Montana Historical SocietyLibrary & Archives
MC
58
Merriam, Frances Logan
1899-
Frances Logan Merriam papers
1948-1972
10.2 linear feet
Frances Merriam (b. 1899) served as the Executive Secretary
of the Committee for Paradise Dam, an organization that promoted the construction of the
Paradise and Knowles dams in western Montana. Papers (1948-1972) consist primarily of
subject files and correspondence concerning the dams and her work in the Montana Democratic
Party.
4:3-2
English
Frances Dummer Logan Merriam was born December 24, 1899, in Chicago, Illinois. She was the
daughter of William and Ethel Dummer. Frances Dummer attended Francis W. Parker High School
in Chicago, graduating in 1917. She entered college at the University of Wisconsin, where
she received Phi Beta Kappa honors, and graduated in 1921. Following graduation from
college, Frances Dummer taught school for three years in San Diego, California, 1921-1924.
In 1926, she was awarded a diploma as a psychiatric social worker from the New York School
of Social Work. Shortly thereafter, she returned to her home state and was employed for ten
months at the Illinois Institute for Juvenile Research. She continued her work in education
while working in the Winnetka, Illinois, public schools as an education counselor,
1926-1931. While employed there, she met and married Simon Rae Logan, then Assistant
Superintendent of Schools. The Logans continued living in Winnetka, while raising a son,
Francis, and a daughter, Katharine. Mrs. Logan later served as a co-director of the Chicago
Metropolitan Council of Civil Defense (Chicago Council of Social Work), 1942-1946. In 1946,
when her husband retired, Frances Logan moved with him to a farm/homestead near Charlo,
Montana. She remained active in political life, serving as Montana's First District
Democratic Congressional Committeewoman, 1962-1964. For three years, she also served as the
state's Democratic National Committeewoman. Frances Logan was also a charter member of the
Committee for Paradise Dam, an organization that promoted the construction of Paradise and
Knowles Dams in western Montana, in 1957, and later served as its Executive Secretary,
1959-1965. Her husband died in 1970, and in 1974 she married Harold G. Merriam, University
of Montana English professor emeritus.
The majority of the materials reflect Frances Logan's work as the executive secretary of
the Committee for Paradise Dam. Included are subject files containing correspondence,
reports, clippings, publications, and miscellany; clippings; and testimony from hearings
presented before various congressional committees. These materials are included in the
Paradise-Knowles Dams subgroup. The remaining papers are general correspondence (primarily
with Lee Metcalf), and subject files relative to Frances Logan's work in the Montana
Democratic Party, 1955-1972.
This collection is arranged into two subgroups: Frances Logan Merriam and Committee for
Paradise Dam. Each subgroup is arranged by series. Some material housed in oversize folder
in archives map case. See inventory below for more information.
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical
Society Library & Archives. The Library & Archives 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 Library & Archives. Helena, Montana.
Collection open for research.
Acquisition information available upon request.
Processed and deposited through the University of Montana Archives.
Photographs and selected printed material were transferred from this collection to the
Photograph Archives and Library respectively.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Montana Historical Society
Library & Archives catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics,
persons, or places should search under these terms.
Merriam, Frances Logan
1899-
Buffalo Rapids Project
(Mont.)
Charlo (Mont.)
Hells Canyon Dam (Idaho and
Or.)
Hungry Horse Dam (Mont.)
Kerr Dam (Mont.)
Knowles Dam (Mont.)
Libby Dam (Mont.)
Oregon--Industries
Paradise Dam (Mont.)
Paradise Irrigation District
(Mont.)
