October 2009 - Livestock Brands in Montana
The Montana Historical Society Research Center currently retains historical brands of the Montana Department of Livestock, Brand Enforcement Division on microfilm from 1873 through 1950. In addition to the microfilm collection, the Montana Memory Project contains scanned, searchable images of brand records from 1873 through 1991. Used in conjunction with each other, these resources can trace a brand through several decades and provide a visual piece of a family’s historical puzzle. The process of finding that record can be quite rewarding.
Brands in Montana were first recorded in 1873 and new brands were recorded as new applications were submitted until 1910. Since 1911, brands have been registered for a ten year period and had to be re-registered in the first year of each decade (i.e. 1911, 1921, 1931...). Within each decade, though, a person could apply for a new brand or transfer their brand to someone else.
In order to search our microfilm collection, you may visit the Research Center and we will help you with your search. If you are unable to visit us, our research request forms (with instructions and fees) are available by linking to our Research Requests page.
If you would like to search from home, go directly to the Montana Memory Project or link to the MMP from our web page Montana Historical Society Research Center. The Advanced Search allows you to search under several different terms (i.e. name, city, county). The images in this database have been scanned from microfilm, thus may not always be legible and your search may not result in any positive hits (in which case, a search in our in-house microfilm collection, which includes name and brand indexes for 1873-1950, may yield a positive hit). Searching under the brand symbol is difficult because it is not recognized as a word. If you have any questions regarding a search in the Montana Memory Project, contact us at (406)444-2681.
- Looking for the brand owner Collins in Saco, Montana within the MHS Livestock Brands collection of the Montana Memory Project, see our search example: Search Example.bmp
- When we look in the earliest record grouping (1873-1910), we find the record below.
- We can ascertain much from this record. For example, the brand was recorded on June 14, 1902 under the name A.N. Collins, from Saco, Valley County.
- The record describes where on which species of animal the brand should be placed.
- The word ‘vent’ means that, when that livestock is sold, a mark (typically a slash) should be placed on the livestock and the record indicates where on the animal that mark should be placed.
- The record is also stamped with the re-record date, so we know that Collins intended to retain ownership of this brand as of July 15, 1911 for the next decade (through 1920).
Reading the brands themselves, also referred to as “callin’ the brand”, is like learning another language. Brands are composed of letters, numbers, pictures and other symbols such as + (cross), _ (bar), \ (slash), = (double bar), and these may be arranged and combined in any number of ways. The basic rules of reading brands are listed below.
- Read from left to right, top to bottom, and outside to inside.
- With a lazy letter, the top is always to the left. If the top is to the right, it reads “lazy F top to the right”
- Letters with bows (B, D, P, etc.), when turned lazy, they are read as “lazy B bow up” or “lazy B bow down”, depending upon orientation.
- In the Collins example above, we would call the brand ‘A hanging N’
To learn more about reading brands, you can find detailed information in the book, Brands Across Montana / by Fred B. Hunnes, 1984, held in most Montana libraries. Or check out our vertical file labeled Cattle Brands.
In addition to the microfilm collection and Montana Memory Project, the Montana Historical Society Research Center has Stock Grower’s Association brand books for the years 1890, 1894, 1899, 1903, and 1910 and Van Dersal & Conner’s Stockgrowers’ Directory of Marks and Brands for the State of Montana, 1872-1900 / by Van Dersal & Conner (which is organized by county). These books list only those brands owned by members of the Stock Grower’s Association for that specific period of time.
Many counties have compiled their own historical record of brands recorded within that county and you can search for specific county brand books through the Montana Historical Society Research Center Online Catalog
Currently, there are over 60,000 brands registered in Montana. The next rerecord year is 2011. To find out more details concerning brands registrations and re-recording, contact the Department of Livestock or go to Montana Department of Livestock. One can even register ‘Heirloom’ or ‘Ornamental’ brands, which are not applied to livestock.
