Montana Historical SocietyArchives
MC 112
McKay, Alexander,
1832-1922
Alexander Mckay papers
1857-1925
2.5 linear feet of shelf space
Alexander McKay (1832-1922), a Scottish immigrant, was a
miner and businessman in Virginia City, Montana. Records (1857-1922) include correspondence,
financial records, legal documents, and court papers for McKay's business interests
including flour mills and mining claims. There are subgroups for Elling, Baker McKay
(1887-1911); Mill Creek Mills (1878-1898); Caroline Hanson McKay (1877-1911); and Mary McKay
Herhold Bothwell Swanze (1876-1925).
5:8-3
English
German
Alexander McKay was an early miner and pioneer in the Alder Gulch, Montana, area. He was
born on May 15, 1832, in Glasgow, Scotland, and immigrated to the United States in 1854. The
McKays spent their first years in this country in the South. In the late 1850s they moved to
the Denver area following mining opportunities. They then moved to Bannack, in what was to
become Montana Territory, with the first gold rush in 1862. In July of 1863, with the gold
discoveries in Alder Gulch, McKay moved from Bannack to Virginia City. The following year,
he moved on to Bivens Gulch where he purchased numerous mining claims with his Alder Gulch
earnings. His Biven's Gulch claim employed up to 15 men at its height. He invested his
mining fortune in farm lands in the Madison Valley, settling his family in Virginia City.
The family did well in Virginia City. Alexander McKay participated as a life long Republican
in local politics and economic development. In 1889 Mr. and Mrs. McKay moved to the Old
Sarge Hall grist mill, near Sheridan, Montana. They remained at that site until their
deaths.
In 1860 Alex McKay was married to Caroline Hanson in Kansas. Their first child, Flora, was
born in 1861 near Denver, Colorado. In 1863, their second child Mary, was born in Virginia
City. Flora and Mary attended Virginia City grade schools, then attended Iowa State College,
where Flora received a degree of medicine and Mary a degree in music and art. Flora married
Dr. C.A. McNulty in 1884. She later recieved a doctor of science degree from the Women's
Medical College of Chicago, and a Master of Arts from Iowa College in 1893. Both Mary and
Flora spent most of their lives in the Virginia City-Sheridan area and were very active in
local social and religious organizations. Upon the death of their father, they helped
Caroline McKay manage the family estate.
Alex McKay died in 1922. Caroline Hansen McKay died in 1917. Flora McKay McNulty and Mary
McKay [Herhold, Bothwell] Swayze died within weeks of each other in 1945.
This collection contains biographical materials (undated) McKay and Hansen family geneaology;
incoming correspondence (1875-1919) concerning mining and realestate business dealings;
outgoing correspondence (1887, 1901, 1908); court papers (1857-1922) court cases dealing
mostly with mining properties and water rights; financial records (1865-1919) dealing with
daily expenses and various financial enterprises including Mill Creek Mill, mining and
realestate; legal documents (1872-1912) primarily regarding mining claims and deeds; and
miscellaneous certificates and programs, and clippings.
The Elling, Baker and McKay subgroup relates to mining holdings controlled jointedly by
Henry Elling, William Baker and Alex McKay. The records include financial records
(1887-1911) mainly assay, banking and tax records.
The Mill Creek Mills subgroup contains financial records (1887-1898) including ledgers;
financial statements on grain milled, daily expenses and account activities; receipts and
miscellaneous work forms.
The Caroline Hanson McKay subgroup consists of incoming correspondence (1877-1910) divided
equally between family issues and mining and realestate business; legal documents
(1860-1911) primarily related to family estates and land holdings; and calling cards.
The Mary McKay Herhold Bothwell Swanze subgroup consists of incoming correspondence
(1876-1910) mainly from McKay family; financial records (1897, 1925) includes deposit clips
an receipts; legal documents (1897, 1905) regarding mining leases and patents; and calling
cards and miscellaneous notes. [For materials on Flora McKay McNulty see MC 261.]