Dams--Montana
Electric Power--Montana
Electric Utilities--Law and
legislation--Montana
Federal Government
Indians Of North America--Government relations
Irrigation--Montana
Political parties--Montana
Public utilities--Regulation--Montana
Salish Indians
Salish Indians--Politics and government
Columbia River Treaty (1961)
Rural electrification--Montana
Montana
Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection
Frances Logan Merriam
General Correspondence
1 / 1
A (correspondents include LeRoy Anderson, Murl
Axtell)
1957, 1966
1 / 2
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Council
1957-1964
1 / 3
C-E (correspondents include Leo Carmody, Committee
for Paradise Dam, Chester City Mayor, Gardner Cromwell, Suzanne Emmons)
1958-1968
1 / 4
Flathead Irrigation Project
1962-1965
1 / 5
F-L (correspondents include Dorothy Floerchinger,
Elmer Freshour, Horace Gray, Harold Gunderson, Averill Harriman, Jerry Holloron,
Indian Affairs, KLCB Libby, Ann Low)
1956-1969
1 / 6
Donna Metcalf
1958-1971
1 / 7-19
Lee Metcalf
1955-1972
1 / 20
Missoulian [primarily letters to the editor]
1957-1972
1 / 21
Montana Farmers Union
1957
1 / 22
Montana Rural Electric News
1957-1962
1 / 23
Montana State Board of Health (re air and water
pollution, includes article "Stream Waste Disposal and Public Health in Montana," by
G.D. Carlyle Thompson
1961-1968
1 / 24
M (correspondents include Mike Mansfield, Gary
Marbut enclosing statement to Montana Water Pollution Control Council, Allen
McAlear, Montana Power Company, James E. Murray)
1957-1967
1 / 25
M (correspondents include National Congress of
American Indians, National Farmers Union, Northwest Public Power Association)
1957-1963
1 / 26
People's Voice (Harry and Gretchen Billings)
1957
1 / 27
P-R (correspondents include Donald A. Paddock, The
Plainsman, Miles Romney)
1957-1962
1 / 28
Adlai E. Stevenson
1955-1956
1 / 29
S-W (correspondents include Alvin E. Sloan, Cy
Tonner, U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Federal Power Commission, U.S. House
Appropriations Committee, U.S. Rural Electrification Administration, U.S.
President's Water Pollution Control Commission)
1957-1968
1 / 30
Unidentified
1961, 1964
Subject Files
2 / 10
Air pollution
1966-1971
2 / 2
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Council
minutes
1957, 1962-1963
2 / 3-4
Flathead Irrigation Project (includes land
ownership lists, crop reports, contracts, legislation, circular letters, clippings,
etc.)
1962-1971
2 / 5-6
Indians (includes House Subcommittee on Indian
Affairs hearing, Hellgate Treaty, petition, Char-Koosta, Kicking Horse Conservation
Center, clippings)
1955-1970
2 / 7
Indians: termination of tribal ownership of land
1971-1972
2 / 8
Montana Air Pollution Advisory Council
1967
3 / 1
Montana-Idaho Assembly on State Legislatures in
American Politics
1966
3 / 2-6
Montana Power Company (includes reports to
stockholders, clippings, etc.)
1957-1972
3 / 7
Montana Power Company: advertisements
1963-1970
3 / 8
Montana Power Company: natural gas
1961-1965
3 / 9
Montana Water Pollution Council (includes public
hearing on proposed revision of water quality standards, clippings)
1967-1968
4 / 1
Municipal utilities
1967
4 / 2
Newspapers
1957-1971
4 / 3
Overcharge (re publication of book by Lee Metcalf)
1967
4 / 4-5
Water pollution (includes clippings, report on "The
Anaconda Company Waste Treatment Plant for the Butte Mines and Anaconda Reduction
Works", stream classifications, federal legislation, etc.)
1963-1970
Committee For Paradise Dam
Subject Files
5 / 1
Advertising
1956-1957
5 / 2
Amendments to Congressional bills
1957-1960
5 / 3
American Public Power Association correspondence
1957-1963
5 / 4
Annual meeting
1959
5 / 5
Articles of incorporation, bylaws, etc.
