Montana Historical Society
Library & Archives
MF 425
Socialist Party
(Mont.)
Socialist Party of Montana records
1907-1950
1910-1918
2 reels of film
Records (1899-1950) of the Socialist Party of Montana include
general correspondence, primarily from the Bozeman and Missoula locals; subject files on
Butte socialist mayor Lewis Duncan, the National Finnish Socialist Organization, the
National Women's Committee of the Socialist Party, and the Party's relationship with the
Montana State Federation of Labor from 1929 to 1950; organizational records; reports; and
printed materials.
16:8-1
English
The Socialist Party of America was formed in 1901 by a merger of the Social Democratic
party of America and portions of the Socialist Labor Party. In 1903, socialists in Montana
elected the mayor, treasurer, police judge and three councilmen in the city of Anaconda.
With that impetus, the Socialist Party of Montana spread rapidly, predominantly in Butte and
other industrial towns, but also among farmers in many small communities. By 1912, there
were members of the party in sixty-seven Montana communities. In 1911, Butte elected a
Socialist city government, headed by Mayor Lewis Duncan. With the industrial turmoil in
Butte, and with the coming of World War I, the party declined rapidly after 1917.
This collection contains correspondence, subject files, financial records, organizational
records, and more. The bulk of the general correspondence relates to the locals, and most of
that material is from Bozeman and Missoula. The locals corresponded about organizing,
elections, and financial problems. The remainder of the correspondence concerns "organizers-
speakers," who traveled around the state, and the executive committee.
The subject files include material on Butte and Butte socialist Mayor, Lewis Duncan, the
National Finnish Socialist Organization, the National Women's Committee of the Socialist
Party, and the Party's relationship with the Montana State Federation of Labor (1929-1950).
The organizational records include minutes of the state party and Butte local; and national
party platforms, bulletins, and referenda. The reports are "organizers-speakers" reports on
meetings conducted around the state and the nation; and reports of the state parliamentary
committee. The printed material series includes miscellaneous copies of the Montana
Socialist, published in Missoula in 1946.
This collection is arranged into seven series: General Correspondence (1909-1918, undated);
Subject Files (1910-1914, 1940-1950, undated); Financial Records (1908, 1910, undated);
Organizational Records (1907-1934, undated); Reports (1910-1914); Miscellany (1907); and
Printed Materials (1924, 1929, 1946).
Collection open for research.
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical
Society Library & Archives. The Library & Archives 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.
Item description and date. Name of Collection. Collection Number. Box and folder number.
Montana Historical Society Library & Archives. Helena, Montana.
Acquisition information available upon request.
Processed in 2011.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Montana Historical Society
Library & Archives catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics,
persons, or places should search under these terms.
Socialism--Montana.
Montana--Politics and
government.
Montana
Detailed Description of the Collection
General Correspondence
1 / 1
Absarokee
1912
1 / 2
Basin, referendum
1910-1912
1 / 3
Beaverton (illegible)
undated
1 / 4
Billings
1910-1918
1 / 5
Bonner
1910
1 / 6
Bozeman
1910
1 / 7
Busteed
1912
1 / 8
Butte
1910
1 / 9
Butte (Finnish)
1910
1 / 10
Chico, charter only
undated
1 / 11
Chinook
1912
1 / 12
Columbia Falls, membership list only
undated
1 / 13
Columbus, membership list only
undated
1 / 14
Conrad
1911
1 / 15
Cut Bank
undated
1 / 16
Deer Lodge
1910
1 / 17
Dillon
1910
1 / 18
Ekalaka
1910-1912
1 / 19
Fairfield
1912
1 / 20
Forest Grove
1910
