Dudley White Collection Processed by: PD and later by EW Date Completed: 6-28-2004 Location: Special Collections 60 linear feet Biographical sketch: At the age of eighteen, Dudley White left Illinois. After extensive travel throughout the western United States, he finally settled in an area west of Billings, Montana. Dudley’s first piece of land would come from a man who had first homesteaded in 1888. From 1902 until 1944, Dudley would acquire 2500 acres. His ranch was named the T4, and it was located in Limestone area of Stillwater County. He ran about 500 head of cattle and three tons of hay. In 1944, after suffering a knee injury from a bad spill from a horse, Dudley retired in order to devote more to time to his passion, the history of Montana and the Northwest in general. He sold his land, along with his mother’s and brother’s, and he moved forty-five miles to the small town of Columbus, Montana. He spent his remaining years acquiring books and art relating to the West. His collection eventually swelled to 1500 volumes. In February of 1957, Dudley passed away after being injured in a fall. He was 82 years old. As part of his will, Dudley asked that his extensive collection be sold to an area University. Eastern Montana College (now Montana State University-Billings) purchased the collection for $10,000. Scope & contents: The collected books have a focus on Western and Montana history. The collection contains baby shoes and hair lockets, a personal bible, family military papers along with ledgers from Bannack, Montana, Virginia City, and one from Helena, Montana. The ledgers are representative of the towns during the 1800’s. The photograph collection contains personal and collected photos. The collected photos contain photographs by Barry, the National Archives, L.H. Jorud, and K.D. Swan. Prints by JK Ralston, Frederic Remington, and Charles Russell, newspaper clippings, a scrapbook, 44 postcards, a stereoscope and stereoscopic photographs, lithographs by Bowen & Co., Ackerman, E. Weber & Co.Balt, D. Appleton & Co., and U.S.P.R.R. Exp. Surveys, are all additional items within the collection. Ernest T. Seton, Karl Bodmer, Thomas Moran, L.A. Huffman, L.H. Reedy, Will James, and various framed photographs make up the framed and unframed art pieces. Arrangement of Collection: Majority of the books have been processed and are searchable through the library catalog. Dudley asked that the books be donated in his mother’s name; hence, the book collection is called the Dora White Memorial Collection. Various personal photographs are stored within cigar boxes, one large archival box, three smaller ones, and a manila envelope at this time. The photos housed within the cigar boxes have been scanned and saved onto compact disk format. The scanned photos were apart of a collaborative project between MSU Billings library and Montana State Library creating the digitized webpage called Montana in Black and White. The Barry photos are housed within the 1 file cabinet, and the framed and unframed prints, photos, and drawings are housed with other related items. His personal papers and other collected materials are housed within archival boxes. All items are within the special collections vault. Access: Dudley White collection is open to all students, faculty and researchers. The items will not circulate, but they may be viewed within the special collection area. The Archivist will determine whether the items can be photocopied. The condition and origin of item will help determine whether it can be photocopied along with following the guidelines of the copyright act. Organization of Collection: The books are cataloged by author, and they are within the Special Collections vault. They are cataloged with the location of Special Collections. The collected records are organized into the following sections: General Information pertaining to Dudley Peter Decker Correspondence General Correspondence Information that Dudley collected Ledgers The following items are located on the D. White shelves: Newspaper clippings, 44 postcards, gray small archival box containing Dudley’s baby shoes, hair lockets, and a New Testament, a Stanley Dry Plate, stereoscope and stereoscopic photographs, 20 cigar boxes of loose photos plus several folders, one manila envelope, and three small, and one large archival box, loose ledgers, Dr. Martin Luther’s Werte – 1826, Die Heilige Schrift Reunen Teftaments – 1769, Voyage to the Eastern Seas – 1827, L.H. Reedy watercolors, and prints by Fredric Remington. Prints by Charles M. Russell and JK Ralston, some Huffman photographs, and various lithographs are located within the map case in the vault. The David Barry, the National Archives, L.H. Jorud, and K.D. Swan photos are located within a file cabinet along with other various lithographs. The framed art (Bodmer, Huffman, E.T. Seton, Will James) are located with other art within the Special