1957-1961
5 / 6
Articles and publications
1958, 1962
5 / 7
Audits and financial statements
1957-1963
5 / 8
John F. Baldwin (R. Calif.) questionnaire [includes
question on Knowles Dam]
1963
5 / 9
Beets (includes statistics of sugar beet growing)
1957-1966
5 / 10
Mondell Bennett correspondence
1960-1961
5 / 11-12
Roy F. Bessey correspondence and testimony
1960-1965
5 / 13
Bills (re Knowles Dam alternative to Paradise Dam,
Yellowtail Dam, Hells Canyon Dam; also includes report on "Multiple-Purpose Storage
Possibilities, Clark Fork River Basin")
1953-1960
6 / 1-2
Bills (re Knowles Dam and Paradise Dam; statements
of Gus Norwood, Roy F. Bessey, David R. Brower, S.R. Logan; clippings)
1957-1960
6 / 3
Harry and Gretchen Billings correspondence
1965-1971
6 / 4
Bio-degradable products
1964
6 / 5
Bison (primarily re effect of Knowles Dam on
National Bison Range)
1961-1965
6 / 6-7
Board of Directors correspondence
1957-1964
6 / 8
"Brainwash" (see also: Advertising)
1957-1962
6 / 9
British Columbia Hydro Takeover (re takeover of
British Columbia Electric Company by government)
1961-1963
6 / 10-12
Buffalo Rapids (re proposed Montana Power Company
dams: includes correspondence, Federal Power Commission applications, clippings,
etc.)
1958-1968
6 / 13-15
Buffalo Rapids / Kerr Dam (re proposed Confederated
Salish and Kootenai Tribes and Montana Power Company joint project for dams at
Buffalo Rapids and re-licensing of Kerr Dam)
1961-1966
7 / 1
Businessmen (re appeal to businessmen to support
Paradise Dam)
1957-1959
7 / 2
Canadian diversion and projects (re proposals to
divert water from upper Columbia River to Fraser River; also Peace River Project)
1958-1963
7 / 3
Canadian-United States Columbia River Treaty
1958-1963
7 / 4
Leo Carmody correspondence (Central Montana
Electric Generation and Transmission Cooperative)
1963
7 / 5
Cattle (list of number of head of cattle owned by
Little Bitterroot Valley ranches)
1963
7 / 6
Henry P. Caulfield correspondence (U.S. Dept. of
Interior)
1962-1963
7 / 7
Chambers of Commerce (correspondence with Chambers
of Commerce in area where dams have been built, including Glasgow and Polson)
1955-1966
7 / 8
Chelan [Wash.] Public Utility District
1957
7 / 9
Christian Century article and response to it by
S.R. Logan
1962-1963
7 / 10
Ed Christopherson correspondence
1959-1960
7 / 11
Earl Chudoff correspondence
1957
7 / 12
Citizens Committee Against Knowles
1961-1962
7 / 13
Coal (re coal-fired electric generating plants)
1965-1966
7 / 14-16
Columbia River Regional Corporation bill (drafted
by Northwest Public Power Association)
1958
7 / 17
Columbia Valley Authority flyer
1947
7 / 18
Committee for Paradise Dam (includes circular
letters, meeting notices, speeches, flyers, correspondence, clippings, etc.)
1957-1959
7 / 19
Clifford Davis correspondence
1963
7 / 20
Deficit (re financial deficit of Committee)
1957
7 / 21
Democratic Party platform letter on Paradise Dam
1956-1957
7 / 22
Displaced persons (re protection for people
displaced by highways and dams)
1958-1962
7 / 23
Floyd E. Dominy correspondence (commissioner of
Bureau of Reclamation)
1961
8 / 1
Downstream Benefits bill
1959-1961
8 / 2
Leonard B. Dworsky correspondence (Columbia Basin
Inter Agency Committee)
1961-1962
8 / 3
Dwight D. Eisenhower (speeches and press releases
re power projects)
1955-1961
8 / 4
Election results (letters to Mike Mansfield, James
E. Murray, and LeRoy Anderson re significance of support to Paradise Dam)
1958, 1960
8 / 5
Executive Committee (includes lists, circular
letters, mail ballots, hearing statements)
1965-1966
8 / 6-7
Expenses
1959-1965
8 / 8-10
Federal Power Commission (includes act, rules and
procedures, planning status report on Clark Fork-Pend Oreille River Basin,
"Hyrdoelectric Power Resources of the United States", clippings, correspondence,
opinions)
1955-1968
8 / 11
Flood damage (re value of dams for flood control
purposes)
1957-1967
8 / 12
Foundation study (includes "Outline for Study of
Research and Planning Program and Organization for the Paradise Project Area, and of
Requirements for Outside Financial and Technical Assistance Therein" by Roy F.
