NTE2cg125.xml Guide to the Thain White Papers 1959-1976 White (Thain) Papers Finding aid prepared by Jan Brzoska Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections © 2026 Finding aid encoded by Suzanne James-Bacon. 2026 Finding aid written in English. English. Finding aid based on DACS 2nd Edition ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard). Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections Cage 125 White, Thain, 1913-1999 Thain White Papers 1959-1976 1.5 Linear feet of shelf space 3 Boxes Illustrated articles and research notes on the Nez Perce and Kutenai Indians and Western Montana history and places. Collection materials are in English

Thain White, proprietor of Flathead Lake Lookout, Lakeside, Montana, ("Population 5 -- 2 peeps, 2 dogs, 1 cat"), turned his tourist museum on the shores of Flathead Lake into a consuming interest in the local history of his area. Since Flathead Lake has been the center of both Indian and white occupation and exploration, he uncovered much information useful to scholars outside the area. Lacking library resources, he spent considerable time in the field going over the ground of the earlier explorers. Backing this up with as much information and research as he was able to procure by mail, he (sometimes in collaboration with others) produced a lengthy series of brief articles on aspects of the history of western Montana. Many remained unpublished, available only in manuscript. A few were produced in mimeograph form in small quantities in order to make them more available to students and scholars.

This collection contains historian Thain White's illustrated articles and research notes on the Nez Perce and Kutenai Indians and Western Montana history and places. Some materials are photocopies of originals.

This collection is open and available for research use.

Copyright restrictions may apply.

[Item description]

Thain White Papers, 1959-1976 (Cage 125)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

Thain White donated this collection to the Washington State University Libraries between 1961 and 1973.

This collection was processed by Jan Brzoska in 1973 August.

Thain White Papers, 1877-1909 (Cage 4772)

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

White, Thain, 1913-1999 -- Archives Montana -- History -- Manuscripts Kootenai Indians -- History Nez Percé Indians -- History Indians of North America -- Idaho -- History Nez Percé Indians -- Wars, 1877 Native Americans Montana Idaho 1 1 Letter from Harry Stanford of Kalispell concerning a few trading posts in Montana. 1926 May 9 4 pp manuscript - (photocopied). 1 2 Tipi Rings in the Flathead Lake Area, Western Montana 1959 October 8 pp typescript (mimeo)

Illustrations

 1 3 Seven Tipi Rings on the Frenchman River 1960 September 8 pp typescript (mimeo)

Illustrations

Photographs

 1 4 Steamboat Bill, "Vessels and History of Flathead Lake," Summer, 1970, Vol. 27, No. 2, pp. 92-101. 1970 Typescript (mimeo)

Illustrations

Photographs

 1 5 Medicine Rock 1960 September 20 p. typescript (carbon)

Illustrations

Photographs

 1 6 A Search for the Site of Sitting Bull; where he spent the First Winter In canada After the Custer Massacre 1960 September 29 13 p. typescript

Illustrations

Photographs

 1 7 The Clearwater Battlefield - The Nez Perce War, 1877 (a preliminary survey) 1960 September 29 49 p. typescript (mimeo)

By Gordon L. Pouliot & Thain White

Illustrations

Photographs

 1 8 The Possible Site of the Rains Scouting Party Tragedy - Nez Perce War, 1877 1960 September 29 59 p. typescript (mimeo)

By Gordon L. Pouliot & Thain White

Illustrations

Photographs

 1 9 An Artifact From the Location Where J. M. Dunn was Murdered by an Indian in September 1889 1962 9 p. typescript (carbon)

Illustrations

Photographs

 1 10 Relies from the Big Hole Battlefield, August 9-10, 1877 March, 1962 88 p. manuscript (photocopied) & typescript (photocopied)

Illustrations

Photographs

 1 11 Artifacts From the Battle of the Rosebud, June 17, 1876 circa 1962 45 p. manuscript (photocopied)

Illustrations

Photographs

 1 12 Artifacts from the Bear's Paw Battlefield, September 30-October 5, 1877 circa 1962 205 p. manuscript (photocopied) & typescript (photocopied)

