports |
1885-1949 |
3 | 7 | Trustees and Finance committee reports |
1916-1923 |
3 | 8 | Annual building inspection reports |
1911-1924 |
3 | 9 | City Clerk's report to the State Auditor |
1911-1949 |
3 | 10 | Reports on fires to the State Fire Marshall |
1926-1936 |
3 | 11 | Banquet Committee reports |
1884-1949 |
4 | 1 | Reports of fires (loose), see also Fire Department records book |
1882-1885, 1884-1886, 1887-1891 |
4 | 2 | Reports of fires book |
1889 May 24 - 1910 September 17 |
4 | 3 | Reports of fires book |
1910 May 1 - 1912 December 31 |
4 | 4 | Reports of fires book |
1913 January 3 - 1915 April 24 |
4 | 5 | Reports of fires book |
1915 May 2 - 1917 March 31 |
4 | 6 | Reports of fires book |
1919 August 19 - 1922 April 28 |
4 | 7 | Reports of fires book |
1927 January 19 - 1928 November 1 |
4 | 8 | Reports of fires book |
1928 November 6 - 1930 May 23 |
5 | 1 | Reports of fires book |
1930 June 1 - 1932 December 9 |
5 | 2 | Reports of fires book |
1932 December 15 - 1934 December 24 |
5 | 3 | Reports of fires book |
1938 July 20 - 1939 December 27 |
5 | 4 | Reports of fires book |
1940 January 3 - 1941 August 8 |
5 | 5 | Reports of fires book |
1941 August 14 - 1943 February 28 |
5 | 6 | Reports of fires book |
1944 July 6 - 1945 September 26 |
5 | 7 | Reports of fires book |
1945 September 26 - 1946 August 22 |
5 | 8 | Reports of fires book |
1946 August 22 - 1947 October 13 |
6 | 1 | Reports of fires book |
1947 October 14 - 1948 September 24 |
6 | 2 | Reports of fires book |
1948 September 25 - 1949 July 31 |
6 | 3 | Reports of fires book |
1949 August 2 - 1950 June 29 |
6 | 4 | Reports of fires book |
1959 January 2 - 1959 December 26 |
6 | 5 | Reports of fires book |
1960 January 3 - 1960 December 29 |
6 | 6 | Reports of fires book |
1961 January 5 - 1961 October 31 |
6 | 7 | Reports of fires book |
1961 November 4 - 1961 December 30 |
6 | 8 | Report of fires notepads |
1943 March - 1948 June |
6 | 9 | Report of fires notepads |
1955 January - 1956 June |
6 | 10 | Report of fire (single sheet) (fatality; John Robinson) |
1922 December 15 |
Volume | |||
1 | Master Fire Record Book (oversized) |
1943 July 1 - 1961 October 16 | |
Box | Folder | ||
7 | 1 | Membership lists - includes active exempt social and deceased |
1889-1935 |
7 | 2 | Proposals for membership |
1882-1889 |
7 | 3 | Applications for membership |
1913-1949 |
7 | 4 | Applications for social membership |
1915-1920 |
7 | 5 | Resignations from department |
1884-1889 |
7 | 6 | Roll call book |
1900-1906 |
7 | 7 | Roll call ledger - includes active exempt and social lists; financial records |
1907-1913 |
7 | 8 | Roll call ledger - includes active exempt and social lists |
1913-1951 |
7 | 9 | Bozeman business and residential addresses, maps of fire districts |
|
7 | 10 | Bozeman City ordinances |
1902-1935 |
7 | 11 | Civil Defense |
1940-1942 |
8 | 1 | Equipment inventories; first aid cabinet |
1885-1917, 1937 |
8 | 2 | Fire Alarm system (1910) with list of apparatus and cost |
|
8 | 3 | Fire Prevention |
1928-1941 |
8 | 4 | Fire prevention talks presented by Fire Chief |
1911 |
8 | 5 | Fire School |
1930 |
8 | 6 | Fire School |
1931 |
8 | 7 | Fire School |
1932 |
8 | 8 | Fire School |
1933 |
8 | 9 | Fire School |
1934 |
8 | 10 | Fire School materials |
circa 1930-1934 |
8 | 11 | Fire School materials |
circa 1938-1939 |
8 | 12 | Fire service training manual, chapter 1 |
|
8 | 13 | Fire service training manual, chapter 2 |
|
8 | 14 | Fire service training manual, chapter 3 |
|
8 | 15 | Fire service training manual, chapter 4 |
|
8 | 16 | Fire service training manual, chapter 5 |
|
8 | 17 | Fire service training manual, chapter 6 |
|
8 | 18 | Fire service Basic unit training course |
1950 |
9 | 1 | General papers |
1884-1949 |
9 | 2 | Red Cross |
circa 1940s |
9 | 3 | Resuscitator case histories and endorsements |
1940s |
9 | 4 | State Firemen's Tournament |
1891 |
9 | 5 | State Legislative Bills |
1935-1941 |
9 | 6 | Vehicle maintenance record book |
1927-1962 |
2Subseries 2: Correspondence
Business correspondence; general correspondence including thank you cards; Building Inspector notifications with attachments; letters and telegrams about legislation, wages and pensions; files related to individual personnel; and communications with fire associations are present.
