Merrill G. Burlingame papers, 1880-1990

Notes, letters, printed materials, photocopied and original documents pertaining to a wide variety of historical personages, mostly connected with the development of Montana. In addition to the research notes that Burlingame created, some files contain actual manuscript materials created or collected by the biographical subject. While some of the subjects represented in this series figured prominently in the development of Gallatin County, most substantial biographical files of Gallatin County pioneers have been placed in series 2. There are also research files of a biographical nature in series 3, Montana and the Pioneer West. The materials in this series have been arranged alphabetically by the name of the biographical subject.

Notes, correspondence, photocopies, and original documents pertaining to the history of Gallatin County, Montana and the city of Bozeman, Montana. The topically labeled folders cover a wide variety of people, places, and events associated with Gallatin County history. Original documents created or collected by the W. W. Alderson family are included with this series as are files of biographical information on many prominent local personalities. Again, other biographical files of prominent Montanans can be found in series 1, Biographical files and series 3, Montana and the Frontier West. Research materials pertaining to Montana State College (Montana State University) in Bozeman have been placed in series 7. Much of the material dealing with the Christian Church in this series pertains to Burlingame's historical research on the Bozeman congregation and original copies of the Bozeman church's newspaper. For other Christian Church materials of a personal nature see series 8 and 10.

Notes, correspondence, photocopies, and original documents pertaining to the history of Montana and the pioneer west. These topically arranged folders cover a wide variety of material that documents Burlingame's research interests in Montana's past beyond Gallatin County and Bozeman. Original documents created or collected by Captain Gustavus C. Doane and his wife, Mary Hunter Doane, are included in this series, along with drafts of an unpublished manuscript biography of Doane written by Burlingame in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Some material on Montana Native Americans is included in this series, usually in the context of the Indian Wars and the frontier military. More complete research in this area is represented in series 6, Indians.