Robert S. Fletcher Papers, 1928-1949

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Fletcher, Robert S., 1900-1959
Title
Robert S. Fletcher Papers
Dates
1928-1949 (inclusive)
Quantity
2.5 linear feet
Collection Number
Mss 124 (collection)
Summary
Robert S. Fletcher was an historian who taught mostly at Oberlin College in Ohio. This collection is comprised of correspondence and research notes for his work on the history of the cattle industry in Montana.
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.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Robert S. Fletcher was born in Forestville, New York, on November 3, 1900. After graduating from Forestville Free Academy, Fletcher went on to study history at Oberlin College. Upon graduating he earned his living teaching at a high school in Michigan, until be enrolled in the doctoral program in history at Harvard University. At Harvard, Fletcher studied with Frederick Jackson Turner, Edward Channing, and Arthur M. Schlesinger, Sr. During these years he served as an Assistant in History at Harvard (1923-1924), an Instructor in History at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an Assistant Professor of History at Tufts University (1926-1927). In 1925-1926 Fletcher was an Associate Agricultural Economist for the United States Department of Agriculture, where he produced a number of studies. Fletcher returned to Oberlin in 1927 as an assistant professor of history and he quickly developed a reputation as an outstanding and inspiring professor. While best known for his two-volume history of Oberlin College, Fletcher also published several articles on the history of the cattle industry in Montana. In 1959 Duke University Press published his book, Eureka: From Cleveland by Ship to California, 1849-1850. Robert Fletcher died suddenly at the age of fifty-nine after spending more than thirty years teaching at Oberlin.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This collection is comprised of correspondence and research notes for Robert Fletcher's work on the history of the cattle industry in Montana. The correspondence, with various officials from the USDA, deals mainly with the publication of his books and articles on Montana. The bulk of the collection, however, consists of the extensive research notes that Fletcher compiled while working on "The Organization of the Range Cattle Business in Eastern Montana," and "That Hard Winter in Montana, 1886-1887," which were both published in the early 1930s. The majority of this research was conducted with records from the Montana Stockgrower's Association and the newspaper files at the Montana State Historical Society. Well-organized and thorough, Fletcher's notes cover a wide range of issues involved with the establishment of the cattle and sheep industry in Montana. The collection also contains copies of one of Fletcher's original manuscripts, as well as copies of a few articles by other historians of the High Plains.

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. Copyright not transferred to The University of Montana.

Preferred Citation

[Name of document or photograph number], Robert S. Fletcher Papers, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The collection is divided into three series:

Series I: Correspondence, 1 folder, 1928-1949

Series II: Manuscripts, 2 folders, circa 1930

Series III: Research Notes, 2.5 linear feet, circa 1930

Acquisition Information

The provenance of the collection is unknown.

Processing Note

The actions of the original processors are unknown. In 1999, the collection was re-described. For many years, the collection was attributed to Robert H. Fletcher, another historian of the Montana range.

Related Materials

The Oberlin College Archives holds 8.1 linear feet of Fletcher's papers, mostly relating to his history of the College.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series I:  Correspondence , 1928-1949Return to Top

1 folder

This series is comprised of correspondence related to the publication of Fletcher's work on the Montana cattle industry. Fletcher corresponded with M.L. Wilson, the head of the University of Montana Agricultural Experiment Station in Bozeman, Everett Edwards, an Associate Agricultural Economist from the USDA, and Ray Mattison, historian for the National Park Service.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1
1929-1933, 1949

Series II:  Manuscripts , ca. 1930Return to Top

2 folders

This series consists of copies of Robert Fletcher's manuscript of "The Organization of the Range Cattle Business in Eastern Montana." The first folder contains the original typed copy, the second holds a photocopy of the original.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/2
"The Organization of the Range Cattle Business in Eastern Montana," original copy
ca. 1930
1/3
"The Organization of the Range Cattle Business in Montana," photocopy
ca. 1930

Series III:  Research Notes , ca. 1930Return to Top

2.5 linear ft.

This series is comprised of research notes on a broad range of issues related to the history of the cattle and sheep industries in Montana. Most of the material was collected from the records of the Montana Stockgrower's Association or the newspaper files at the Montana State Historical Society. Among other things, these notes cover issues such as early settlement of Montana by cattlemen, illegal fencing of lands, interactions with Indian inhabitants, early transportation of cattle by steamship and train, the depredation of cattle by wolves, biographical sketches of early cattlemen, the establishment of Indian reservations in Montana, leasing of Indian lands to cattlemen, movement of cattle to Montana from other areas in the West, and detailed lists of ranchers and brands. The majority of these notes are divided by year and complied from articles from Montana newspapers such as the Daily Yellowstone Journal and the Daily River Press. Some notes are also from books and government documents.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/4
Range Cattle Industry
ca. 1930
1/5
Brands
ca. 1930
1/6
Cattle organization- work techniques
ca. 1930
1/7
Montana Stockmen
ca. 1930
1/8
Montana Stockgrower's Association
ca. 1930
1/9
Montana Stockgrower's Association - meetings, etc.
ca. 1930
1/10
Montana Stockgrower's Association - meetings, etc.
ca. 1930
1/11
Small Stockmen's Associations
ca. 1930
1/12
The Veterinary Surgeon
ca. 1930
1/13
Statistics
ca. 1930
2/1
Bibliographic Information
ca. 1930
2/2
General Information
ca. 1930
2/3
1864-1876 Research Notes
ca. 1930
2/4
1877 Research Notes
ca. 1930
2/5
1878 Research Notes
ca. 1930
2/6
1879 Research Notes
ca. 1930
2/7
1880 Research Notes
ca. 1930
2/8
1881 Research Notes
ca. 1930
2/9
1882 Research Notes
ca. 1930
2/10
1883 Research Notes
ca. 1930
3/1
1884 Research Notes
ca. 1930
3/2
1885 Research Notes
ca. 1930
3/3
1886 Research Notes
ca. 1930
3/4
1887 Research Notes
ca. 1930
3/5
1888 Research Notes
ca. 1930
3/6
1889 Research Notes
ca. 1930
4/1
1890 Research Notes
ca. 1930
4/2
1891 Research Notes
ca. 1930
4/3
1892 Research Notes
ca. 1930
4/4
1893 Research Notes
ca. 1930
4/5
1894 Research Notes
ca. 1930
4/6
1895 Research Notes
ca. 1930
4/7
1896 Research Notes
ca. 1930
4/8
1897 Research Notes
ca. 1930
4/9
1898 Research Notes
ca. 1930
4/10
1899 Research Notes
ca. 1930
4/11
1900 Research Notes
ca. 1930
5/1
1901 Research Notes
ca. 1930
5/2
1902 Research Notes
ca. 1930
5/3
1903 Research Notes
ca. 1930
5/4
1904 Research Notes
ca. 1930
5/5
1905 Research Notes
ca. 1930
5/6
1906 Research Notes
ca. 1930
5/7
1907 Research Notes
ca. 1930
5/8
1908 Research Notes
ca. 1930
5/9
1909 Research Notes
ca. 1930

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Cattle trade--Montana--History
  • Historians--United States
  • Sheep industry--Montana--History
  • Winter--Montana

Corporate Names

  • United States. Dept. of Agriculture

Geographical Names

  • Montana--Climate
  • Montana--History