|
1884-1950 | ||
Box | Folder | ||
10 | 1 | Building Inspector (Fire Chief) notifications with some legal attachments |
1921-1948 |
10 | 2 | Business Correspondence |
1884-1888 |
10 | 3 | Business Correspondence |
1924-1947 |
10 | 4 | General Correspondence |
1885-1949 |
10 | 5 | General correspondence (thank you cards) |
undated |
10 | 6 | Legislation, letters and telegrams |
1935-1941 |
10 | 7 | Montana State Firemen's Association |
1922-1949 |
10 | 8 | Pacific Coast Assn of Fire Chiefs; International Assn of Fire Chiefs |
1927-1950 |
10 | 9 | Pensions and retirement |
1920s-1949 |
10 | 10 | Personnel: W. G. Alexander, retirement - correspondence and personal history |
1925 |
10 | 11 | Personnel: John McCrosson, delayed certificate of birth papers |
1942-1946 |
10 | 12 | Personnel: Ernest H. Schumacher, life insurance policy |
1893-1934 |
10 | 13 | Wage increase petitions |
1905-1943 |
3Subseries 3: Financial records
Sub-series 3 begins with bonding papers. Treasurer's and Secretary's cash ledgers and account summaries follow. Certificate books for membership dues were used to issue a certificate of membership each time dues were paid at 50 per quarter. Savings books, check registers, cancelled checks, bills and receipts for both department and social events are present as well as assorted association dues receipts, expense records and tax exempt information.
|
1880-1962 | ||
Box | Folder | ||
11 | 1 | Surety bond papers |
1887; 1903; 1944 |
11 | 2 | Treasurer's cash ledger - general and relief funds |
1887-1892 |
11 | 3 | Treasurer's cash ledger - general, social funds |
1900-1905 |
11 | 4 | Secretary's cash ledger |
1900-1907 |
11 | 5 | Secretary's cash ledger - general, relief and social funds |
1908-1918 |
11 | 6 | Treasurer's cash ledger, summaries |
1896-1918 |
11 | 7 | Secretary-Treasurer's account ledger |
1918-1956 |
12 | 1 | Trustees cash ledger
(1925 expenses for BFD inserted)
|
1892-1910 |
12 | 2 | Expense ledger - includes salaries, supplies and equipment |
1925-1945 |
12 | 3 | Savings books |
1887-1888; 1918-1927; 1926-1936 |
12 | 4 | Check registers |
1887-1931 |
12 | 5 | Check registers |
1936-1948 |
12 | 6 | Cancelled checks |
1920-1931 |
12 | 7 | Cancelled checks |
1941-1954 |
12 | 8 | Bank statements, deposit slips, check stubs |
1958-1962 |
13 | 1 | Bills and receipts |
1880-1885 |
13 | 2 | Bills and receipts |
1888-1905 |
13 | 3 | Bills and receipts |
1923-1935 |
13 | 4 | Bills and receipts |
1936-1950 |
13 | 5 | Banquets and Balls - bills and receipts |
1884-1888 |
13 | 6 | Banquets and Balls - bills and receipts |
1931-1949 |
13 | 7 | Tax exemption papers for non-profit fund raisers |
1922-1942 |
13 | 8 | Certificates granted ledger |
1896-1900 |
13 | 9 | Certificate book with stubs |
1911-1913 |
13 | 10 | Certificate book with stubs |
1921-1946 |
13 | 11 | Certificate book with stubs |
1939-1950 |
13 | 12 | Certificate book for social membership, empty |
|
13 | 13 | Fire extinguisher expense record |
1951-1952 |
13 | 14 | Receipts: dues; Pacific Fire Chiefs Assn, National Fire Protection Assn |
|
Volume | |||
2 | Certificate register of dues paid, members (oversize) |
1896-1915 | |
4Subseries 4: Scrapbook, news clippings and other memorabilia
A scrapbook from the W.G. Alexander years; miscellaneous newspaper clippings; Fireman's Ball tickets and dance cards; Stag Banquet invitations, replies, programs, and invitation lists; assorted brochures and certificates comprise sub-series 4.