Whether a brand was in fact used on an animal to identify ownership of that livestock or was registered as an heirloom brand, many researchers create quilts, cards, or other keepsakes depicting the brand in order to symbolically preserve their family’s history.
September 2009 - "Black Bart" and the Hand Grenades
"Black Bart" was the nickname of Stanley Davison, a native of Fort Benton, Montana, and a soldier in Montana's famed 163rd Infantry during World War II. He kept a fascinating diary of his time in New Guinea facing the Japanese near Sanananda from Dec. 1942 through June 1943. The diary is part of Small Collection 1854 in the MHS Research Center Archives and is available for research at the Society. The following is a clip from his diary talking about guard duty and the grenades they were issued, as well as a bit about life in the slit trenches.
Link to image from page 4 of Davison's diary
August 2009 - Homesteading in Montana
On May 20, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the Homestead Act, which gave "free" land to any settler who could meet the laws requirements. The Homestead Act required each person who wanted land to complete three steps: file an application, improve the land, and file for deed of title. Despite the odds, thousands of settlers -- including single women, recently freed slaves, and newly arrived immigrants -- came to Montana to claim their "free" land. In addition to native-born Americans, immigrants from Scandinavia, Germany, Poland, Yugoslavia, France, Italy, Spain, and Ireland flooded into Montana. However, the Homestead Act's seemingly lenient requirements often proved insurmountable for many homesteaders. Many took claims with little or no farming experience, and growing crops in the harsh conditions of the West was a difficult task for even the most seasoned farmers. Many homesteads in the arid plains were too small to yield a profitable crop, and the cost of irrigation far exceeded the value of the land. Over the 124-year history of the Act, more than 2 million individuals filed claims in the United States. Of these, only 783,000 -- less than half -- ultimately obtained the deeds for their homesteads.
Railroads, county boosters, and many other promotional organizations encouraged homesteading in Montana. These organization would publish maps, brochures, and pamphlets that promoted homesteading and encouraged people to move west and settle the land. The Montana Historical Society's Research Center holds a large collection of these types of pamphlets. You can see examples of some of them on the Montana Memory Project, including a Northern Pacific Railroad Company map titled "Golden Montana" and a Chicago Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway brochure titled "Montana." The Research Center also has many photographs, reminscences and diaries that provide first-hand accounts of life as a homesteader in Montana. Some of these are also available on the Montana Memory Project, including Otto Jorgenson's "Boyhood Recollections of Homestead Days in Eastern Montana."
The Homestead Act was repealed in 1976, although special provisions were made to allow for homesteading in Alaska until 1986.
Some related websites with additional information include:
July 2009 -- Glacier Centennial Approaching
Two Medicine Lake and Mt. Rockwell
The Crown of the Continent, Montana's own Glacier National Park will be celebrating its 100th year of existence in 2010. To help celebrate, the Montana Historical Society Museum will be mounting a significant exhibit on the Park's history this Fall and running through 2010. Given that it is Glacier "season" in Montana I thought highlighting a couple items in our collections, also available through the Montana Memory Project, might be a fun way to prepare us for this grand Glacier exhibit, even now "in the works." The images are photographic prints, one hand-colored, done by R. E. "Ted" Marble of Belton, Montana sometime in the early 20th century. Other Glacier images by Marble are also available on the Montana Memory Project.
Going Places in Glacier Park. Bears on the Going-to-the-Sun Highway
June 2009 -- Copper Commando and World War II Rationing
A few months ago, I began processing the Robert I. Nesmith photographs (Lot 19), which were taken for Copper Commando, a bi-weekly pictorial newspaper published during World War II at the recommendation of the War Production Board. Commando documented the day-to-day work of Anaconda Company workers and illustrated how Montana metals were helping to win the war. In addition to great articles that document the process of metals production from mining to fabrication (copper, zinc, manganese, cadmium, gilding metal and more), the publication includes columns covering the homefront. Many of these contain tips on rationing and new government regulations for various goods.
