University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections
The University of Montana—Missoula
Missoula, MT 59812
406-243-2053
http://www.lib.umt.edu/asc
library.archives@umontana.edu
Mss
800
Worden,
Francis Lyman, 1830-1887
Francis Lyman Worden
letters
1850-2011(bulk 1853-1889)
1.0 linear foot
This collection includes 148 letters,
mostly correspondence from friends and family to Francis Lyman Worden. Many
letters are from Troy, New York, and other East Coast locales. The envelopes'
addresses chart Worden's travels from San Francisco to Washington Territory and
finally to Montana. The majority of the letters are from 1853-1889. Also
included are summaries of all letters, and full and partial transcripts of a
few letters, created by Charles N. Leach in 2011.
Materials are in English
Biographical Note
Francis Lyman Worden was born in Vermont in 1830 and attended school
in Troy, New York. He began clerking in a store when he was fourteen. In 1852,
he went to San Francisco, California, and clerked in a store there. He then
went to Oregon, mined for a year, and settled in The Dalles near the east end
of the Columbia River Gorge, where he fought in the Indian wars of 1855. He
worked as clerk in the Indian Department under Isaac J. Stephens. He moved to
Walla Walla, Washington Territory, and opened a store. He was also postmaster
of Walla Walla for two years.
In 1860 he formed a partnership with Christopher P. Higgins and they
located in Hell Gate, Washington Territory, a site that would become part of
Missoula, Montana. Soon afterward, they moved their business to Missoula,
Washington Territory, and started the first store in that town, Worden and
Company.
In 1862, prospectors discovered gold on Gold Creek east of Missoula,
and Worden and Higgins went to that area to supply the mining camps until 1863.
They then moved to Deer Lodge and opened the first store in that town. In 1864,
they built a sawmill and gristmill, and in 1866 completed a milling operation.
In 1868, they sold their interests in Deer Lodge and, with Washington J.
McCormick, laid out 100 acres of the townsite of Missoula, Montana Territory.
Worden and Company prospered and by 1865 the company’s holdings also
included a saw and gristmill on the present site of Missoula. Worden and
Higgins laid out the townsite, built bridges, established a water works and
bank, and generally fostered the town’s growth. Both men were active in
territorial politics and had diverse side interests. Worden and Company were a
dominant mercantile establishment in Western Montana until the late 1870s when
Eddy, Hammond and Company entered the competition. In July, 1886, in attempt to
gain more capital, Worden and Company merged with Murphy, Hart and Company, a
general merchandise company, to form Murphy-Worden and Company. In 1902, the
Murphy-Worden Company was replaced by Murphy-Greenough and Company, which
continued exclusively as a grocery store in the same location.
Worden married Lucretia Miller at Frenchtown, Montana Territory, in
1866. They had seven children: Lucina L., Henry O., Carolyn (Carrie) M., Louise
M., Frank L., Horace B., and Ruth M. Mr. Worden died on 5 February 1887.
Lucretia Miller Worden died in 1913 at the age of 61.
This collection includes 148 letters, of which 145 are correspondence
to Francis Lyman Worden. Many letters are from Troy, New York, where Worden
worked in his uncle's store before sailing to San Francisco. Justus H. and
Henry Worden were Francis Worden's brothers. E.K. Powers is Ellis King Powers,
Worden's slightly older cousin. Most letters are accompanied by their original
envelope addressed to Worden. The 3 letters addressed to others include an 1877
letter to Mrs. Worden from Sarah Lent, an 1889 letter from a San Francisco
lawyer regarding Worden's estate, and a 1918 letter from Lt. Philip E. Bradley
to his father.
The collection includes the original handwritten index list of the
letters, 1851-1918, done by Worden's son, Horace Worden. Also included is a
brief note to Francis Worden written in 1850 and a list of the letters with
summaries of their contents created by Worden's great-grandson, Charles Leach
Jr., 2011. Dr. Leach also transcribed or partially transcribed some
letters.
This letter collection offers insight into Worden's early relationship
with friends and family.
The letters were maintained in Horace Worden's chronological order
with the exception of the single note, 1850, that was not included in his
handwritten index. That note is at the end. The folders were replaced but the
individual housing of each letter was maintained.
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of
Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and
The University of Montana-Missoula.
Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and
any other applicable statutes. Copyright transferred to The University of
Montana-Missoula.
[Name of document or photograph number], Francis Lyman Worden Letters,
Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The
University of Montana-Missoula.
The letters were held by family before donation.
Donated by Charles N. Leach, Jr., 2011.