Bessey)
1957-1958
8 / 13
John Garber correspondence
1957-1963
8 / 14
Ferris G. Gilkey correspondence (manager,
Bonneville Power Administration, Kalispell District Office)
1962-1963
8 / 15
Ernest Gruening correspondence (re The Public Pays)
1959-1960
9 / 1
Hanford Reactor (re use of surplus nuclear power to
generate electricity)
1961-1963
9 / 2
Paul Harlow correspondence, speeches, etc.
1957-1970
9 / 3-4
Hells Canyon Dam (Snake River, Idaho)
1957-1959
9 / 5
Jerome Hewankorn correspondence (re his petition
calling for election on Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe agreement with
Montana Power Company re-licensing Kerr Dam)
1965-1967
9 / 6
Hungry Horse Dam (primarily clippings)
1948-1968
9 / 7
Leon Hurtt correspondence (includes report "Big,
Little, and Medium Sized Dams on the Upper Columbia R.")
1957-1962
9 / 8
Indians (includes Confederated Salish and Kootenai
Tribal Council minutes, hearing testimony, circular letters, etc.)
1957-1960
9 / 9
Industrial News Review article against Knowles Dam
and Lee Metcalf response to it
1963-1964
9 / 10
Kerr Dam rental from Confederated Salish and
Kootenai Tribe by Montana Power Company (includes Federal Power Commission decision
readjusting rate)
1966-1967
9 / 11
Knowles Dam correspondence
1957-1963
10 / 1
Knowles Dam correspondence
1958-1964
10 / 2
Knowles Dam letters to Congress
1962
10 / 3
Knowles Dam mass mailings
1960-1965
10 / 4
Knowles Dam testimony
1962
10 / 5
Labor support for Paradise Dam
1957
10 / 6
Lake County membership activities
1957
10 / 7
Land acquisition (re protections for land owners)
1957, 1961
10 / 8
"Land Grab" hoax (re Bureau of Reclamation
application for withdrawal of lands needed for Knowles Dam from appropriation for
other purposes)
1963
10 / 9
Legislative history (includes various versions of
bills, reports, correspondence, clippings, etc.)
1956-1964
10 / 10
Legislative Joint Memorial #1 (re Paradise Dam)
1957
10 / 11
Letterhead (includes permissions from all members
of board of directors to appear on letterhead)
1963
10 / 12-13
Letters to editors [mostly undated, no order]
1957-1965
11 / 1
Libby Dam (includes correspondence, circulars,
clippings, ground-breaking ceremony)
1956-1966
11 / 2
Charles F. Luce correspondence (Bonneville Power
Administration)
1961-1971
11 / 3
Harvey McPhail correspondence (Kuljian Corporation)
1959
11 / 4
Mike Mansfield correspondence
1957-1964
11 / 5
Michael Mapes (Special Counsel to Senate Committee
on Interior and Insular Affairs: includes memos to James E. Murray and Mike
Mansfield, reports, etc.)
1956-1967
11 / 6
Maps (includes sketch maps of sites, section
drawings for dams and spillways, contour map of Paradise Dam, drainage map of Clark
Fork and tributaries) [some maps in OVERSIZE FOLDER]
1948-1957
1
Miscellaneous Maps [Map Case]
1948-1957
11 / 7
Mass mailings (re both Paradise and Knowles dams)
1957-1962
12 / 1-7
Membership (includes correspondence, lists,
contributions, etc.)
