Montana Historical Society, Research Center Archives
Archives
225 N. Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT 59620-1201
(406) 444-2681
mhslibrary@mt.gov
MC
198
Wheeler, Burton K. (Burton Kendall),
1882-1975.
Burton Kendall Wheeler
papers
1909-1916
2 linear feet of shelf
space
Burton K. Wheeler (1882-1975) was a
Butte, Montana, attorney and later U. S. Senator. Papers include general
correspondence (1909-1912); three letterpress books of outgoing correspondence
(1911-1914) concerning his legal work and his involvement in the Montana
Democratic Party; a case file for Mrs. Ed Newman vs. Nat Simons concerning the
Consolidated Gold and Sapphire Mining Company; and minor records for the
Boulder Creek Mining Company, the Tripp and Dragstedt Company; the Treasure
State Mineral Company, and the Harrison Mutual Benefit Association.
MC 198
English
Biographical Note:
Burton Kendall Wheeler was born in Hudson, Massachusetts, on February
27, 1882, a son of Asa L. and Mary Elizabeth Tyler Wheeler. Wheeler graduated
from the Hudson High School in 1900, and worked in Boston. He received his law
degree from the University of Michigan in 1905. Shortly thereafter he moved to
Butte, Montana, and began practice there on January 15, 1906, in offices in the
Pittsburg Block. Wheeler became active in the Democratic Party and was elected
to the Montana House of Representatives during the Twelfth Legislative Assembly
in 1911. He was a candidate for Montana attorney general in the Democrats' 1912
convention in Great Falls, but was defeated by Daniel M. Kelley. Wheeler was an
advocate of the direct primary election of party candidates and other
progressive policies. President Woodrow Wilson chose Wheeler for United States
attorney for the District of Montana on October 30, 1913. During World War I,
Wheeler was the official representative of the U.S. Department of Justice in
the state.
In 1920 Wheeler ran unsuccessfully against Joseph M. Dixon for
governor. In 1922, however, he was elected to the United States Senate, an
office he held until his defeat by Leif Erickson in the 1946 primary.
Wheeler married Lulu M. White, daughter of John and Elizabeth White,
in Albany, Illinois, on September 7, 1907. The Wheelers had six children: John
Leonard, Elizabeth Hale, Edward Kendall, Francis L., Richard and Marion M. Burton K.
Wheeler died at the age of 93 in 1975.
This collection consists of Burton K. Wheeler's papers as a Butte
attorney, as well as his activities for the Democratic Party. The papers
include general correspondence (1909-1912), arranged alphabetically, the vast
majority of which is incoming correspondence dealing with routine business
matters such as debt collection. Political correspondents include Dr. Daniel J.
Donahue of Glendive; Virginia City attorneys M.M. Duncan and S.V. Stewart; W.B.
George of Billings; Victor banker H.C. Groff; Bozeman attorney Charles S.
Hartman; Great Falls realtor Joseph Kirschwing; Lewiston attorney E. M.
Mettler; W.E. McMurry of Hamilton; Missoula attorneys Daniel L. O'Hearn and
Frank H. Woody; Lewistown publisher Tom Stout; Fred Whiteside of Kalispell; and
U.S. senators Henry L. Myers and James A. Walsh.
There are three letterpress books of outgoing correspondence
(1911-1914). Also included are case files (1902-1913); court records
(1912-1917); and financial records (1901-1917), including registers documenting
his efforts to collect debts for his clients. Miscellany includes stock
certificates (1909) for Boulder Creek Mining Company, Butte, of which Wheeler
was secretary; articles of incorporation, minutes, and other records
(1905-1916) of Butte mercantile business Tripp and Dragstedt Company; a
checkbook and register (1914) of the Treasure State Mineral Co. of Butte; the
organizational record book (1904-1906) of the Harrison Mutual Benefit
Association of Butte; etc.
by series
Collection is open for research.
The Montana Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the
Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication,
and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library
before any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to
all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may
require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box
and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives,
Helena, Montana.
Acquisition information available upon request
Burton K. Wheeler Papers (MC 34) Montana Historical Society Research
Center Archives
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Montana
Historical Society Archives catalog. Researchers desiring materials about
related topics, persons, or places should search under these terms.
Gold mines
and mining--Montana
Insurance
companies--Montana--Butte
Mines and
mineral resources--Montana--Silver Bow County
Sapphire
mines and mining--Montana--Deer Lodge County
Trials--Montana
Butte
(Mont.)--Commerce
Butte
(Mont.)--Industries--Mines and mining
Lawyers--Montana --Butte
Montana
Mines
and Mineral Resources
Civil
Procedure and Courts
Detailed Description of the Collection
Incoming Correspondence
1 / 1
A (correspondents include
Adjustment Corporation, George W. Allen, American Ladies Tailoring Company, Joe
Asbridge, Attorneys Mercantile Agency Company, M.R. Ayers)
1910-1912
1 / 2
B (correspondents include
Baggott and Baggott, Collections; Oscar T. Barber; Emma Barnard; A.G. Beford,
Jeweler; Bender-Moss Company; James Bergman, Diamonds; Berry Detective and
Commercial Agency; Binnard and Rodger; Blackfoot, Idaho; Samuel O'N. Brady;
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen; Brotherhood of Railroad
Trainmen; Massena Bullard; J.E. Burkey; Burnham and Company; Butte-Ballaklava
Copper Company; Butte Brewing Company; Butte Chamber of Commerce)
1911-1912
1 / 3
C (correspondents include Pat
Casey, Chippewa Glove Factory, Collins Land Company, Continental Jewelry
Company, Ray Cooper, Coyne and Coyne, Credit Clearing House, Crouch and Crouch)
1907-1912
1 / 4
D (correspondents include J.L.
