Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Philip Thorpe Property Settlement Papers, 1875-1880
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Thorpe, Philip, b. 1829
- Title
- Philip Thorpe Property Settlement Papers
- Dates
- 1875-1880 (inclusive)18751880
- Quantity
- 1 folder
- Collection Number
- 2478
- Summary
- The Philip Thorpe Property Settlement Papers consist of letters sent by Sweeney to Thorpe with detailed instructions on handling livestock on the property and what improvements to pay for. Also included is a schoolgirl's letter, likely written by Aline ("Ellen") Anceney, regarding a school at Spring Hill, and a letter from Episcopal priest Frank B. Lewis inquiring about local interest in a church service to be held in Thorpe's area.
- 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
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Philip Thorpe was born in England on May 8, 1829 and came to America in 1849, visiting New York and Wisconsin before traveling to California during the gold rush. He came to Bannack, Montana Territory, in 1863 and in 1864 settled in the Gallatin Valley near the town of Hamilton, Gallatin County. There Thorpe ran a dairy and cattle operation until 1880 when he moved to Dillon in Beaverhead County. During the mid 1870s, Thorpe acted as an agent for John M. Sweeney and the T.C. Power and Company in connection with a lawsuit between Charles Spafford and Sweeney. The lawsuit culminated in early 1876 with a judgment in favor of Sweeney, and Thorpe was retained as an agent to deal with William Perks, a tenant on the land claimed by Sweeney.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The documents in this collection consist mostly of letters sent by Sweeney to Thorpe with detailed instructions on handling livestock on the property and what improvements to pay for. Also included is a schoolgirl's letter, likely written by Aline ("Ellen") Anceney, regarding a school at Spring Hill, and a letter from Episcopal priest Frank B. Lewis inquiring about local interest in a church service to be held in Thorpe's area.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Folder | ||
| 1 | John M. Sweeney (Helena, Montana Territory) to Philip Thorpe
Letter referring to difficulties between Charles Spafford and Elijah M. Dumphey regarding livestock.
|
1875 February 6 |
| 1 | John M. Sweeney (Helena, Montana Territory) to Philip Thorpe
Letter directing Thorpe to make an agreement with William Perks for management of the property. Mentions T.C. Power and his trip to Corinne, Utah Territory.
|
1875 February 25 |
| 1 | J. J. Davis (Bozeman, Montana Territory) to Philip Thorpe
Letter advising that Davis had ordered the Gallatin County Sheriff to proceed with the sale and settlement of the Sweeney vs. Spafford lawsuit.
|
1876 January 11 |
| 1 | Memoranda of agreement between Sweeney and Thorpe, with listing of duties for property assumed by William Perks. Likely was included with letter of February 27 | 1876 January 23 |
| 1 | John M. Sweeney (Helena, Montana Territory) to Philip Thorpe
Letter responding to Thorpe's report of the sheriff's sale of the Spafford property and promise to follow up with instructions for an agreement with William Perks.
|
1876 January 26 |
| 1 | Statement of expenses in probate court case of John M. Sweeney vs. Charles Spafford, signed by Gallatin County Sheriff Silas Ralston. | 1876 February 5 |
| 1 | John M. Sweeney (Helena, Montana Territory) to Philip Thorpe
Letter forwarding a memoranda of agreement for the disposition of livestock and property currently occupied by William Perks. Particular detail on horse breeding.
|
1876 February 27 |
| 1 | John M. Sweeney (Helena, Montana Territory) to Philip Thorpe
Letter instructing Thorpe on the details of an agreement with William Perks, a farm or ranch tenant, clarifying the disposition of cattle assigned to Perks.
|
1876 March 12 |
| 1 | Memoranda of agreement between Sweeney and Thorpe, with listing of duties for property assumed by William Perks and inventory of farm tools turned over to Perks | 1876 March |
| 1 | Ellen [Aline?] Anceney (Spring Hill, [Montana Territory]) to "Dear Friend"
Girl's letter describing school, church, and a party held at Mr. Spaffords.
|
1877 September 19 |
| 1 | G. F. Cope (Meadow Creek, [Montana Territory]) to Philip Thorpe
Letter with offer to sell shorthorn cattle for breeding; details on cattle pedigree linage.
|
1879 January 20 |
| 1 | W. O. P. Hays (Helena, Montana Territory) to Philip Thorpe
Letter mentioning upcoming legislation regarding the "punch law."
|
1879 January 22 |
| 1 | Davenport & Ray (Helena, Montana Territory) to Philip Thorpe
Letter advising that Mr. Gordon will not allow Thorpe to draw on the $100 he has on deposit with the firm.
|
1879 January 23 |
| 1 | T. C. Power & Co. (Helena, Montana Territory) to Philip Thorpe
Letter ordering Thorpe to contract with Davis for the purchase of beef, subject to approval by Mr. Power himself.
|
1879 August 31 |
| 1 | Joseph Thorpe (White's Gulch, Montana Territory) to Philip Thorpe
Family news and instructions on getting a note made for sale of horses to Alonzo Ostrander.
|
1880 January 2 |
| 1 | Rev. Frank B. Lewis (Bozeman, Montana Territory) to Philip Thorpe
Letter inquiring over interest in Lewis leading a church service at Hamilton.
|
1880 February 9 |
| 1 | John M. Sweeney (Helena, Montana Territory) to Philip Thorpe
Postscript to one of the earlier letters regarding agreement with William Perks.
|
|
| 1 | John M. Sweeney (Helena, Montana Territory) to Philip Thorpe
Letter regarding the Hay Ranch, and report on the Helena beef market.
|
|
| 1 | List of farm and ranch supplies | |
| 1 | Fragment of revision to memoranda of agreement for William Perks | |
| 1 | Fragment of financial notations |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Landlord and tenant-Montana-Gallatin County
- Schools-Montana-Springhill
Personal Names
- Anceney, Aline-Correspondence
- Lewis, Frank B., b. ca. 1844-Correspondence
- Perks, William, b. ca. 1833
- Sweeney, John M., 1842-1887
Geographical Names
- Gallatin County (Mont.)-Religious life and customs
Kim Allen Scott, 2009. Updated by Heather Mulliner in 2022.
2009
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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