1957-1965
12 / 8-9
Lee Metcalf correspondence
1957-1961
13 / 1-2
Lee Metcalf correspondence
1962-1965
13 / 3
Minutes of executive board and membership meetings
1957-1965
13 / 4
Moiese Bison Range (includes list of employment of
opponents to dam)
1963
13 / 5
Howard Morgan correspondence (Federal Power
Commission)
1963
13 / 6
Motel owners (circular letters)
1963
13 / 7
Municipal ownership of electric power
1959-1961
13 / 8-9
James E. Murray correspondence
1957-1960
13 / 10
Robert W. Nelson correspondence (U.S. Dept. of
Interior)
1962-1966
13 / 11
Richard Neuberger speeches and clippings
1957
13 / 12
Northwest Public Power Association correspondence
1956-1957
14 / 1
Northwest Public Power Association correspondence
1957-1961
14 / 2
Northwest Public Power Association: Spokane
conference
1964
14 / 3-7
Northwest Public Power Association: Gus Norwood
correspondence and clippings
1959-1965
14 / 8
Oil drilling (re filing of options on land to be
flooded near Moiese)
1957-1958
14 / 9
Arnold Olsen correspondence
1957-1963
14 / 10
Opposition to Paradise Dam
1957-1960
15 / 1
Partnership (re proposals to sell power from public
dams to private utilities)
1957-1960
15 / 2
Bill Pickett correspondence
1963
15 / 3
Policy statements
1958, undated
15 / 4
Population study (lists of occupied and unoccupied
houses in dam area)
1959-1963
15 / 5
"Pork Barrel" article in Life magazine and
responses to it
1963
15 / 6-8
Press (includes press releases, clippings, etc.)
1957-1965
15 / 9
Truman Price correspondence (Washington State Dept.
of Conservation)
1963
15 / 10
Quotes and scripts
1956-1957
15 / 11-13
Relocation (re relocation of rail lines and people
required for Paradise Dam)
1957-1961
15 / 14
Roland Renne (includes "Green Gold: Montana's
Undeveloped Water Resources")
1959-1960
15 / 15
Reprints and quotes
1953-1959
16 / 1
Review report (re Columbia River 308 Review Report)
1958-1960
16 / 2
Michael A. Rivisto correspondence
1960
16 / 3
Nita G. Robbin correspondence
1960-1961
16 / 4
Russia's river development
1957-1960
16 / 5
Steel mill (re proposed steel mill at Anaconda)
1959-1960
16 / 6
Benton J. Strong correspondence (staff member
Senate Interior and Insular Affairs Committee; includes "Report on Resources on the
New Frontier"
1961-1962
16 / 7
Sugar company (re American Crystal Sugar Company
and its relationship to Anaconda Company, Montana Power Company, and Northern
Pacific Railway)
1957
16 / 8
Archer S. Taylor correspondence (includes Committee
for Paradise Dam nominating committee material)
1957-1965
16 / 9
Television programs on dams
1961-1962
16 / 10
L.P. "Cy" Tonner correspondence
1957-1963
16 / 11
Treasurer's reports
1957-1964
16 / 12
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers correspondence
1948, 1957-1968
16 / 13-15
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hearings
1948, 1956-1959
16 / 16
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports
1958-1960
17 / 1-3
U.S. Bonneville Power Administration (includes
correspondence, rate plans, speeches, generation and sales statistics, news
releases, contracts)
1946-1967
17 / 4-6
U.S. Bonneville Power Administration Advisory
Council
1961-1963
18 / 1-2
U.S. Bonneville Power Administration Advisory
Council
1962-1964
18 / 3
U.S. Bonneville Power Administration spot rate maps
(compares price of electricity in various Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon
locations)
1964, undated
18 / 4
U.S. Congressional correspondence
1957-1960
18 / 5
U.S. Senate Select Committee on Water Resources
