Mary Frances Warren Dickson (Mollie Francisco) was born in Dover, Missouri in March, 1842. She apparently had a good education and worked as a school teacher before her family left Missouri in 1865 for Montana. The Dicksons traveled by steamboat on the Missouri River to Fort Benton and then traveled overland to the Gallatin Valley where they settled. In 1867 Mollie married Charles Francisco in Virginia City and the couple eventually had at least three children. The Franciscoes moved back to Missouri in 1869, returning to Montana sometime around the turn of the century. Mollie Francisco died in Montana on October 1, 1916 at the age of 74.
The diary of Mollie Francisco contains sporadic entries starting in 1862 and ending in 1876. Mollie’s entries are more reflective than descriptive, and although there are references to contemporary events such as the 1864 invasion of Missouri by Confederate troops commanded by General Sterling Price and the sinking of the steamboat Cora on the Missouri River in 1865, there are far more comments on family and personal matters. The time spent in Montana is covered briefly, with descriptions of domestic life, neighbors, and family members predominating. Some genealogical notes and transcriptions of relative’s letters dealing with family history are also included.
This collection is open for research.
A typed transcription of an original diary created by Mary Dickson Francisco was loaned to Montana State University for photocopying by her granddaughter, Ellen Nora Townsend of Highwood, Montana in 1969. Townsend had done the transcription herself. In 1973, Albert Francisco of Pocatello, Idaho, loaned a second copy of the transcript for the same purpose. The present location of the original document is unknown.
This collection was processed 2018 November 7