Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Mrs. Lester S. Willson Papers, 1864-1920
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Willson, Lester S., Mrs., 1841-1923
- Title
- Mrs. Lester S. Willson Papers
- Dates
- 1864-192018641920
- Quantity
- .2 linear feet
- Collection Number
- Collection 884, MtBC, us (collection)
- Summary
- The Mrs. Lester S. Willson Papers consists of a large scrapbook of mounted newspaper clippings, photographs, recital programs, and memorabilia pertaining to: Mrs. Willson's musical activities in Bozeman; obituaries of members of the Willson family; Lester Willson's Civil War military career and early political career in Montana; the Willson's silver wedding anniversary.
- Repository
-
Montana State University Library, Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections
Montana State University-Bozeman Library
Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT
59717-3320
Telephone: 4069944242
Fax: 4069942851
- Access Restrictions
-
This collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Emma D. Weeks Willson was born on March 13, 1841 in New York. She met General Lester S. Willson while serving as a volunteer at the Veterans Home in Albany, New York where he acted as an administrator after the Civil War. Willson, who later founded a successful mercantile operation in Bozeman, Montana Territory, married Emma on March 2, 1869 and brought her back to Bozeman where they lived the rest of their lives. Reported to have brought the first piano to Bozeman, Emma was an accomplished musician and singer. She performed many recitals for the community, both as an accompanist and a performer, and was active in the Presbyterian church. The Willsons had four children, only one of whom survived to adulthood; Fred F. Willson, a prominent local architect. Mrs. Willson died on April 11, 1923.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection consists of a large scrapbook of mounted newspaper clippings, photographs, recital programs, and memorabilia pertaining to: Mrs. Willson's musical activities in Bozeman; obituaries of members of the Willson family; Lester Willson's Civil War military career and early political career in Montana; the Willson's silver wedding anniversary. Two memoranda books with poetry and lyrics composed or copied by Mrs. Willson are also included, along with an address book and a folder of laid-in material.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/1 | Memoranda book with poetry and lyrics; address book listing friends and relatives of the Willson family. | |
| 1/2 | Memoranda book with poetry and lyrics (disbound) | |
| 1/3 | Memoranda, photograph, correspondence, etc.
Laid-in material removed from scrapbook and memoranda books including a ballot from
Bozeman's 1867 election for the territorial legislature with a brief letter from Lester
Willson on verso; photograph of Lester Willson; letter from "Martha" to the Willsons
dated Christmas; miscellaneous calling cards and address slips.
|
circa 1866-1867, 1900 |
| 1/4 | Scrapbook |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Music-Montana-Bozeman
- Women musicians-Montana-Bozeman
Personal Names
- Willson, Lester S. (Lester Sebastian), 1839-1919
Family Names
- Willson family
- Wilson family
Form or Genre Terms
- Clippings-Montana-Bozeman
- Family papers-Montana-Bozeman
- Photographs-Montana-Bozeman
- Poems
- Programs-Montana-Bozeman
- Scrapbooks-Montana-Bozeman
Kim Allen Scott, 2009
September 7, 2016
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
