F. Gordon Reynolds Lindbergh Lake collection, 1960-1988

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Reynolds, F. Gordon (Francis Gordon), 1902-1996
Title
F. Gordon Reynolds Lindbergh Lake collection
Dates
1960-1988 (inclusive)
Quantity
0.1 linear ft.
Collection Number
Mss 438
Summary
F. Gordon Reynolds compiled this twenty-page photocopied collection entitled "Lindbergh Lake: Letters, Essays, Documents-Their Contents Reflect a Fleeting History of Those Years Between the '20s and the '80s."
Repository
University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections
Archives and Special Collections
Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
University of Montana
32 Campus Dr. #9936
59812-9936
Missoula, MT
Telephone: 406-243-2053
library.archives@umontana.edu
Access Restrictions

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.

Additional Reference Guides

Finding aid in the repository.

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Francis Gordon Reynolds was born on September 15, 1902, in Aldrich, Montana, the son of William Pearson Reynolds and Winifred Braine. His parents came to Montana from Nova Scotia, Canada, where they both graduated from the same medical school. They moved to the mining town of Aldrich, Montana, around the turn of the century and shared a medical practice. They lived there for eight years and had two other children. After moving back to Nova Scotia for a few years, the family spent five years in Lane, South Dakota, before settling just south of Missoula, Montana, in Stevensville in 1917 and continuing their medical practice. Reynolds graduated from high school in Stevensville and attended the University of Montana in Missoula where he majored in biology from 1920 to 1924. He taught for a while, then attended dental school at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Reynolds moved back to Missoula after graduation in 1929 and lived there with his wife, Nettie. He opened a dental practice in the Wilma Building, which he kept for fifty-two years. Reynolds also involved himself in local government in the Lindbergh Lake area in the Swan Valley, northeast of Missoula. He was chairman of a committee that worked on zoning the land around the lake and was also a member of the Lindbergh Lake Property Owners Association. A bridge crossing the Swan River near Lake Lindbergh was named in his honor in 1987. Reynolds died in Missoula on October 19, 1996.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection begins with an introduction written by Reynolds, a photo and information about Elbow Lookout tower, and a photo of Laird’s Lodge and its logo. There is also a letter written by Tyne Laird, who owned the lodge with her husband, in which she reminisces about her time spent there. Also included is an account of Charles Lindbergh’s visit to the lake as part of a tour of the United States following his historic trans-Atlantic flight in 1927. Lindbergh Lake was formerly called Elbow Lake, but was renamed in Lindbergh’s honor after his visit. There is a brief history of Laird’s Lodge changing hands and becoming the Diamond L Bar Lake Shore, which was divided up into plots and sold. There is a resolution for a petition requesting zoning in the Lindbergh Lake area, which is signed by the Board of County Commissioners. There is a map of the Lindbergh Lake zoning district and a map showing where the bridge named in Reynold’s honor is located. Also included is an account of a county commission hearing on Jan. 9, 1986, on whether or not to allow a resort on Lindbergh Lake. There’s a resolution to amend the development standards of planning and zoning in the area from February 1987 and a letter addressed to Lindbergh Lake homeowners regarding access to the Jocko Trail. There are also notes concerning the property owner’s association and notes from their meeting in 1981.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes.

Preferred Citation

[Name of document or photograph number], F. Gordon Reynolds Collection, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Related Materials

Archives and Special Collections also holds an oral history interview with F. Gordon Reynolds.

Acquisition Information

Gift of F. Gordon Reynolds, 1988.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Homeowners' associations--Montana--Lindbergh Lake Region
  • Hotels--Montana--Lindbergh Lake
  • Real estate development--Montana--Lindbergh Lake Region
  • Zoning--Montana--Lindbergh Lake Region

Corporate Names

  • Laird's Lodge (Lindbergh Lake, Mont.)

Family Names

  • Laird, Tyne -- Correspondence
  • Lindbergh, Charles A.--(Charles Augustus), 1902-1974--Travel--Montana

Geographical Names

  • Lindbergh Lake (Mont.)

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top