Montana State University Library, Merrill G. Burlingame
Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT 59717-3320
United States
Phone (406) 994-4242
Fax (406) 994-2851
http://www.lib.montana.edu/archives/
University Archivist
spcoll@www.lib.montana.edu
Collection 1104, MtBC, us
Flanders, George W., b.
1840
George W. Flanders, Sr.,
Papers
1863-1975
.4 linear feet
The George W. Flanders consists of a handwritten biographical
sketch of his father and the family business by George W. Flanders, Jr., the papers
includes: a typewritten transcription of the sketch by Merrill G. Burlingame; additional
reminiscences by Hurford E. Stone and Libbus DeFrate; printed memorabilia including a
Spanish-American War program and Flanders's 1866 steamboat ticket; photographs of the
Flanders family, friends, and businesses; a wallet and hat cord owned by George W. Flanders,
Jr.
Collection materials are in English
Biographical Note
George W. Flanders, Sr. was born in 1840 at Bradford, Vermont. He served as a sergeant in
Company B, Sixth Vermont Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War. Flanders came to Ft.
Benton by steam boat in 1866 and carpentered in Helena before starting his saw mill near
Bozeman in 1869. Flanders started sawing lumber in Bear Creek Canyon in 1870, making
shingles during the spring. He also discovered the lumbering potential of Hyalite Canyon,
but it took eight years for him to shift his equipment from Bear Canyon. In 1886 Flanders
married Mary Parks and the couple had three children, Clara, Laura. and George, Jr. (the
donor of this collection.) George W. Flanders, Jr. eventually operated a guest cabin
business, "Chisholm Cabin," in Hyalite Canyon during the 1930s.
The contents of the collection have been calendared in this inventory. Aside from a
handwritten biographical sketch of his father and the family business by George W. Flanders,
Jr., the papers includes: a typewritten transcription of the sketch by Merrill G.
Burlingame; additional reminiscences by Hurford E. Stone and Libbus DeFrate; printed
memorabilia including a Spanish-American War program and Flanders's 1866 steamboat ticket;
photographs of the Flanders family, friends, and businesses; a wallet and hat cord owned by
George W. Flanders, Jr. The pictures have been grouped by subject and format. Loose
photographs of the Flanders family, their Bozeman home, and the Hyalite Canyon sawmill
operations have been given sequential numbers from 1-61. A single asterisk after the picture
title indicates a negative is available; two asterisks indicate both a negative and copy
print are available. Photographs numbered 51-61 are mounted in George W. Flanders, Jr.
picture book probably made by his mother. It show his home in town, views of the mill,
children playing in Hyalite Creek, a log boom coming down Middle Creek, the Flanders family
about 1920. Following the numbered photographs is a family album including pictures of:
children, schools, church, interior view of the Flanders home and friends, Mr. and Mrs.
Charles Tomlinson, grandparents John and Mary Parks, Dr. Whitefoot and his nurse Miss
Malloy, and Mrs. John Work. Photographers include A. Schlechten, Bozeman, and Tower and
Lowry, Helena.
This collection is open for research.
Papers and photographs pertaining to George W. Flanders, Sr. were donated to Special
Collections by George W. Flanders, Jr. of Bozeman, Montana, in May, 1975. Additional
materials collected by Merrill G. Burlingame were also included with the original
donation.
This collection was processed 2009 March 4
Burlingame, Merrill G. (Merrill
Gildea), 1901-1994
DeFrate, Libbus
Flanders, George W.,
1895-1975
Schlechten, Alfred,
1877-1970
Stone, Hurford E
Flanders family-Homes and
haunts-Montana-Bozeman-Photographs
Flanders family-Photographs
Tower and Lowry (Helena,
Mont.)