Illustrations

Photographs

 2 13 Some observations at the Site of Fort C. F. Smith, 1866-1868 1962 33 p. manuscript (photocopied)

Illustrations

Photographs

 2 14 Relics From the Bear's Paw Battlefield - Book Two circa 1962 84 p. manuscript (photocopied)

Illustrations

Photographs

 2 15 "Duncan McDonald Letter on Nez Perces War of 1877," The New Northwest, December 27, 1878, No. 26, p. 2, c. 5/6. 1878 4 p. typescript (photocopied) 2 16 Battle of Wolf Mountains, January 8, 1877 - A Visit to the Site in 1963. circa 1963 15 p. manuscript (photocopied)

Illustrations

Photographs

 2 17 Biography - Captain William Logan circa 1963 12 p. manuscript (photocopied)

Illustrations

 2 18 Relics From Misery Hill - Nez Perce War 1877 circa 1966 14 p. manuscript (photocopied)

Illustrations

Photographs

 2 19 Crow Rock circa 1966 16 p. manuscript (photocopied)

Illustrations

Photographs

 2 20 A Visit to Chimney Coulee 1967 11 p. manuscript (photocopied)

Illustrations

Photographs

 2 21 Two Blackfeet Indian Burials: John Don't Go Out and Four Horns circa 1967 19 p. manuscript (photocopied) & typescript (carbon)

Illustrations

Photographs

 2 22 A Brief History of the Steamboating on Flathead Lake in Western Montana, and Roster of Flathead Lake Steamer etc.., 1883-1951 1967 19 p. typescript 2 23 Bone Pickers 1968 19 p. manuscript (carbon)

Photographs

 2 24 Second Visit to Chimney Coulee 1968 41 p. manuscript

Illustrations

 2 25 A Study of the Lithograph "Flathead Lake, Looking Southward" In Pacific Railroad Reports & Surveys, 1853-1854 1968 27 p. manuscript

Illustrations

Photographs

 2 26 A Study of a Few Indian Burials 1968 33 p. manuscript (photocopied)

Illustrations

Photographs

 2 27 "Buffalo Soldiers" in the Flathead Valley 1890 1969 23 p. typescript

Photographs

 2 28 A Few Livestock Brands Used on the Reservations in Montana by Indian and White Before 1900 1970 55 p. typescript

Photographs

 2 29 A Few Photographs on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Montana, Taken by Ernest White in 1907, compiled by Thain White. 1970 6 p. typescript (carbon)

Photographs

 2 30 An Examination of Digging Sticks and Handles Used by Indians 1970 25 p. typescript

Illustrations

Photographs

 2 31 A Few Relics from the Rifle Pits of the Yellowstone Wagon-Road & Prospecting Expedition 1874. Rosebud Site. circa 1971 12 p. typescript (carbon)

Illustrations

Photographs

 2 32 Fort Conrad undated 27 p. manuscript (photocopied)

Illustrations

Photographs

 2 33 Partial List of Military Posts, Forts, Fur Posts, Trading Posts, Houses & a Few Other Names Such as Towns & Settlements of the Earlier Era of Montana undated 77 p. manuscript (photocopied) 2 34 Kutenai Message Service, by Carling I. Malouf and Thain White undated 1 p. typescript (mimeo)

Flathead Lake Lookout Museum #1

 2 35 The Origin of Archaeological Specimens on the West Shore of Flathead Lake: The Origin of Pictographs 1953 7 p. typescript (mimeo)

by Carling I. Malouf and Thain White

Edited by Gillett Griswold

Flathead Lake Lookout Museum #2

 2 36 Recollections of Lasso Strasso undated 8 p. typescript (mimeo)

by Carling I. Malouf and Thain White

Flathead Lake Lookout Museum #3

 2 37 Firsts Among the Kutenai undated 3 p. typescript (mimeo)

By Babtise Mathias as told to Carling I. Malouf and Thain White.

