Myrtle May Crosby was born on March 21, 1888, in Illinois, one of at least seven children of Jacob N. Crosby and Lou Cook Crosby. Myrtle moved to Montana with some of her brothers during the homestead boom of the early twentieth century and they filed a claim near Riedel in Blaine County, Montana. Crosby taught school nearby and helped run the claim when two of her brothers were drafted to serve during World War I. She met another homesteader in the area, Frank H. Rivest (1889-1970), and they married at Kankakee County, Illinois, on December 8, 1918. The couple returned to homestead in Blaine County after their marriage, but by 1930 they had moved to Michigan where Rivest's family lived. Myrtle died on February 19, 1980.
The Myrtle May Crosby letters were written to her parents in April 1918 and describe her life on a homestead near Riedel, Montana. Crosby wrote specifically to her mother, Lou Cook Crosby, on the latter's birthday and recounted some family memories. She also discussed her concern over her brothers in the Army during World War I, and their assignment to a remount station. She described her school and teaching contract, discussing the upcoming elections that would determine a permanent site for the area schoolhouse. Her engagement to Frank Rivest, along with some information on his background, was also part of Crosby's letters, along with news about horses that had strayed in the area, farm sales, and mention of her neighbors, the Volkman family.
This collection is open for research.
Two original letters written by Myrtle May Crosby to her parents in Momence, Illinois, were purchased from Kirby and Cindy Pringle of Tuscola, Illinois, on August 14, 2015.
This collection was processed 2016 January 29
[Creator Name], [Date of Creation], [Brief Description of Object], Folder [#], Box [#], [Collection Name], [Collection #], Montana State University (MSU) Library, Bozeman, MT