Archives West Finding Aid

This series contains items related to the Randall family genealogy. The first is a genealogical chart of the family that appears to have been produced for William Edward Randall. The second is an original letter from J.A. Randall to William Randall from 1817.

This series contains Gay Randall's writings, including research materials articles, newspaper stories and editorials, and the draft of a book, Rising Winds. Research on Fellows D. Pease, who was a Crow Indian agent, Montana trapper, scout, prospector and trader who came to Montana in 1856. There is substantial correspondence between him and the Pease family of Ashland and Lodge Grass, Montana. Much of the research materials, especially that on Pease and for Rising Winds, are copied from the National Archives. Much of that correspondence is directed to his wife, Wiletta. Some of the publications also include articles by Wiletta.

This series contains photographs produced and collected by Gay Randall. They are a mixture of Randall family photographs and early photographs of Yellowstone National Park and environs, but largely consist of publicity photographs of the OTO Ranch. Many of these were taken by Gay Randall as he sought to promote and build the ranch's business, but there are also photographs of F.J. Haynes and Gay's son, Bill Randall. There are original negatives for some images. Many of these photographs appear to have been used in publications; some were contemporary, but many were for Randall's 1950s historical publications. The final folder in the series contains Randall's list of photo identifications; the list is numbered, but does not appear to match with any numbers on the photographs; according to this, most of the dude ranch photographs were taken between 1930 and 1941.