Arranged by subgroup and series. Some material housed in Archives Map Case. See inventory
below for more information.
Collection open for research.
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical
Society. The Society 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. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers.
Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.
Acquisition information available upon request
Photographs transferred to Photo Archives. See inventory below for more information.
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.
McKay, Alexander,
1832-1922
Bannack (Mont.)
Sheridan (Mont.)
St. Paul's Church (Virginia City, Mont.)
Virginia City (Mont.)--Religious life and
customs
Virginia City (Mont.)--Social life and customs
Assaying
Flour-mills
Friendly societies
Gold mines and mining
Grain--milling
Library science--Societies, Etc.
Mines and mineral resources--Montana--Madison
County
Scottish Americans
Service organizations
Women--Societies and clubs
Mining claims
Land companies
Montana
Mines and Mineral Resources
Religion
Women
Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection
Alexander Mckay
Biographical Materials
1 / 1
Notes on McKay and Hansen family genealogy
undated
Incoming Correspondence
1 / 2
A-B (includes Theodore Adams, John B. Allibaugh,
A.H. Anderson, W.P. Armstrong, P.W. Baker, Thomas T. Baker, A.H. Barret, The Beall
Improvements Company, Alden J Bennett, Charles Bergstrom, Henry N. Blake, George W.
Boehmer, John Brosovitch, Henry Brundy #, S.R. Buford & Co., Clara Burtch, Ford
Burtch)
1878-1906
1 / 3
William Andrew Clark [attorney in Virginia City]
1900-1915
1 / 4
C (includes Edmund J. Callaway, J.S. Callaway,
Llewellan Callaway, Alex Campbell, Jack Caro, H.B. Cheney, N.P. Christiansen,
William Alexander Clark, Horace Clark, Collins Land Co., Frank Collogan, Philip
Conrey, George. W. Cruger)
1878-1905
1 / 5
D (includes C.L. Dahler, John F. Davies, N.P.
Davies #, J.L. Dennek, Donovan Commission Company, Downie-Wright Manufacturing
Company)
1868-1908
1 / 6
Henry Elling
1874-1919
1 / 7
E-G (includes Caleb Eldred, Z.H. Evans, James
Feber, B.J. Fine, Henry Fishback, C.M. Fitch, Samuel Fletcher, William Foreman, T.
Foster, C.H. Gage, W.H. Godfrey, Julius Greis Co., P.J. Griffin)
1878-1913
1 / 8
Sarge Hall
1876-1887
1 / 9
Richard Herhold
1888-1897
1 / 10
H (including Hall & Bennett, George Halse, F.O.
Handrich, William L. Hargrave, Charles Herman, R. Hick, George Hill, Edward Howell,
H.S. Howell)
1879-1908
1 / 11
I-J (includes James Inglis, A.G. Jensen and Bros.,
James Jobb, Alex Johnson, Andrew Johnson, Johnson Hardware Co., Charles Johnson,
M.D. Johnson, Barclay Jones, Thomas Lewis, Linden Brothers, S. Lowman)
1878-1905
1 / 12-13
McKay family: Flora and Mary
1875-1917
1 / 14
M-N (includes Montana College of Agriculture and
Mechanic Arts, Montana Grain and Brokerage Company, Montana State Library (Montana
Historical Society), W.S. McColley, J.H. McDonald, J.F. McDonnell, John Melville,
Charles Miller, J.A. Monaghan, Peter Moran, Walter Morris, Wiley Mountjoy, Edwin
Norris, H.F. Noyd, James M. Nye, C.A. Nyhart)
1880-1902
1 / 15
O (includes A.H. Odell, Omaha-Texas Oil Company,
Newton Orr)
1892-1900
1 / 16
Charles Pietsch
1880-1888
1 / 17
P (includes The Pacific Mutual Life Insurance
Company, Elmer Page, James M. Page, R.W. Page, Thomas H. Parsons, R.F. Pearce, Dion
Pennington, The People's Power League of Montana, J.B. Percy, George Perkins, John
