Archives West Finding Aid
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Olney Taylor Diary, 1882 March 20-1882 December 1
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Taylor, Olney.
- Title
- Olney Taylor Diary
- Dates
- 1882 March 20-1882 December 11882032018821201
- Quantity
- 1 volume
- Collection Number
- Collection 0188, MtBC, us (collection)
- Summary
- The Olney Taylor Diary was kept Olney on his first trip to Montana in 1882. The diary begins with his departure from Waterville, Maine on March 20 and describes the train journey to Montana. On arrival in the Yellowstone Valley, Taylor recorded his purchase of land from a neighbor on April 25 and kept daily entries thereafter. Taylor's diary documents the building of his log home and outbuildings, the initial planting of his first orchards, mentions several other area settlers, offers a description of local weather conditions, and a very brief synopsis of his farming activities. Other papers in the collection include some newspaper clippings and an original poem written on Montana State Board of Horticulture stationery.
- Repository
-
Montana State University Library, Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections
Montana State University-Bozeman Library
Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT
59717-3320
Telephone: 4069944242
Fax: 4069942851
- Access Restrictions
-
This collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Olney Taylor came to Montana from Maine in 1882 where he settled on land near Park City in the lower Yellowstone River valley. He established several fruit orchards, especially experiencing success with apples. Taylor also served as a member of the Montana State Board of Horticulture and wrote a report on fruit culture in the First Annual Report of the Montana Farmer's Institutes (Helena: Independent Publishing Company, 1902), 189-194.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Taylor papers consist of a small pocket diary kept by Olney on his first trip to Montana in 1882. The diary begins with his departure from Waterville, Maine on March 20 and describes the train journey to Montana. On arrival in the Yellowstone Valley, Taylor recorded his purchase of land from a neighbor on April 25 and kept daily entries thereafter, usually giving local weather conditions and a very brief synopsis of his farming activities. Taylor's diary documents the building of his log home and outbuildings, the initial planting of his first orchards, and mentions several other area settlers. Other papers in the collection include some newspaper clippings and an original poem written on Montana State Board of Horticulture stationery. A typed transcription of the diary is also available.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/1 | Diary | 1882 |
| 1/2 | Diary transcript | |
| 1/3 | Clippings and poem |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Apple growers-Yellowstone River Valley-Diaries
- Apples-Yellowstone River Valley
- Frontier and pioneer life-Yellowstone River Valley
- Fruit growers-Yellowstone River Valley-Diaries
- Orchards-Yellowstone River Valley
- Overland journeys to Montana-Personal narratives
- Pioneers-Yellowstone River Valley-Diaries
- Railroad travel-United States
Personal Names
- Taylor, Olney-Diaries
Geographical Names
- Waterville (Me.)
- Yellowstone River Valley-History
Form or Genre Terms
- Diaries
Kim Allen Scott, 2008
September 15, 2015
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