DeHart, W.E. Dodd, Dodge and Webber, Dan J. Donohue, M.M. Duncan)
1911-1912
1 / 5
E-F (correspondents include Egry
Register Company re McLaughlin Coal Company; A.G. Elerick, M.J. Falkenburg;
First Judicial District Court; William L. Fitzgerald, Fitzpatrick and Grantzen;
Myron Folsom; Fraternal Brotherhood)
1909-1912
1 / 6
G (correspondents include W.B.
George, Ambrose Gherini, F.S. Gray, Great Northern Railway Company, E.V.
Griswold, H.C. Groff, D.F. Grogan)
1909-1912
1 / 7
H-J (correspondents include
Hamerman and Rosenfeld, CharlesS. Hartman, Helena Commercial Club, Imperial
Mercantile Credit Reporting Agency, Wayne Johnson)
1910-1912
1 / 8
K-L (correspondents include
Almon C. Kellogg, Joseph Kirschwing, I.J. Kohler, LaSalle Extension University,
Benjamin B. Law, Lawyers Co-operative Publishing Company, J.E. Leary, Lesser
Brothers, Wyndham J. Lewis, Liquid Carbonic Company, F. Lillicrap)
1909-1912
1 / 9
M (correspondents include
MacRae's Correct Dress for Women, Maury and Templeton, W.E. McMurry, J.F.
McQueen, Finlay McRae, Meacham-Buston Mercantile Agency, E.W. Mettler,
Milwaukee Land Company, Missoula Chamber of Commerce, Montana Independent
Telephone Company, Montana Legislature, Montana Lookout, Montana Secretary of
State, Henry L. Myers)
1909-1912
1 / 10
N-O (correspondents include
National Adjustment Company; Needham Piano Company; New York Skirt Company;
Nohl and Nohl; Edwin L. Norris; Northern Credit Association; Northern Pacific
Railway Company; Dan L. O'Hearn; Orr, Stark and Collett; Ralph Otto; Ozaukee
County, Wisconsin)
1909-1912
1 / 11
P (correspondents include
Stephen Parker; Pickens, Cox and Kahn; Pineule Medicine Company; J.B.
Poindexter; C.D. Pons; T.B. Potter Realty Company, Purcell and Horsky)
1911-1912
1 / 12
R (correspondents include Carl
Rasch; James A. Reid; James Risk and Company; C.W. Robinson; Robinson, Straus
and Company)
1911-1912
1 / 13
S (correspondents include
Sanitol Chemical Laboratory Company; Schumacher Company, Butchers; W.A.
Schurmann and Company; J.J. Schwartz, Clothing; Seattle, Renton and Southern
Railway Company; Silver Bow Club; William M. Sims; J. Miller Smith; Joseph C.
Smith; Justin M. Smith; Michael J. Stanton; State Mercantile Bank; H.M.
Stewart; S.V. Stewart; Carl Storm; Tom Stout; Stroock and Stroock; Mrs. John J.
Sullivan; Robert Sundberg; John R. Sutton)
1910-1912
1 / 14
T-V (correspondents include John
H. Thomas, Moses J. Tucker, Typewriters Distributing Syndicate, United States
Fidelity and Guaranty Company, United States Forest Service, United States
Surveyor General for Montana, University Research Extension, Up-To-Date
Advertising Company, L.E. Utley, Victor American Fuel Company)
1911-1912
1 / 15
W-Y (correspondents include
James A. Walsh, Thomas J. Walsh, Walsh and Nolan, West Publishing Company, W.C.
Whaley, Fred Whiteside, George B. Winston, Frank Woody, George Woody, Harry M.
Young)
1910-1912
Outgoing Correspondence
1 / 16
Letterpress book
March 1911- April 1912
2 / 1-2
Letterpress books
April 1912- Dec. 1914
Case Files
2 / 3-4
Mrs. Ed Newman vs. Nat Simon
(includes Consolidated Gold and Sapphire Mining Company bylaws, minutes,
indenture for Ruby Placer Claim, list of shareholders)
1902-1904
3 / 1-2
Mrs. Ed Newman vs. Nat Simon
(includes Consolidated Gold and Sapphire Mining Company record of expenditures,
claims, etc.)
1905-1913
Court Papers
3 / 3-4
Mary J. Harrington vs. The
Mutual Life Insurance Company bill of exceptions (includes transcript of
testimony re 1913 death of John Michael Harrington)
1916-1917
3 / 5
Calista Lewis vs. Colonel Lewis
divorce
1906
3 / 6
Mary McKeon, Administratrix of
the Estate of Edward McKeon vs. Chicago, Milwaukee and Puget Sound Railway
Company bills of exception (includes testimony re 1911 death of railroad gang
foreman)
1912
Financial Records
1-2
Collections registers
1901-1917
3 / 7-9
Receipts
1910-1912
Miscellany
3 / 10
Boulder Creek Mining Company
stock certificates
1909
3
Boulder Creek Mining Company
stock certificates and stock register
1909
3 / 11
Butte Labor Temple stock
certificate register
1902-1912
4
Harrison Mutual Benefit
Association record book (includes articles of incorporation, minutes, etc.)
1904-1906
3 / 12
Ryan and Company Exchange
daybook (primarily re rental of sewing machines)
1906-1907
4 / 1-2
Tripp and Dragstedt Company
(includes articles of incorporation, minutes, etc.)
1905-1916
4 / 2
Treasure State Mineral Company
checkbook
1914
4 / 2
Unidentified record of sales (2
volumes)
1906-1912