|
1887-1947 | ||
Box | Folder | ||
14 | 1 | Fireman's Ball: tickets and dance cards |
1892-1947 |
14 | 2 | Annual Stag Banquets- invitation lists, invitations and replies |
|
14 | 3 | Programs: Annual Stag Banquet |
1909-1918 scattered |
14 | 4 | Programs: Annual Stag Banquet |
1920-1937, scattered |
14 | 5-6 | Assorted brochures |
circa 1930s-1940s |
14 | 7 | Certificates for active membership, exempt status and social membership |
circa 1910 |
15 | 1 | Newspaper clippings |
1887-1944 |
15 | 2 | Inventory of articles identified from scrapbook: Bozeman, state, and national sources |
|
15 | 3 | Scrapbook of newspaper clippings |
1908-1931 |
15 | 4 | Miscellaneous ephemera |
2: Bozeman Fire Department Relief Association papers, 1911-1959Return to Top
The Relief Association papers include: incorporation, by-laws and amendments; minutes; membership applications; annual reports; correspondence; financial records including savings books, investments, bills and receipts, and cancelled checks. Check registers of pensions paid, group insurance proposals and legislative concerns are also present.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
16 | 1 | Relief Association Records Book - Incorporation, minutes, Chief's retirement and pension |
1912-1949 |
16 | 2 | Relief Association By-Laws and amendments |
1913; 1928 |
16 | 3 | City Council Resolution; minutes of first member meeting and first trustee meeting |
1911 October-1913 |
16 | 4 | Applications for membership |
1914-1943 |
16 | 5 | Annual report: To State Examiner, audits of Relief Fund |
1922-1949 |
16 | 6 | Annual report: To State Auditor, financial report of Relief Fund |
1929-1948 |
16 | 7 | Annual report to members |
1915-1940 |
16 | 8 | Group insurance proposal |
circa 1940s |
17 | 1 | Correspondence with State Auditor |
1911-1949 |
17 | 2 | Legislative papers with correspondence |
1918-1950 |
17 | 3 | Correspondence and billings, Justin Smith (association lawyer) |
1912-1933 |
17 | 4 | Miscellaneous correspondence |
1913-1948 |
17 | 5 | Certificate book with stubs |
1913-1954 |
17 | 6 | Duplicating receipt book |
1935-1959 |
17 | 7 | Relief Association cash ledger-warrants, disbursements, investments (includes member list and roll call) |
1913-1946 |
17 | 8 | Check registries |
1913-1937 |
17 | 9 | Check registries |
1937-1949 |
17 | 10 | Vouchers |
1913-1915 |
17 | 11 | Deposit slips |
1917-1950 |
17 | 12 | Dues stubs; Bank books; Savings books |
1913-1928; 1932-1939 |
18 | 1 | Cancelled checks |
1913-1935 |
18 | 2 | Cancelled checks |
1936-1943 |
18 | 3 | Cancelled checks |
1944-1950 |
18 | 4 | Bills and receipts |
1913-1947 |
18 | 5 | Investments |
1913-1950 |
3: Bozeman Fire Department Union papers, 1939-1957Return to Top
Union Local # 613 papers include the constitution, minutes, roll call records, correspondence, and financial records of the union. Also present are papers, reports, receipts, and assorted papers of the International Association of Firefighters.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
18 | 6 | Constitution |
1939 |
18 | 7 | Secretary's minutes |
1939-1957 |
18 | 8 | Roll call book |
1939-1952 |
18 | 9 | International Association of Firefighters: constitution and assorted papers |
|
18 | 10 | International Association of Firefighters: reports, receipts, cancelled checks |
1939-1950 |
18 | 11 | Correspondence |
1938-1955 |
18 | 12 | Treasurer's cash book |
1939-1957 |
18 | 13 | Dues book |
1939-1951 |
4: Web Archive, 2020Return to Top
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Fire departments-Montana-Bozeman
- Fire extinction-Montana-Bozeman
- Fire fighters-Labor unions-Montana-Bozeman
- Fires-Montana-Bozeman
- Labor unions-Montana-Bozeman
Corporate Names
- Bozeman Fire Dept. (Bozeman, Mont.)-Relief Association
- International Association of Fire Fighters
- International Association of Fire Fighters-Local 613 (Bozeman
Geographical Names
- Bozeman (Mont.)-Social life and customs