View XML QR Code

Rocky Fork & Cooke City Railway Company / Green & Keefe records, 1874-1893

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Rocky Fork and Cooke City Railway Company
Title
Rocky Fork & Cooke City Railway Company / Green & Keefe records
Dates
1874-1893 (inclusive)
Quantity
5 linear feet of shelf space
Collection Number
MC 183 (collection)
Summary
The Rocky Fork and Cooke City Railway Company (RF & CC) was formed in 1886 to construct a standard-gauge rail line from the Northern Pacific main line at Tilden, Montana Territory, along Rock Creek, to the rich coal fields near Red Lodge. Principal backers included James Platt, Hamilton Browne, James Hubbel, Walter Cooper, and Samuel Word. In 1889 Samuel Hauser contracted with Green and Keefe, to finish all remaining work. The line was completed in April 1889 and acquired by the Northern Pacific in July 1890. The records (1874-1893) include incoming correspondence, outgoing correspondence, financial records, legal documents, maps, reports, and miscellany. The Green & Keefe records include general correspondence, outgoing correspondence, financial records, and legal materials.
Repository
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov
Access Restrictions

Collection open for research.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Return to Top

Historical Note

The Rocky Fork & Cooke City Railway Company (RF & CC) obtained its certificate of incorporation on December 30, 1886. Organized by James L. Platt, Hamilton Browne, James B. Hubbel, Walter Cooper, and Samuel Word, the company intended to construct a standard gauge rail line from the Northern Pacific (NP) main line at Tilden, Montana (near Laurel) to rich coal fields near Red Lodge, along Rock Creek (Rocky Fork), and then from Red Lodge to gold mines at Cooke City along the Stillwater River. Construction from Tilden to Red Lodge was to be completed by September 1887, and from Red Lodge to Cooke City by early 1888. The company hoped to gain financial backers by promoting the fact that high quality coal would be earnestly sought after by many Montana industries, that tourists would flock to travel such a scenic route, and that Cooke City mine operators had pledged to use the line for twenty years.

On March 4, 1887 the U.S. Congress granted permission for the line to cross the Crow Indian reservation. The NP approved a traffic contract with the RF & CC on July 29, 1887; the NP was to retain fifty cents for each ton of coal delivered them by the RF & CC.

With much of the work completed on the road between Laurel and Red Lodge, the Company ran out of funds in January 1888. In August of that year the Billings, Clark Fork, and Cooke City Company received permission to cross the Crow Reservation, enabling that company to commence construction on a line between Billings and Cooke City. This potential competitor spurred Samuel Hauser to purchase the RF & CC in January 1889, with an understanding with the NP that A.J. Merritt, a supervisor in their employ, would complete the remaining engineering work on the RF & CC Laurel-Red Lodge line. Hauser contracted with Green and Keefe, railway contractors based in Helena, to finish all remaining work on the Laurel-Red Lodge line; they completed the 44.37 miles on April 13, 1889. The completed road was operated by the RF & CC until July 31, 1890, when the NP acquired it.

William H. Green and Michael H. Keefe were contractors with offices in Butte and Helena who formed a partnership in late 1888 to work as railroad contractors, performing work on railroads and supplying railroad equipment and general merchandise. They performed, or sub-contracted with other firms who performed, clearing, grubbing, excavation, tunneling, track laying, surfacing, and other related jobs.

The Northern Pacific & Montana Railroad, which was incorporated to acquire four existing private rail lines in western Montana and began operation on them in September 1888, contracted with Green & Keefe to build a line from Boulder, Montana, to Elkhorn; the line was completed in July 1890. Green & Keefe did other work on NP lines in 1889 and 1890, including the roads from Gallatin City to Butte, and from Sappington to Norris and Pony.

Michael H. Keefe also had business concerns in Leadville, Colorado, where he was involved with the construction of the Busk-Ivanhoe tunnel.

Return to Top

Content Description

These records are divided into two subgroups: Rocky Fork and Cooke City Railway Company; and Green and Keefe.

The RF & CC records are arranged in seven series:

The incoming correspondence (1888-1889) consists of telegrams to A.J. Merritt, chief engineer for RF & CC, concerning the purchase and transfer of supplies, the progress of construction and problems encountered, the hiring of workers, etc.; and other correspondence, primarily to A.J. Merritt, concerning construction of the line and financial arrangements.

Outgoing correspondence consists of three letterpress volumes and letters to the First National Bank of Helena (1884-1892). One volume is the correspondence of John Buskett, secretary of the Rocky Fork Town and Electric Company, primarily to Samuel T. Hauser, president of the Rocky Fork Town and Electric Company, concerning the finances of the RF & CC. The volume also contains correspondence from A.J. Merritt concerning financial matters of the RF & CC. In addition, the volume contains financial statements concerning the construction of the RF & CC. The two other volumes are primarily correspondence of A.J. Merritt written from Billings to RF & CC and NP officials in Laurel and St. Paul, Minnesota, and Samuel Hauser about the construction of the RF & CC, the progress of construction, etc. Also included are lists of material used in construction and financial statements listing construction costs.

The financial records (1874-1890) include a breakdown of construction expenditures by type of material or service purchased; payrolls; a folder of miscellaneous papers including invoices, bills for board, and financial statements; and two volumes of miscellaneous records including vouchers, financial statements, payrolls, and estimates for work performed by subcontractors.

The legal documents (1888-1890) include contracts with construction contractors, a contract between Samuel Hauser and the RF & CC, etc.

The maps (1889) are preliminary surveys of the country through which the RF & CC lines were to pass, and a map showing the lines route through the Crow Reservation.