Copper Commando’s "Platter Chatter" column offers cooking advice from wives of ACM workers. Most rationing tips and "Platter Chatter" columns appear in earlier issues of Copper Commando, and stretching red points (meat, butter, fat, and oil) was the greatest concern. The government encouraged using all parts of meat, and many "Platter Chatter" housewives suggested using bones, drippings and meat fat for all manner of recipes. If this was not possible, Copper Commando asked readers to sell back the fat to the grocer, so that the glycerin might be used in the war effort (December 4, 1942). Columns also gave suggestions for stretching blue points (fruits and vegetables) by canning everything from fruit butters to chili sauce.
Copper Commando offered many other recommendations to various audiences: Drivers, in order to save gas and tires, were asked to keep the speedometer under 35 mph, and drive 5,000 miles or fewer per year. Lawyers could search their offices for seals of corporations no longer in existence (these seals contained valuable scrap metal) (October 7, 1942). And deer hunters were to turn all hides into commercial channels for the manufacture of military equipment (November 12, 1943).
The MHS Research Center Library carries all issues of Copper Commando (1942-1945) in three bound volumes (Oversize 331.05 C79) and the MHS Research Center Photograph Archives holds the Robert I. Nesmith photographs (Lot 19), nearly 1,000 images taken for Copper Commando from 1942-1944.
May 2009 -- The Montana Digital Archives is Born!
The Montana Historical Society Archives is currently participating as an active partner in a collaborative project called the Multi-State Government Digital Information Program. We are one of several state archives and libraries working together to find ways to preserve and provide access to our various ‘born digital’ state records. Each institution’s records are housed and managed on completely separate servers, and made accessible using separate web portals, by a centralized repository maintained at the Washington Digital Archives. The project is currently supported under their guidance and that of a two-year NDIIP/Library of Congress grant.
For this project the MHS archives worked closely with the Legislative Services Division to send duplicate copies of original digital audio recordings of the Montana Legislature to the Washington Digital Archives. Associated metadata was also extracted and sent with the recordings. After receiving these files, the staff of the Washington Digital Archives uploaded them to our server there and converted the audio to a more stable file format. Some of these files are currently available on our web portal which uses Microsoft Research's Audio Search technology in the detailed search feature. This feature makes it possible to use keyword searching within specific committees to locate desired information on cue within the audio files themselves. This project makes it possible to have the robust support and security larger institutions specializing in digital preservation can provide, while allowing us to work with and maintain our individual records. Ultimately this is one opportunity to begin ensuring the long-term preservation and access of even more diverse electronic records in the future. Although the project is still developing, we welcome you to please try it out!
Related Links
Montana Digital Archives Web Portal
Montana Digital Archives Search Engine
April 2009 -- Citations, Citations, Citations!
Most of us are aware of the old Real Estate adage, “Location, location, location.” For research purposes, the mantra “Citation, citation, citation,” is as relevant. While tedious and often challenging, the maintenance of a research log and/or of your source documents is a necessary step in maintaining research integrity regardless of your project.
For academics and students, who are most often involved in research writing, documentation is essential. Thorough citations lend legitimacy to your argument by showing the depth of your research. Secondly, you leave a trail for yourself. Many projects demand rewrites and reexamination of evidence. Documentation of your sources allows you the means of returning to those sources when necessary. Credible citations also will delight future researchers. They will lead others who share your interests to your sources. Finally, citations are the most powerful tool in avoiding any suspicions of plagiarism. When you use a previous researcher’s work, or “borrow” another’s ideas, it is imperative that he or she be given credit. Without this acknowledgement, the researcher runs the danger of being accused of simply copying another’s work.
For genealogists, keeping a log or calendar of where and what you have searched will not only save time, but will give your work credibility. In short, documentation is one of the means of finally proving or disproving those family legends. Kory Meyerink, a librarian and genealogist, has written an article for Genealogy.com titled, “Why Bother? The Value of Documentation in Family History Research.” Meyerink makes several arguments for documentation. He explains that recording sources will ultimately make searches more straightforward and keep one from doing the same search over. And, as with the academics, well documented research is more reputable. It is one thing to hear Grandma claim the family has the same brand as Charlie Russell. It is quite another to be able to provide the documentation.