C. Peterson, William Pfouts, William Pigott, George H. Potter, L.J. Price, J.D.
Pritchett, L.M Pritchett)
1877-1914
1 / 18
R (includes C.W. Rank & Co., Harry Redfield,
E.W. Reed, The Republican County Central Committee, John Rosenberger, William
Rothwell)
1899-1908
1 / 19
Robert G. Smith (Montana governor)
1897
1 / 20
S (includes W.F. Sanders, Dan F. Sandidge, J.B.
Seeley, P.H. Shewmaker, W.T. Shirley & Co., Harry Siegel, Alex Simpson, H.H.
Sinnott, Society of Montana Pioneers, George Shoemaker, J.W. Sommers, Axel Stejer,
Charles Stewart, William Stewart, M. Stone, Frank Sworty)
1899-1919
MC 95-112
Society of Montana Pioneers Certificate
[Map Case-See MC 95-112 folder]
1931
1 / 21
T (includes Q.S. Talcott, Thomas Taylor, Ellen
Thiernan, Owen Thomas, Thuet Brothers, Abe Thurgood, Henry Thurston, J.L. Thurston,
Twin Bridge Lumber Company)
1872-1903
1 / 22
U (includes United States Assay Office (Helena),
C.L. Utley, George S. Utley, Maytie Utley)
1895-1904
1 / 23
Frank S. Watters
1902-1903
1 / 24
W (includes William Walker, R.B. Wampler, Watson
& Bartlett, John Weingart, Mark Welch, Orrin Welch, G.B. Wheat, R.A. White, A.J.
Wilcomb, F.H. Wilcomb, Bill Wilson, C.W. Winslow, Word & Word)
1878-1905
1 / 25
Unidentified [1887 letter is in German]
1887, 1894
Outgoing Correspondence
1 / 26
Koch & Company, "Mr. Mesch", "Mr. North"
1887, 1901, 1908
Court Papers
2 / 1
Fred Ellinghouse, et. al. vs Alex McKay
1905, 1908
2 / 2
Alex McKay vs Mani Mesch [handwritten copy of
complaint and notes]
1920
2 / 3
Alex McKay vs Sargent Hall
1881-1898
2 / 4
Alex McKay vs William McDougall
1893-1897
2 / 5
C.W. McKinney Estate vs Alex McKay
1874-1875
2 / 6
Miscellany (includes Alex McKay Estate probate,
1922)
1857-1922
Financial Records
2 / 7
Account book [re Mill Creek Mill]
1889-1903
2 / 8
Account book [re Stoddard & McKay]
1864
2 / 9
Agreement [re ore reduction costs]
undated
2 / 10
Assay records
1874-1902
2 / 11
Bank books (Henry Elling Banker) [third volume also
includes records of mining claims held by the McKay/ McNulty family]
1876-1889
2 / 12
Bank books (Hall & Bennett Bankers)
1889-1903
2 / 13
Bank statements (includes deposits and interest)
1876-1903
2 / 14
Bills and invoices: A-C
1877-1901
2 / 15
Bills and invoices: D-L
1874-1909
2 / 16
Bills and invoices: M-Y
1875-1910
2 / 17
Cancelled checks (Hall & Bennett Bankers)
1890-1904
2 / 18
Cancelled checks (Hall, Harrington & Co.