Bozeman
(Mont.)-Photographs
Hyalite Canyon
(Mont.)-Photographs
Lumber trade-Montana-Bozeman
Sawmills-Montana-Hyalite Canyon
Sawmills-Montana-Hyalite
Canyon-Photographs
Vacation homes-Montana-Hyalite
Canyon-Photographs
Photographs-Montana-Gallatin County
Reminiscences-Montana
Lumbermen-Montana-Gallatin County
Photographers-Montana-Bozeman
Photographers-Montana-Helena
Forestry and
Forestry Products
Home and
Family
Sports and
Recreation
Montana
Bozeman
Photographs
1/1
History of Flanders Saw Mill (handwritten
draft)
1/2
History of Flanders Saw Mill (typed draft)
1/3
Hurford E. Stone and Libbus DeFrate
manuscripts
1/4
Printed ephemera
1866-1930s
1/5
Photographs, #1-7
#1
George W. Flanders, Sr.
1886
#2
Mary Parks Flanders
1886
#3
George W. Flanders, Sr.
1907
#4
George W. Flanders, Sr.
1912
#5
John Work
circa 1910
(A. Schlechten, photographer, Bozeman)
#6
Flanders residence, 219 S. Grand Ave., Bozeman, S.E.
view
circa 1900
(Tower and Lowry Photographers, Helena)**
#7
Flanders residence, same as above, N.E.
view*
#7a
[Tintype from wallet; G.W.F. Sr., mother?]
1/6
Photographs, #8-14
#8
Flanders and Lansing lumberyard, Main St.,
Bozeman
circa 1880s
#9
George and Mary Flanders in sleigh, Main St.,
Bozeman
1886
#10
Civil War veterans, 304 Main St., Bozeman,
MT
1900
#11
Ike LeForge and family, Middle Creek, MT
1874
#12
Montana State College with carts in
foreground
1898
[print missing]*
#13
"Flanders Girls"
circa 1920
#14
"Flanders Girls" in Middle Creek
1/7
Photographs, #15-26
#15
Flanders Saw Mill at the mouth of Middle (Hyalite)
Creek
1888
#16
Mill Crew
1888
#17
Flanders Saw Mill
1880
#18
Flanders Saw Mill, taken from hill to the
east
1881-1882
#19
Flanders Saw Mill, interior
1898
#20
"Sawing a large log in Flanders Mill"
circa 1908*
#21
"Second Dam above Chisholm's Cabin"
1908**
#22
"Log Boom on Middle Creek"
1908-1920
#23
"Lousetown with hunters-cabin built by George Flanders
for logging"
#24
"Lousetown"**
#25
Flanders Saw Mill
1920
#26
First cabin in Middle Creek Canyon built by Geo.
Flanders on History Rock Creek in 1874
1/8
Photographs, #27-37
#27
Chisholm Cabin*
#28
Chisholm Cabin
circa 1896*
#29
Summer guests at Chisholms
#30
"Last Buffalo in Gallatin Valley"
1892
#31
Blackmore Lake (A. Schlechten Photographer,
Bozeman)
#32
Monkey Mountain and Hook Meadow (A. Schlechten,
photographer, Bozeman)
#33
Giant Mountain
#34
Looking at Mt. Hyalite from Chisholm Cabin
#35
Elephant Mountain and Pulpit Rock
#36
In front of Chisholm Cabin
#37
Champagne Falls
1/9
Photographs, #38-50
#38
Arch Falls
#39
Apex Falls
#40
Grotto Falls
#41
The Sphinx from Hyalite Peak
#42
Hyalite Lake
#43
Twin Falls
#44
Mount Hyalite
#45
View north from Hyalite
#46
Hyalite Lake
#47
Sheep in lower basin
#48
View across from Twin Falls
#49
Hoodoo Gulch and Devil's Slide
#50
Sioux Indian cabin, Ft. Berthold, ND
1/10
Small Photo Album, photographs #51-61
#51
Flanders home, Bozeman*
#52
Flanders Mill
circa 1908**
#53
Logs in mill pond, Flanders Mill
circa 1908**
#54
Flanders Mill buildings with children
#55
Flanders Mill, sawing shed
#56
Children playing in Middle Creek
#57
Log boom coming down Middle Creek
#58
Mary Parks, George Sr., Clara and Laura
Flanders
#59
Laura, George Sr., and Clara Flanders
#60
George Flanders Sr., age 5
#61
Flanders family
1/11
Photograph album-unnumbered
1/12
Duplicate prints and negatives
Hat cord, wallet