Willard Harris was an elderly resident of Manhattan, Montana who told his stories of Manhattan, its industries and assorted notable people (especially in the early 1900s) to Milo Grue on July 29, 1962. Mr. Harris does not mention his age except to say he came to Manhattan in 1895 and went to work at that time. Milo Grue was writing a history paper "The Manhattan Story" at Montana State University and recorded this question and answer session, although the location of Grue's resulting paper is unknown.
This collection includes a reel of audio taped oral history and a typed copy of the transcription of the tape. Subjects: Manhattan, Logan, the Holland Settlement and other nearby communities; companies and industries including the Manhattan Malting Company and malt plant, the Montana Pulp and Paper Company and pulp mill, flour mills, cement plant and Ideal Cement; the earthquake of 1925; the Gallatin Female Seminary; the water supply; and prominent community leaders and businessmen that include George Sinton, Walter Cooper, Henry Heeb, and E. W. King. Numerous anecdotes of the life and personalities in the early years around Manhattan are scattered throughout. Audio compact disc renderings of the audiotape are available for research use.
This collection is open for research.
An audio tape of oral history and typed copy transcription were donated to the Montana State University Library by Dr. Merrill G. Burlingame in 1967.
This collection was processed 2009 February 10