In conclusion, whether you are an amateur researcher with an interest in local history, or an academic attempting to prove a conspiracy, document and cite your sources. Citation, Citation, Citation!! You will never regret it! And future researchers will thank you.
March 2009 -- Women's Clubs in Montana
March is National Women’s History Month. To honor the women who have left their mark on Montana History we wanted to highlight an interesting group of collections we have on Montana Women’s clubs.
By the start of the 1890s, the women’s club movement was thriving in the United States. In 1892 the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) formed, encompassing five hundred clubs and one hundred thousand members. The women’s club movement in Montana was no exception to national trends. By 1901, according to Mrs. W. F. Christie, Director of the GFWC, Montana had over 15 women’s clubs, with at least one in every major town. These clubs initially addressed self-improvement, through the formation of literary clubs, and home-improvement. With the growth of the Progressive movement, however, Montana’s women’s clubs began to address public service or civic improvement issues, generally focusing on their local areas. Women’s clubs also addressed national political causes, such as women’s suffrage, or local political issues such as the location of Montana’s capital.For more information on Women’s Clubs in Montana, please visit our Women’s Club subject guide.
The Library also has some interesting Women’s Club items. One is the Constitution of the Montana Woman Suffrage Association (PAM 2019). You can also view it here. We also hold Minutes of the First convention held in 1895. (PAM 2018)
The Library also holds proceedings from annual meetings of the Montana Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (178.1 GA 1888-1890) as well as songbooks from this organization. (PAM 2839)
February 2009—“African-Americans in Montana Heritage Resources” Web page is live!
In the spring of 2006, three researchers began delving into the Montana Historical Society’s collections looking for information associated with African-Americans in Montana. The project, funded by two grants from the Montana Cultural Trust, has several components all accessible from the project’s home page. The components include:
Biographical information: documents African-Americans by individual name who were listed in the 1870, 1910 and 1930 federal censuses. It also includes "non-census" information on some individuals whose names appeared in Montana city directories, newspaper articles, etc. A listing of these Montanans’ names from the biography database can be accessed on this page.
African-Americans in Montana Timeline is an interactive presentation incorporating United States and Montana events selected from the Montana: Stories of the Land textbook. This information is juxtaposed with people, places and events that influenced African-American history in Montana.
Bibliography of Primary Sources lists the MHS collection catalog number, title or name of the object, name and location of its creator and or user, dates and other information on artifacts, photographs, oral histories, & artwork associated with African-Americans in Montana.
Other African-Americans in Montana Resources links to a PDF that lists mostly secondary source material: books, journal essays, and Web sites documenting African-Americans in Montana and the West.
A curriculum for fourth graders & high school students based on the “African-Americans in Montana Heritage Resources” components is currently under development. Please check back to the Web pages from time to time as new information will be added as it becomes available.
January 2009 -- "Not in Precious Metals Alone" Online
In times of economic trial it can be reassuring to understand that previous generations have endured perhaps more difficult times than ours. History helps us to place our current struggle in proper context and reminds us that there is much to learn from the past. With this in mind, we invite you to browse a new digital resource now available through the Montana Memory Project. It is actually an old resource published in 1976 by the Montana Historical Society entitled, Not in Precious Metals Alone: A Manuscript History of Montana. In a chapter entitled, "Decade of Despair," excerpts from numerous manuscripts selected by MHS staff from the archives' collections help tell the story of Montanans during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Click here to go to the digital copy of Not in Precious Metals Alone, then on the left side of the screen click on "Book 3" and the section "Decade of Despair," page 180. With selections from hundreds of primary sources in Montana's history we hope you'll explore more of the content (now online!) from this treasured publication.
To view Monthly Features from previous years please click on the links below:
Monthly Features 2008
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