(includes bills, resolutions, correspondence, hearing testimony of Committee for
Paradise Dam, G.M. Brandborg, Leonard Kenfield, and Fred E. Buck)
1959-1960
18 / 6
Upper Columbia Development Council (opposed to
Paradise Dam)
1957-1964
18 / 7
Upstream Storage Committee of Northwest Public
Power Association minutes
1959
18 / 8
Water crop value
1962
18 / 9
Water Resources Planning Act (S.2246: includes
testimony
1961
18 / 10
Robert C. Weller correspondence (Lumber and Sawmill
Workers Union)
1957-1966
Clippings
19 / 1
Flathead Courier
1957-1961
19 / 2
Hungry Horse News
1960-1961
19 / 3
People's Voice
1957-1961
19 / 4
Plainsman
1956-1958
19 / 5
Ronan Pioneer
1957-1961
19 / 6
St. Ignatius Post
1957
19 / 7-12
Miscellaneous
1949, 1957-1960
20 / 1-10
Miscellaneous
1961-1969, undated
Hearings
21 / 1
Hungry Horse Dam hearing (includes testimony by
J.E. Corette of Montana Power Company)
1947-1949
21 / 2-3
Paradise Dam hearing, Missoula (includes
resolutions of support by large number of organizations)
1957
21 / 4
Paradise Dam hearing, Helena
1957
21 / 5
Paradise Dam hearings (related material)
1957
21 / 6
Columbia River Report hearings (includes testimony
of National Hells Canyon Association, Roy F. Bessey, Paul K. Harlow)
March 1959
21 / 7
U.S. Senate Select Committee on Water Resources
hearing (testimony of Frances Logan)
October 1959
21 / 8
U.S. Senate hearing on S. 1226 (includes testimony
of Frances Logan, S.R. Logan, Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society, David R.
Brower of Sierra Club, Gus Norwood of Northwest Public Power Association)
December 1959
22 / 1-3
U.S. Senate hearing on S. 1226 (includes
correspondence and related material)
December 1959
22 / 4-5
Montana H.B. 217 and H.R. 8 hearing (includes
testimony of Gus Norwood of Northwest Public Power Association, R.E. Corette; also
includes text of bill and resolution)
1959
22 / 6
U.S. Senate S. 1226 hearing (correspondence and
related material)
1960
23 / 1-2
U.S. Senate S. 1226 hearing (correspondence and
related material)
1960
23 / 3
Knowles Dam hearing (includes testimony of Frances
D. Logan; Gus Norwood; Arnold Olsen; Kenneth Holum, Assistant Secretary of Interior;
Ralph Maxwell, Lake County Commissioners; J.E. Corette, Montana Power Company;
George E. Mushbach; John W. Haw and Carl H. Burgess, Northern Pacific Railway
Company; Mark Hatfield; Robert C. Sykes, Montana Wildlife Federation; Walter H.
Morigeau, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes; Ray M. Logan, Upper Columbia
Development Council; J. Hugo Aronson)
1962
23 / 4
Knowles Dam hearing (related material)
1962
23 / 5
Knowles Dam hearing (testimony, statements, and
resolutions in support of dam)
1963
23 / 6
Knowles Dam hearing (related material)
1963
24 / 1-2
Knowles Dam hearing (includes testimony of Frances
D. Logan, Albert W. Stone, Gus Norwood, Leonard Kenfield, Jeanne Beaty, S.R. Logan,
Lumber and Sawmill Workers Union)
1963
24 / 3
Knowles Dam hearing (related material)
1963-1964
24 / 4
In the Matter of Montana Power Company Project #5
(re Kerr Dam evaluation)
1965
24 / 5
In the Matter of Montana Power Company and
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Project #2507 (re Kerr Dam and proposed
Buffalo Rapids dams)
1965
24 / 6
Clark Fork and Flathead River water resources study
hearings
1966
24 / 7
Miscellaneous
undated
Miscellany
24 / 8
Miscellaneous (includes statements, brochures,
etc.)
undated
Transfers
24 / 9-10
Lists of photographs and printed material
transferred to Photo Archives and Library respectively
undated