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Sterling Family papers, 1896-1972

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Sterling Family
Title
Sterling Family papers
Dates
1896-1972 (inclusive)
Quantity
40.3 linear feet
Collection Number
Mss 029
Summary
The A.M. Sterling Company was a general merchandise firm in Ronan, Montana. This collection contains A. M. Sterling Company correspondence, financial, legal, promotional, and photographic records as well as a small sequence of documents collected by A.M. Sterling's son Robert T. Sterling through his involvement with Ronan, Montana, civic and religious organizations.
Repository
University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections
Archives and Special Collections
Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
University of Montana
32 Campus Dr. #9936
59812-9936
Missoula, MT
Telephone: 406-243-2053
library.archives@umontana.edu
Access Restrictions

Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and the University of Montana--Missoula.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for creating this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historic Publications and Records Commission. 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

Addison McLean Sterling was born in Frederickton, New Brunswick, in 1869. He attended Frederickton schools and in 1883, at the age of fourteen, began working in a general store at Block Island, Rhode Island. He was there two years, then worked at the grocery house of Cobb, Bates and Yerxa in Boston, Massachusetts.

Sterling came to Missoula, Montana in 1886, and worked at the Missoula Mercantile Company until 1899. In 1900, he joined the Montana Hardware Company in Butte, Montana, but then went to Nome, Alaska, to prospect for gold. He returned to Montana in 1903 and became undersheriff of Missoula County.

In May 1905, he purchased the Jesse R. Sear general store, hotel, and livery stable in Ronan, Montana, on the Flathead Indian Reservation. The A.M. Sterling Company supplied the full variety of goods needed by residents of the area. A.M. Sterling married Bessie J. Farrell in Missoula in 1905. They had three children: Margaret, George T., and Robert T. In 1939, Mr. Sterling suffered a stroke, and the business was managed by his son, Robert, until 1961. Another son, George, operated the store until it was closed and sold in 1970. A.M. Sterling passed away on September 22, 1949. George died in 1982.

A.M. Sterling's younger son, Robert Thorne Sterling, was active in a number of Ronan organizations, including the Laverne Parrish Memorial Athletic Association, the Ronan Chamber of Commerce, the Ronan Lions Club, and Sacred Heart Parish. He passed away on March 10, 2006.

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Content Description

This collection contains A. M. Sterling Company correspondence, financial, legal, promotional, and photographic records as well as a small sequence of documents Robert T. Sterling collected through his involvement with Ronan, Montana, civic and religious organizations. The materials in this collection provide insights regarding general merchandising operations in rural Montana, the extent to which family enterprises tended to dominate local markets, and Ronan's community history.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Copyright transferred to the University of Montana.

Preferred Citation

[Name of document or photograph number], Sterling Family Papers, Archives and Special Collections, The University of Montana—Missoula.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is divided into two subgroups, then into nine series:

Subgroup 1: A.M. Sterling Company (Ronan, Montana), 40.3 linear feet, 1896-1972

Series I: Correspondence, 32.4 linear feet, 1904-1971

Series II: Financial Records, 7.0 linear feet, 1903-1972

Series III: Legal Records, 0.4 linear feet, 1896-1964

Series IV: Promotions and Memorabilia, 0.1 linear feet, circa 1933

Series V: Photographs, 0.1 linear feet, 1905-1937

Subgroup 2: Robert T. Sterling, 0.3 linear feet, 1951-1960

Series VI: Laverne Parrish Memorial Athletic Association (Ronan, Montana), 2 folders, 1955-1960

Series VII: Ronan Chamber of Commerce, 2 folders, 1951-1957

Series VIII: Ronan Lions Club, 2 folders, 1952-1958

Series IX: Sacred Heart Parish (Ronan, Montana), 1 folder, 1959

Acquisition Information

Gifts of George Sterling in 1969 and R.A. Sterling in 2013.

Processing Note

The collection was originally processed in 1969 as LC 29. Some printed materials were separated at that time, but the original order seems to have been largely preserved. In 2004, the collection was re-described. Volumes 1 and 2 were removed from box 67 and placed with other volumes: thus there is no 67 in the collection. An addition of A.M. Sterling Company financial and legal records was added to the collection in 2015.

Location of Originals

Photographic images in this collection are on copy negatives. Original photographs were returned to George Sterling in 1970.

Separated Materials

During original processing, the following materials were removed and placed in the Montana Collection:

Constitution, By Laws, Order of Business and Rules of Order of the Jardine Miners' Union No. 139 (Organized October 31, 1901)

Constitution and By Laws of the Western Federation of Miners(Mining Department, I.W.W., 1906)

Constitution and By Laws of the Western Federation of Miners, 1902

Constitution and By Laws of Beaverhead Lodge, No. 32, International Order Of Foresters., Twin Bridges, Montana, 1899.

Constitution, By Laws and Rules of order, Cooke Miners' and Smeltermen's Union No. 165 of World Federation of Mining., 1907.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Athletics--Montana -- Ronan
  • Boards of trade--Montana --Ronan
  • Community life--Montana --Ronan
  • Friendly societies -- Montana--Ronan
  • General stores--Montana --Ronan

Corporate Names

  • Catholic Church--Montana--Ronan
  • Laverne Parrish Memorial Athletic Association (Ronan, Mont.)
  • Ronan Chamber of Commerce (Ronan, Mont.)
  • Ronan Lions Club (Ronan, Mont.)
  • Sacred Heart Parish (Ronan, Mont.)

Geographical Names

  • Flathead Indian Reservation (Mont.)
  • Ronan (Mont.)--Religious life and customs
  • Ronan (Mont.)--Social life and customs

Form or Genre Terms

  • Business records -- Montana--Ronan

Occupations

  • Businessmen--Montana --Ronan
  • Civic leaders--Montana --Ronan

Other Creators

  • Personal Names

    • Sterling, Robert T.

Finding aid prepared by Jodi Allison-Bunnell and Jack Rowan
2004

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

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