Collections vault. Container listing: BOX 1 1.0 General Information pertaining to Dudley 1.1 Inventory lists 1.2 Inventory lists written by Dudley 1.3 Last will and Testament 1.4 Farm Accounting Record – lists of books & prices 1.5 Spiral notebook – daily list and notes 1.6 Miscellaneous papers – Rock Island Savings Bank, Young Men’s Christian Association membership card, Bill from the Hartz & Bahnsen Co. – Wholesale Druggists 2 1.7 Frank G. White military papers: Bureau of Pensions – Records Division, Citizen of the United States of America, 1805- Extract – Special Order No. 91, Pension Certificate of Frank G. White (2 different numbers), Discharge paper, Former Members of the 89th Illinois Infantry, Rooster of the Railroad Regiment – 89th Illinois, Receipt for gun and equipment 1.8 Frank G. White Papers – Chicago & North-Western Railway Company Exchange trip ticket – 6/24/1890, Special Privilege Agreement for Cultivation July 10 1907 – homestead, Land Office at Winona, MT – Pre-emption Act of 4th, two letters, Note, Chicago, Burlington, & Northern Railroad Co. Certificate of Examination – stating he is employed as an engineer BOX 2 2.0 Peter Decker Correspondences 2.1 No dated letters and 1945 2.2 1946 2.3 1947 2.4 1948 2.5 1949 2.6 1950 2.7 1951 2.8 1952 2.9 1953 2.10 1954 2.11 1955 2.12 1956 2.13 1957 2.14 Invoices 3.0 General Correspondence 3.1 Mannel Hahn, Secretary of the Westerners 3.2 Col. W.A. Graham – United States Army Retd. 2.3 Lew Callaway BOX 3 3.4 No years and 1945, 1946, & 1947 3.5 1948 & 1949 3.6 1950 & 1951 3.7 1952, 1953, & 1954 3.8 1955, 1956, & 1957 3.9 Letters in regard to his estate after his death 3.10 Letters from Dudley (2 folders) BOX 4 4.0 Information that Dudley collected 4.1 Hussey, Dahler, & Co., Bankers Deposit slip 4.2 Con Doyle Checks 1910 3 4.3 Miscellaneous information: inventory list for Wonderland Museum (Foote Collection), 3x5 hand drawing of a road in Yellowstone, quote on Yellowstone geysers, and book information (Lewis & Clark) 4.4 Various pamphlets & article excerpts: Folder 1: The Reno Court of Inquiry, Letters from the Big Hole, & Variations on a Minor Them: Some controversial problems of the Custer fight by Edgar I. Stewart from The Montana Magazine of History (Signed to Dudley) – 1952, Life and Adventures of Calamity Jane by Herself, Our Mural: the Yellowstone Bank – 1951, The Louisiana Purchase by Frank Bond – 1952, Chief Fire Cloud by D.F. Barry, A Year in Montana – 1866, The Range Men: 1910-1913, pages 431-446 Folder 2: A Pioneer’s Trip across the Plains by A. J. Countryman, Her Majesty Montana: Highlights in the history of a state fifty years old in 1939, How Old are Fossils? by Sharat K. Roy – 1927, Wells Fargo, Lincoln as I Saw Him by William A. Croffut (Signed by Burdick: intro) – 1943, A Tribute to Abraham Lincoln by Ignatius Donnelly (Signed by Burdick: intro) - 1941 Folder 3: The Story All American Indian Days – 1954, Flyer(2): All American Indian Days: An Inter-racial project in human relations: Third annual Miss (Indian) America contest – 1955, The Death of Dulhut by William McLennan from Royal Society of Canada- 1903, Manitou: Colorado by W.H. Lawrence & co. Publishers, Booksellers, and Stationers, A Harrowing Experience: Truthful James & General Custer: How famous scout escaped massacre by The Author, Dux Femina Facti: Sacajawea Statue Association, Treasures of the West: The Montana territorial centennial train world’s fair exhibit, The Land of the Dakotahs by Wallis Huidekoper Folder 4: Nature’s Woodland Wonders by Glen P. Burns, Ration Deposit slip: Unites States of America: Office of Price Administration: Roasted Coffee Credits, Photocopy of The Range Men: The Future, pages 447-462, Constitution and By-Laws of the Stillwater Telephone Company – 1906, Constitution and By-Laws Stillwater County Cattlemen’s Association – 1930 (2), Farmers at the Crossroads: Ezra Taft Benson – 1956, 1884 Round-Ups of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association by William C. Irvine, President Folder 5: Philistine: A periodical of protest – 1904, National Encampment, U.V.U.: War concert at Harper’s Theatre – 1898, Schedule Northwest History Conference, 7th Annual Northwest History Conference – 1954, Program Dedication of the Museum Administration Building: Custer Battlefield National Monument – 1952, Denver Posse of The Westerners: A brief outline of its origin, purpose and activities – 1952,The Search for Knowledge is Never Ending: Seventy-three years of Progress: “College of the open door:” Rocky Mountain College – Billings, Montana, World’s Columbia Exposition (ticket), Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Company: Telegraphic train order No. 38 Folder 6: Territory of Montana: Territorial Warrant – 1886 (for killing a bear) Folder 7: Speech of Hon. Jos. K. Toole in the House of Representatives – 1886, excerpt: In the Senate of the United States: Report No.