Earle and Sara Wright Strain Family papers, 1889-1953

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Strain, Earle, 1866-1953
Title
Earle and Sara Wright Strain Family papers
Dates
1889-1953 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.2 linear feet
Collection Number
MC 249 (collection)
Summary
Earle Strain was a Great Falls, Montana, physician and one of the discoverers of the cause of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Papers consist of genealogical and biographical information; correspondence (1895-1946) of Strain and his wife Sara; a diary by Sara Wright Strain kept while they were in Europe; household financial records; memorabilia; and clippings.
Repository
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov
Access Restrictions

Collection open for research.

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

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Earle Strain was born in Flesherton, Ontario, May 24, 1866, the third of eleven children of William and Eliza Jane (Bell) Strain. Earle began the study of medicine at the University of Toronto, but in 1888 transferred to the University of Pennsylvania. After graduation in 1890, he established a practice in Minot, North Dakota. In January 1895 Strain and his wife travelled to Europe where he studied medicine in Berlin and Vienna. The couple also travelled widely, and took advantage of the cultural opportunities of Europe. In 1896, following his return from Europe, Strain accepted an appointment as company physician for the Boston and Montana Consolidated Copper and Silver Mining Company in Great Falls. He later established a private practice there. In 1901, in cooperation with Dr. A.F. Longeway, Dr. Strain began a study of Rocky Mountain spotted fever which led to the recognition that the disease was carried by the wood tick. Dr. Strain was active in the Montana State Medical Association and numerous other professional associations, as well as the Round Table Club, and the Masons. Sara Eliza Wright was born in Flesherton, Ontario, November 22, 1868, the fourth of five children of Thorpe E. and Eliza (James) Wright. She attended the University of Toronto. During her residence in Great Falls she was active in the Methodist Church and in the Travel Club. Dr. Earle Strain and Sara Eliza Wright were married December 11, 1894, in Flesherton, Ontario. Sara died October 1, 1943. Earle died June 1, 1953.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Papers. 1889-1953. 1.2 linear feet. Papers consist of incoming correspondence (1889-1918) from Jerome Billiet, a Belgian war orphan and others; general correspondence (1896-1953); outgoing correspondence (1895-1896) from Sara Wright Strain in Berlin, Vienna, and London to relatives in the United States and Canada; household and medical practice financial records (1896-1904); photographs and postcards (1895-1896) from Europe; printed material (1895-1896) consisting primarily of souvenirs from Europe; subject files on Rocky Mountain spotted fever and on the Round Table Club of Great Falls; miscellany (including articles by others on medicine and science, school materials, membership cards, certificates)

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.

Preferred Citation

Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Arranged by series: Biographical Material; Incoming Correspondence; General Correspondence; Outgoing Correspondence; Diaries; Financial Records; Maps, Photographs; Printed Material; Subject Files; Miscellany; and Clippings.

Location of Collection

13:2-2

Location of Collection

5:8-5 (oversize box)

Preservation Note

Sara Wright Strain outgoing correspondence housed in folders 1 / 7-9 are fragile. Use copies can be found in folders 1 / 10-12. See inventory below for more information.

Acquisition Information

Acquisition information available upon request

Separated Materials

Artifacts separated to Museum. Printed Material separated to Library. See inventory below for more information.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection

Biographical MaterialReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1 / 1
Genealogical and biographical information on Strain and Wright families
undated
1 / 2
Miscellaneous (includes obituaries, forms for published biographical dictionaries)
1930-1953

Incoming CorrespondenceReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1 / 3
Jerome Billiet, Belgian godchild (includes letters from "Pour les Enfants" a relief agency for Belgian war orphans)
1917-1918
1 / 4
L. Schmidt Deserieux [in French]
1895-1896
1 / 5
Hattie and Sallie Taylor
1889-1892

General CorrespondenceReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1 / 6
Miscellaneous
1896-1953