When received, the letters were enclosed in plastic sleeves and
individually foldered. The plastic sleeves were discarded and the letters were
individually foldered in acid free folders. The letters to Francis Lyman Worden
are all listed by sender's name as they were in the Horace Worden index and on
each original folder.
Another collection held in this repository, Mss 021, Francis Lyman
Worden Papers, holds materials relevant to Worden's businesses and a few family
papers.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online
catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or
places should search the catalog using these headings.
Bradley,
Philip E.--Correspondence
Lent,
Sarah--Correspondence
Powers, E.
K. (Ellis King), 1824-1888--Correspondence
Worden,
Francis Lyman, 1830-1887--Correspondence
Worden,
Francis Lyman, 1830-1887--Estate
Worden,
Henry, b. 1835--Correspondence
Worden,
Justus H., b. 1831--Correspondence
Worden,
Lucretia Miller, d. 1893--Correspondence
Leach,
Charles N. (Charles Nelson)
Worden, Horace Ballou, 1882-1946
Worden Family--Correspondence
Troy (N.Y.)
Families--Montana--Missoula--Correspondence
Families--New York
(State)--Troy--Correspondence
Montana
California
Home
and Family
1/1
Justice H. Worden
1851 December
20
1/2
Justice H. Worden
1852 February
22
1/3
E.K. Powers
1852 November
4
1/4
Julian N. K.
1852 December
2
1/5
Lyman Power and Jim
1853 January
3
1/6
John Oldfield
1853 January
4
1/7
Lyman Powers - no
letter
While this letter is included in Horace Worden's list along with
a labeled folder, the letter itself was removed in years prior to donation.
1853 January
7
1/8
Justus H. Worden
1853 January
16
1/9
E.K. Powers
1853 January
19
1/10
E.K. Powers
1853 February
4
1/11
J.H. Housman
1853 February
15
1/12
E.K. Powers
1853 February
18
1/13
John Housman
1853 February
24
1/14
E.K. Powers
1853 March
4
1/15
E.K. Powers
1853 March
19
1/16
A.J. Mattison
1853 March
28
1/17
Jim
1853 March
30
1/18
Charles Sumner
1853 April
1
1/19
Justus Worden
1853 April
3
1/20
Charles R. Sumner
1853 April
4
1/21
E.K. Power
1853 April
19
1/22
E.K. Powers
1853 May
4
1/23
Lyman and Mary Power
1853 May
4
1/24
John D. Housman
1853 May
18
1/25
E.K. Powers
1853 May
19
1/26
Charles R. Sumner
1853 May
21
1/27
E.K. Powers
1853 May
27
1/28
E.K. Powers
1853 June
4
1/29
E.K. Powers
1853 June
11
1/30
E.K. Powers
1853 June
18
1/31
Jim
1853 June
19
1/32
E.K. Powers
1853 June
27
1/33
Charles R. Sumner
1853 June
29
1/34
E.K. Powers
1853 July
4
1/35
Henry C. and Melissa
Worden
1853 July
4
1/36
Charles R. Sumner
1853 July
14
1/37
A.S. Mattison
1853 July
15
1/38
E.K. Powers
1853 July
17
1/39
Andrew M Learned
1853 July
19
1/40
E.K. Powers
1853 August
4
1/41
Lyman Powers
1853 August
15
1/42
Justus H. Worden
1853 August
16
1/43
John Oldfield
1853 August
19
1/44
E.K. Powers
1853 September
3
1/45
E.K. Powers
1853 September
19
1/46
E.K. Powers
1853 October
4
1/47
John H. Housman
1853 October
13
1/48
Jim
1853 October
15
1/49
E.K. Powers
1853 Ocotober
19
1/50
E.K. Powers
1853 November
4
1/51
E.K. Powers
1853 November
19
1/52
E.K. Powers
1853 December
3
1/53
Justus Worden
1853 December
13
1/54
Lyman and Mary Powers
1853 December
17
1/55
E.K. Powers
1853 December
19
1/56
A.J. Mattison
1854 January
23
1/57
John Oldfield
1854 January
3
1/58
E.K. Powers
1854 January
4
1/59
Andrew M. Learned
1854 January
15
1/60
E.K. Powers
1854 January
19
1/61
Jim Hedenberg
1854 January
19
1/62
Andrew M. Learned
1854 January
27
1/63
Charles R. Sumner