Bankers)
1887
3 / 1
Cancelled checks (Henry Elling Banker)
1875-1892
3 / 2
Day book (includes daily expenses) [information on
leases and mining deeds are interspersed throughout]
1873-1875, 1917-1919
3 / 3
Loans (includes interest paid on loans made by Alex
McKay)
1865-1897
3 / 4
Meat book (includes employee name and kind of meat
purchased) [volume is in poor condition. Child has used as scrapbook]
circa 1869
3 / 5
Memo books (includes scattered lists of food
supplies purchased, recipes, and mining claim activity) [6]
1869-1909
3 / 6
Memorandum of Gold Deposits (re gold and silver
bullion deposits and sales through Kountz Brothers, New York)
1877-1896
3 / 7
Receipts
1864-1912
3 / 8
Tax assessment lists
1894-1917
3 / 9
Tax receipts (includes local, state and federal)
1876-1909
3 / 10
Tax receipts (includes Illinois property taxes)
1882-1898
3 / 11
Time books (includes "Hoffacker Gulch" time book
that lists meat and other food costs for 1877, 1880) [3]
1871-1874
3 / 12
Miscellaneous (includes lists of expenses and gold
and silver credits from unidentified mining jobs)
1865-1868, 1877-1893
Legal Documents
3 / 13
Application for patent (printed in newspaper)
1888, 1895
4 / 1
Articles of agreement, contracts
1872-1878
4 / 2
Land deeds
1883-1912
4 / 3
Leases
1889, 1911-1912, 1919
4 / 4
Mining claims and deeds
1866-1897
4 / 5
Mortgages
1869-1902
4 / 6
Petitions (re building a road on McKay's property)
1919
Miscellaneous
4 / 7
Miscellany (includes certificates, programs,
pamphlets and general memorabilia)
1869-1888, undated
Clippings
4 / 8
Includes W.W. Morris obituary, Anti-Chinese
movement meetings, mining techniques
undated
Elling, Baker And Mckay
Financial Records
4 / 9
Assay records
1891-1892
4 / 10
Banking statements (Henry elling Banker)
1887-1893
4 / 11
Bullion memorandum for deposit (re gold and silver
deposits)
1887-1896, 1907, 1911
4 / 12
Cancelled checks (Henry Elling Banker)
1891-1893
4 / 13
Checkbook
1891
4 / 14
Invoices [scattered]
1891-1893
4 / 15
Tax receipts (state)
1887-1892
4 / 16
Time sheets (includes lists of hours worked by mine
workers)
1891-1892, undated
Miscellaneous
4 / 17
List of mining tools
1894, undated
Mill Creek Mills
Financial Records
4 / 18
Financial statements (includes information on grain
milled, expenses and individual account activities) [scattered]
1887-1891
4 / 19
Flour book (re flour production and sales)
1890
4 / 20
Improvements made on mill (lists costs and
materials)
1878-1887
4 / 21
Invoices [scattered]
1890-1894
5 / 1-2
Ledgers
1888-1898
5 / 3
Loans (includes lists of payments made by R.H.
Herhold to Caroline McKay on loan to purchase the mill)
1891, 1898
5 / 4
Receipts [scattered]
1897-1898
5 / 5
Statements of accounts [scattered]
1887-1895
Miscellaneous
5 / 6
Blank forms
undated
Caroline Hanson Mckay
Incoming Correspondence
5 / 7
A-B (includes B. Altman and Co., T.L Atkins, Robert
S. Bailey, Thomas T. Baker, Joseph Barich, John A. Beall, George Beeher, Rudolph
Bertsch, C.L. Bjork, James Boyd, Frank Bryant, Butte and Ruby Valley Smelting Co)
1877-1905
5 / 8
Block family: Emma, Minnie
1894-1898
5 / 9
C-D (includes Thomas Campbell, Jeffries Carder,
W.B. Case, Chicago Waifs Mission & Training School, Niels Christiansen, A.W.