Outgoing CorrespondenceReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1 / 7
Sara Wright Strain [in Berlin] to family members in Canada and United States [restricted: fragile, use transcripts in folder 10]
1895 January-November
1 / 8
Sara Wright Strain [in Vienna] to family members in Canada and United States [restricted: fragile, use transcripts in folder 11]
1895 November- 1896 April
1 / 9
Sara Wright Strain [in London] to family members in Canada and United States [restricted: fragile, use transcripts in folder 12]
1896 April-July
1 / 10
Sara Wright Strain [in Berlin] to family members in Canada and United States [typescripts]
1895 January-November
1 / 11
Sara Wright Strain [in Vienna] to family members in Canada and United States [typescripts]
1895 November- 1896 April
1 / 12
Sara Wright Strain [in London] to family members in Canada and United States [typescripts]
1896 April-July
Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1 / 13
Sara Wright Strain diary on travel to England, France, and Germany [also used by Earle Strain for medical lecture notes]
1895 January-August

Financial RecordsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1 / 14
Business licenses: Great Falls and Cascade County
1897-1903
1 / 15
Invoices and receipts: furniture
1897-1901
1 / 16
Invoices and receipts: house repairs at 317 1st Avenue North, Great Falls
1900-1903
1 / 17
Invoices and receipts: household expenses
1896-1904
1 / 18
Invoices and receipts: medical and scientific books
1899-1902
1 / 19
Invoices and receipts: medical instruments
1899-1903
1 / 20
Invoices and receipts: newspaper and city directory advertisements
1900-1903
1 / 21
Invoices and receipts: optical supplies
1900-1904
1 / 22
Invoices and receipts: rent payments to Boston and Montana Consolidated Copper and Silver Mining Company for house on Smelter Hill
1899-1901
1 / 23
Invoices and receipts: telephone
1900-1903
1 / 24
Invoices and receipts: utilities
1900-1904
1 / 25
Property taxes
1900
Container(s) Description Dates
Oversize Folder
4 / 1
"Map of a portion of Western Montana showing area infected by Spotted Fever," by Finkelnburg and Catlin [Oversize Box]
undated

Photographs Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
2 / 1
Postcards and photographs: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France
1895-1896

Printed MaterialReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
2 / 2
German and French language books
circa 1895
2 / 3
Methodist hymn book
1884
2 / 4
Opera programs and librettos
1895-1896
2 / 5
Souvenir travel books
1895-1896

Subject FilesReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
2 / 6
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
undated
2 / 7
Round Table Club, Great Falls: history of the Club
1916-1936
2 / 8
Round Table Club, Great Falls: discussion papers on religion and philosophy
1922, 1928, undated

MiscellanyReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
2 / 9
Articles on gland disease
1935-1936, undated
2 / 10
Articles on physicians and scientists (includes Walter Reed, Theodore Billroth, George Miller Sternberg, William Henry Welch, Ivan Pavlov)
undated
2 / 11
Articles on science and medicine
undated
3 / 1
Calling cards, invitations
1895-1896, undated
3 / 2
Certificates: Montana and North Dakota medical licenses, declaration of intent, citizenship, marriage, Orden der Hermanns-Soehne membership, War Dept. Medical Advisory Board, Masonic Lodge, et al.
1891-1944
oversizebox-folder
4 / 2
Certificates: Washington (State) medical license, Masonic membership, academic certificates, Veterans Association of Great Northern Railway [Oversize Box]
1890-1936
Box/Folder
3 / 3
Course notes
circa 1890-1899
oversizebox-folder
4 / 3
Course notes: charts on diseases [Oversize Box]
undated
Box/Folder
3 / 4
Membership cards and receipts
1900-1953
3 / 5
Notebooks on German grammar, addresses, itinerary
1895
3 / 6
Poem (toast to a bride) [in German]
circa 1895
3 / 7
Railroad schedules and rates
1906-1910
3 / 8
University of Pennsylvania Dept. of Medicine school records and memorabilia
1887-1904
3 / 9
University of Toronto School of Medicine school records and memorabilia
1886-1888
3 / 10
Miscellaneous (includes medical course tickets, post office information, advertisements, etc.) [in German]
1895-1896

ClippingsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
3 / 11
Great Falls (Mont.) and Minot (N.D.) history
undated

TransfersReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
3 / 12
List of printed material transferred to Library
undated
3 / 13
List of artifacts transferred to Museum
undated

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Physicians

Personal Names

  • Strain, Earle, 1866-1953 (creator)

Geographical Names

  • Austria--Description and travel (subejct)
  • Belgium (subejct)
  • Germany--Description and travel (subejct)