1854 January
27
1/64
Andrew M. Learned
1854 February
1
1/65
E.K. Powers
1854 February
4
1/66
A. Haney
1854 February
4
1/67
George Worden
1854 February
16
1/68
E.K. Powers
1854 February
18
1/69
A.S. Mattison
1854 February
20
1/70
A.S. Mattison
1854 February
23
1/71
E.K. Powers
1854 March
4
1/72
Andrew M. Learned
1854 March
8
1/73
A. Haney
1954 March
17
1/74
E.K. Powers
1854 March
18
1/75
A. Haney
1854 April
14
1/76
A. Haney
1854 April
14
1/77
E.K. Powers
1854 April
19
1/78
Andrew M. Learned
1854 April
25
1/79
John H. Housman
1854 April 28
2/1
E.K. Powers
1854 May
4
2/2
John H. Housman
1854 May
17
2/3
James Hedenberg
18545 May
18
2/4
E.K. Powers
1854 May
19
2/5
A. Haney
1854 May
28
2/6
Henry C. Worden
1854 May
28
2/7
E.K. Powers
1854 June
4
2/8
Andrew M. Learned
1854 June
6
2/9
Andrew M. Learned
1854 June
16
2/10
E.K. Powers
1854 June
19
2/11
John H. Housman
1854 June
19
2/12
Andrew M. Learned
1854 June
19
2/13
Justus H. Worden
1854 July
17
2/14
Melissa Worden
1854 July
30
2/15
E.K. Powers
1854 August
4
216/
Justus Worden
1854 August
8
2/17
E.K. Powers
1854 August
19
2/18
Andrew M. Learned
1854 August
29
2/19
E.K. Powers
1854 September
4
2/20
E.K. Powers
1854 September
19
2/21
E.K. Powers
1854 October
4
2/22
Charles R. Sumner
1854 October
9
2/23
Andrew M. Learned
1854 October
13
2/24
Geo. H.L. Smith
1854 October
17
2/25
E.K. Powers
1854 December
4
2/26
E.K. Powers
1854 December
18
2/27
Andrew M. Learned
1854 December
21
2/28
Henry C. Worden
1855 January
2
2/29
E.K. Powers
1855 January
4
2/30
E.K. Powers
1855 February
19
2/31
Geo. H.L. Smith
1855 February
23
2/32
E.K. Powers
1855 March
3
2/33
E.K.
1855 March
19
2/34
E.K. Powers
1855 April
4
2/35
Justus H. Worden
1855 April
16
2/36
E.K. Powers
1855 May
19
2/37
E.K. Powers [with enclosed letter
from Henry C. Worden]
1855 June
4
2/38
Andrew M. Learned
1855 June
4
2/39
Henry C. Worden
1860 December
30
2/40
Lyman Powers
1861 May
5
2/41
Amandrin Powers
1861 June
16
2/42
Henry C. Worden
1861 August
12
2/43
Henry C. Worden
1862 April
5
2/44
Laura A. Stowe [Letters from Laura
Power and E.K. Powers enclosed]
1863 April
1
2/45
Melissa Worden
1863 April
12
2/46
Lyman Powers
1863 April
12
2/47
N. Connolly
1864 May
23
2/48
N. Connolly
1864 December
11
2/49
Thomas Adams
1865 August
2
2/50
(?) Morgan
1866 February
7
2/51
Clement M. Seaman
1866 April
28
2/52
Worden and Co.
1867 May
30
2/53
O.N. Worden
1867 October
29
2/54
Tyler Woodward
1868 December
2
2/55
H.W. and Caroline
Miller
1869 January
24
2/56
J.J. Worden
1869 April
3
2/57
O.N. Worden
1869 April
22
2/58
Caroline Miller
1869 April
25
2/59
Caroline Miller
1869 October
9
2/60
Rev. James Halley
1874 August
22
2/61
Melissa S. Stetson
1876 January
9
2/62
Alvin Lent
1876 February
3
2/63
Henke and Co.
1876 February
3
2/64
Thomas Newman
1876 February
7
2/65
Alvin Lent
1876 February
8
2/66
Mrs. Sarah Lent
1877 February
27
2/67
Andrew W. Swaney
1886 October
5
2/68
T.J. Crowley
1889 April
5
2/69
Lt. Philip E. Bradley to his
father
1918 January
21
2/70
Partial list of letters created by
Horace Worden, son of Francis L. Worden
undated
2/71
Letter from E.A. Lander
Seely
1850 December
16
2/72
List of letters with summaries and
partial transcriptions created by Charles Leach, great-grandson of Francis L.
Worden
Archives staff edits of this list include replacing 1-148
numerical designation with relevant folder numbers for each letter, date
corrections, format standardized for readability, and occasional words or
phrases added for clarity.
2011