The reports (1887-1889) are prose surveys of potential railroad routes and construction progress reports.

The miscellany (1885-1889, undated) consists of lists of material used in construction, lists of materials supplied the RF & CC by the NP, a record of waybills received at Laurel, Montana by the NP, a sketch of proposed arrangement of tracks and buildings at Laurel, track profiles, and linens and blueprints of primarily NP railroad structures such as bridges, engine houses, switches, etc. Also included are blueprints and linens of the RF & CC and the Union Pacific, and a list of materials required for Northern Pacific, La Moure, and Missouri Railroad culverts and bridges.

The records of Green and Keefe are arranged in four series:

The general correspondence (1889-1890) concerns the construction of the Boulder-Elkhorn line including the purchase of supplies, progress of construction, the hiring of workers, etc.

The outgoing correspondence (1889-1890) consists of two letterpress volumes concerning financial matters, of which one volume primarily deals with the construction of the Boulder-Elkhorn line.

The financial records (1889-1890) are subcontractors' estimates of value of work performed, bills served Green and Keefe by the NP for services rendered and car rentals, payrolls, trial balances, and a cost book listing food and general merchandise purchased by Green and Keefe.

The legal materials consist of a contract between the NP and Green and Keefe for work on the Boulder-Elkhorn line.

One map of Yellowstone National Park has been transferred to the Library Map Collection.

Return to Top

Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

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.

Preferred Citation

Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.

Return to Top

Administrative Information

Arrangement

Arranged by subgroup and series. Some material housed in oversize boxes. Some material housed in Archives Map Case. Some material housed in Manuscript Volumes. See inventory below for more information.

Location of Collection

11:8-5

Location of Collection

3:3-5 [Oversize Box 2]

Location of Collection

3:7-5 [Oversize Box 4, 6, 8]

Location of Collection

146:1-1 [Volumes]

Acquisition Information

Acquisition information available upon request

Separated Materials

Artifacts transferred to MHS Museum. A map of Yellowstone National Park has been transferred to the Library Map Collection. See inventory below for more information.

Return to Top

Detailed Description of the Collection

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection

  • Rocky Fork And Cooke City Railway Company

  • Green & Keefe

    • General Correspondence

      • Description: Chronological (correspondents include O.H. Girard; Mathews Brothers and Kerrick, Contractors; Northern Pacific and Montana Railroad Company; William Riddell, M.D.; Green and Keefe; Tom Haley; T.C. Power and Company; Robinson and Cary Company; C.A. Grissinger and Company; A.M. Holter Hardware Company; also includes estimates of work done)
        Dates: 1889-1890
        Container: Box/Folder 7 / 1
        Location: Green & Keefe / General Correspondence
      • Description: Thomas Fortune, sub-contractor
        Dates: 1890
        Container: Box/Folder 7 / 2
        Location: Green & Keefe / General Correspondence

    • Outgoing Correspondence

      • Description: Letterpress book (to merchants and to Northern Pacific Railroad officials regarding financial matters such as purchase of construction materials, payment of workers, etc.)
        Dates: 1889 June-1890 August
        Container: Volume 7
        Location: Green & Keefe / Outgoing Correspondence
      • Description: Letterpress book (to merchants and to Green and Keefe in Helena regarding financial matters of Boulder to Elkhorn line, including the purchase of construction materials, payment of workers, etc.)
        Dates: 1889 November-1890 September
        Container: Box/Folder 7 / 3
        Location: Green & Keefe / Outgoing Correspondence

    • Employment Records

      • Description: Payrolls (includes Boulder to Elkhorn line, camps 1-7, unloading materials, track laying, yard work, etc.)
        Dates: 1889 October-1890 January
        Container: Box/Folder 8 / 1-3
        Location: Green & Keefe / Employment Records
      • Description: Payrolls (includes subcontractors W.G. Cody; E.D. Comings and Company; R.H. Dean and Company; Thomas Fortune; Keefe and Gallagher; Kelly, Clark and Company; John Leonard; Leonard and Fritz; D.C. McLean; Walsh and Nugent)
        Dates: 1889 September-December
        Container: Box/Folder 8 / 4-5
        Location: Green & Keefe / Employment Records

    • Financial Records

      • Description: Balance sheets
        Dates: 1889-1890
        Container: Box/Folder 8 / 6
        Location: Green & Keefe / Financial Records
      • Description: Estimates of value of work performed
        Dates: 1889-1890
        Container: Box/Folder 8 / 7
        Location: Green & Keefe / Financial Records
      • Description: Estimates of value of work performed (sub-contractors)
        Dates: 1890 February-September
        Container: Box/Folder 9 / 1
        Location: Green & Keefe / Financial Records
      • Description: Northern Pacific bills for services rendered; bills for rental of Northern Pacific cars
        Dates: 1889-1890
        Container: Box/Folder 9 / 2
        Location: Green & Keefe / Financial Records

    • Legal Documents

      • Description: Construction contract between Northern Pacific and Montana Railroad and Green and Keefe for work on Boulder-Elkhorn line
        Dates: 1889
        Container: Box/Folder 9 / 3
        Location: Green & Keefe / Legal Documents

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Railroads--Design and construction
  • Railroads--Montana

Corporate Names

  • Rocky Fork and Cooke City Railway Company (creator)

Geographical Names

  • Carbon County (Mont.)--Industries
  • Yellowstone County (Mont.)--Industries

Finding aid prepared by MHS staff
2004

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

About Creative Commons Licenses in Archives West

Loading...
Loading...