Clark, E.L. Costin, Lavinia Debus, H. Dillabaugh, Charles Downing
1878-1902
5 / 10
E-F (includes E.L Earl, Mrs. E. Estes, W. Ferm,
Rudolph Flick)
1889-1899
5 / 11
G (includes T.H. Galahan, Andrew Gimmell, Mary
Goetschius)
1892-1897
5 / 12
Gunter family: Frank, Hanna, Lena (many letters in
German)
1883-1901
5 / 13
Herhold family: Dick, Mary (McKay)
1889-1898
6 / 1
H-L (includes Henry Hardesty, C.E. Hartley, Jennie
Hartt, E.N. Harwood, J.E. Hiffin, W.B. Holmes, Archie Hyndman, J.D. Indy, Al.
Ingram, A.M. Johnson Estate, Alex Johnson, Andrew Johnson, C. Johnson, Carrie M.
Jones, John King, George Lewis, W.I. Lippincott, Chris Lowman, Fred Lueck, R. Lueck)
1880-1910
6 / 2
McKay family: Alex, Flora, Mary (see also Herhold
for Mary)
1888-1901
6 / 3
M (includes D.J. Marshall, H.W. Marshall, H.
Martin, Herman Mauden, R.R. Mayes, F.M. McDonnell, Henry McGlinch, Hugh Miller, C.K.
Morrison, P.A. Morrison, S.S. Mullinix, L.W. Myers)
1888-1906
6 / 4
N-P (includes John Nelson, A.B. Nisbett, Henry
Nolte, C.A. Nyhart, Mrs. Newton Orr, S.C. Prentice)
1889-1904
6 / 5
S-T (includes W.H. Salling, E. Scharnikow, James
Shewmaker, G.W. Shoemaker, J.E. Slater, Society of Montana Pioneers, Marvin Stone,
D. Sullivan, D.T. Taylor, Thompson & Walker, Mrs. William Trostle, Twin Bridge
Lumber Co.)
1877-1910
6 / 6
U-W (includes E.W. Underwood, Union Bank and Trust
Company, C.S Utley, Maytie Utley, H.N. Virden, W.T. Welch, Oscar Welcher, Mrs. F.H.
Wilcomb, Samuel Wilson, Sanders Word)
1886-1910
Outgoing Correspondence
6 / 7
D-V (includes Lavinia Debus, D.C. Devenport,
William Ferm, J. Jobb, S.E. Jones, A.B. Nisbett, Sears, Roebuck & Co., M. Stone,
C.L. Utley, O. Varney)
1889-1902
Financial Records
6 / 8
Assay records (re silver and gold)
1899-1900
6 / 9
Bank books (Hall and Bennett Bankers)
1897, 1903-1904
6 / 10
Bank statements (Hall and Bennett Bankers)
[scattered]
1898-1901
6 / 11
Cancelled checks
1891-1904
6 / 12
Invoices [scattered]
1889-1909
6 / 13
Promissory notes (includes statement of payments and
interest)
1889-1904
6 / 14
Tax records (includes state and city taxes)
1890-1904
6 / 15
Miscellany
1891-1912
Legal Documents
6 / 16
Agreements
1889, 1898
6 / 17
Application for patent (in newspaper); land plats
1897-1911
6 / 18
Land leases
1897-1911
6 / 19
Probate records (re Dora Hanson's estate)
1860-1901
6 / 20
Will (Caroline Hanson McKay estate)
1893
6 / 21
Miscellany (includes list of deeds held by Mrs.
McKay)
1895
Miscellaneous
6 / 22
Calling cards
undated
Mary Mckay Herhold Bothwell Swayze
Incoming Correspondence
6 / 23
Miscellaneous (primarily from McKay family)
1876-1910
Miscellaneous Correspondence
6 / 24
To Richard Herhold from business associates
1895, 1897
Financial Records
6 / 25
Miscellany (includes deposit slips (Sheridan State
Bank) [scattered]; receipts)
1897, 1925
Legal Documents
6 / 26
Miscellany (includes mining lease, patent for
mineral rights)
1897, 1905
Miscellaneous
6 / 27
Calling cards; "to do" lists [scattered]
undated
Transfers To Other Programs
Transfers
6 / 28
List of photographs transferred to the Photo
Archives