1 / 21
Fortine, membership list only
1910
1 / 22
Fromberg
1910
1 / 23
Great Falls
1910-1916
1 / 24
Hamilton
1910-1916
1 / 25
Harlowton
1912
1 / 26
Harrison (barely legible)
1911
1 / 27
Havre
1911
1 / 28
Helena
1910-1915
1 / 29
Helena (Finnish), membership list and
letter
1911
1 / 30
Heron
1914-1916
1 / 31
Highwood
1916-1917
1 / 32
Hoffman, membership list only
undated
1 / 33
Inverness
1910-1916
1 / 34
Kendall
1911
1 / 35
Lake Como
1910
1 / 36
Laurel
1910
1 / 37
Lavina
1910
1 / 38
Lewistown
1911
1 / 39
Libby, membership list and letters
1910
1 / 40
Manhattan, membership list and letters
1910-1911
1 / 41
Martinsdale
1909-1910
1 / 42
Miles City
1910-1911
1 / 43
Missoula
1910-1912
1 / 44
Monarch, membership list only
1910
1 / 45
Mondak, membership list and letters
1910-1911
1 / 46
Moore
1911
1 / 47
Norris
1911
1 / 48
Orville
1912
1 / 49
Ovando
1910-1912
1 / 50
Philipsburg
1910
1 / 51
Plentywood
1910
1 / 52
Polson
1910
1 / 53
Radersburg
1910
1 / 54
Red Lodge
1910-1915
1 / 55
Rollins
1911-1912
1 / 56
Roundup (barely legible)
1911
1 / 57
St. Regis
1910
1 / 58
Salesville
1910-1911
1 / 59
Stark
1911
1 / 60
Sweetgrass
1911
1 / 61
Toston
1910-1911
1 / 62
Troy
1910
1 / 63
Twin Bridges
1912
1 / 64
Washoe, membership list only
1911
1 / 65
Whitehall
1910
1 / 66
Wickes
undated
1 / 67
Zortman, membership list and letter
1910-1911
1 / 68
Members at large
1912
1 / 69
Executive Committee
1910-1911
1 / 70
State organizers / speakers (J. Frank
Mable)
1910-1912
1 / 71
State organizers / speakers (Albert F.
Meissner)
1912
1 / 71
State organizers / speakers (William
Raoul)
1911-1912
1 / 73-75
State Secretary (Louis Duncan)
1910-1912
1 / 76
State Secretary (re routing speakers)
1910-1912
2 / 77
National campaign investigating committee
1911-1912
2 / 78
Organizers / speakers (includes W. G.
Henry)
1910
Subject Files
2 / 79
Butte Mine Workers' Union: membership and dues
rolls
1914
2 / 80
Butte Socialist Publishing Company
1911-1913
2 / 81
Butte Workingmen’s Union membership list
1910
2 / 82
Lewis J. Duncan, Mayor of Butte, congratulatory
letters
1911
2 / 83
Lewis J. Duncan, Mayor of Butte,
miscellaneous
1911-1914
2 / 84
James D. Graham – Ida Crouch Hazlett controversies (re
Montana News)
1910-1912
2 / 85
James D. Graham, State Secretary of Montana Socialist
Party and President of Montana State Federation of Labor
1940-1950
2 / 86
National Finnish Socialist Organization
1910-1911
2 / 87
National Women’s Committee of the Socialist Party
1910-1912
2 / 88
Clippings (re socialism)
undated
Financial Records
2 / 89
Butte local #1, miscellaneous
1908
2 / 90
State party, cancelled checks
1910
2 / 91
State party, financial statements and reports
undated
2 / 92
State party, receipts
1910
2 / 93
National party, financial reports
1910
Organizational Records
2 / 94
Constitution of Socialist Party of Colorado
undated
2 / 95
Constitution of Socialist Party of Butte local (barely
legible)
1913
2 / 96
Constitutions of Socialist Party of Montana
1908-1914
2 / 97
Minutes of Butte local (barely legible)
1907-1909
2 / 98
Butte local petition to Executive Committee
1913
2 / 99
Local referendum vote for State Secretary
undated
2 / 100
Montana Socialist Party convention minutes, includes
report of Executive Committee (portions barely legible)
1910
2 / 101
Montana Socialist Party Executive Committee minutes
1910-1911
2 / 102
Montana Socialist Party referendums
1910
2 / 103
National party weekly bulletins
1910
2 / 104
Socialist Party platforms
1910-1934
Reports
2 / 105
Local branches tabulated reports
1910-1911
2 / 106
Montana Socialist Party organizers: speakers reports
(Lewis Duncan, J. Frank Mable, Albert F. Meissner, William Raoul)
1912
2 / 107
State Parliamentary Committee reports
1914
2 / 108
National party organizers: speakers'
reports
1913
Miscellany
2 / 109
Miscellaneous bills and laws
1907
Printed Materials
2 / 110
Labor and Socialist Press News
1929
2 / 111
Montana General Election returns (not filmed)
1924
2 / 112
Montana Socialist (Missoula) scattered issues
1946