Flathead Lake Lookout Museum #4

 2 38 The Lakeside Occupation Site (Site 24FH2) and An Archaeological Site at Swan Lake (Site 24LA6) undated 5 p. typescript (mimeo);

Edited by Gillett Griswold

Flathead Lake Lookout Museum #5

Illustrations

 2 39 Sheep Herders Dictionary of Blackfeet Indian Words undated 8 p. typescript (mimeo)

By Harold Prouty as told to Thain White

Flathead Lake Lookout Museum #6

 2 40 The Battle Pits of the Koyokees undated 20 p typescript (mimeo);

Flathead Lake Lookout Museum #7

Illustrations

 2 41 Scarred Trees - Flathead Lake Lookout Museum #8 undated 17 p. typescript (mimeo)

Illustrations

Photographs

 2 42 Kutenai Pipes undated 11 p. typescript (mimeo)

Flathead Lake Lookout Museum #9

Illustrations;

Photographs

 2 43 Early Kutenai History undated 7 p. typescript (mimeo)

by Carling I. Malouf and Thain White

Flathead Lake Lookout Museum #10

 2 44 Kutenai Place Names of the Flathead Lake Region in Northwestern Montana undated 6 p. typescript (mimeo)

Flathead Lake Lookout Museum #11

 2 45 Miscellaneous Meuti Site circa 1963 4 p. typescript (photocopied)

Illustrations

Photographs

 Photograph of steamboat Ocklahama and a windjammer (1900-1910) 1965 December 21 Postcard from Thain White 1964 December 11

U.S. battleship passing under San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

 Notes for corrections and inserts by Thain White. undated 3 46 Big Game Perches (stands). Compiled by Thain White. 1974 36 p. typescript (carbon) illus. 3 47 The 1974 Visit to Chimney Coulee. [by Thain White] 1974 pp. 97-124. typescript, illus. 3 48 An Early Crossing at Dayton Creek: West Shore of Flathead Lake, Montana. undated 38 p. typescript (carbon), illus. 3 49 Another Visit to Chimney Coulee (third) 1974 15 p. typescript (carbon) illus., bibliography. 3 50 Cantonment Jordan, second and third visit, May, 1975. 1975 25 p. typescript (carbon) illus.

Also: Preliminary excavations to determine the location of Cantonment Jordan, reported by Alex Bourdeau et al., May 17, 1975.

pp. 1-10 (lacking pp. 7-9) typescript (photocopy)

 3 51 A Search for Cantonment Jordan Established by Captain John Mullan, 1859. By D. Hampton & T. White. 1974 12 p. typescript (carbon) illus. 3 52 A Study of an Old Trail that may be a Portion of the Northern Nez Perce Trail that Lewis and Clark used in 1805 and 1806. 1975 August 11 p. typescript plus maps (carbon and photocopy) 3 53 Some Explorations at Chimney Coulee. 1975 June [35] p. typescript, (carbon) illus. 3 54 Lewis and Clark's Trail. Exploration of a Segment of the Northern Nez Perce Trail. 1975 September 14 p. typescript illus., facs. (carbon and photocopy) 3 55 A study of some of Fort Owen window glass. 1976 February 7 p. typescript (carbon) illus. 3 56 The Billings home-stead window glass comparison to Fort Owen window glass. 1976 February 2 p. typescript (carbon) illus. 3 57 [Stage lines in Montana: notes] undated 9 l. typescript (carbon) 3 58 Abstracts of passengers and way bills [from an unidentified station ledger] undated 7 p. typescript (carbon) 3 59 Thunder Mountain (Copied from Idaho Yesterdays, 8:4 (Winter 1964-1965) 22 and Idaho Historical Society Reference Series No. 20 (January 1966) 1964-1966 3 p. typescript (carbon) 3 60 Gold, stage stations, robbery and history: a story as told by my parents, by Thain White. 1971 33 p. typescript (carbon) 3 61 [A stage coach scrapbook: photos, records, maps and other papers] Compiled by Thain White 1976 approximately 100 items 3 62 A study of a few Indian canoes, by Thain White 1976 approx. 140 p. illus. typescript (carbon) 2 63 Sixty years later, [by Thain White] 1978 approx. 25 p. illus., typescript (carbon) 3 64 Howse House: an historic and archaeological study, by A. Barry Braunberger and Thain White 1962 approx. 90 p. illus., maps. typescript (photocopy)