Lester S. Willson Family Papers

Lester S. Willson Family Papers, 1861-1922

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Willson, Lester S. (Lester Sebastian), 1839-1922
Title: Lester S. Willson Family Papers
Dates: 1861-1922
18611922
Quantity: .2 linear feet
Collection Number: Collection 1407, MtBC, us (collection)
Summary: The Lester S. Willson Family Papers consist of letters written by Lester and Davis Willson during the Civil War while both men were with the army; letters written by Lester and Davis during their first years in Bozeman; letters written by Eugene and Fred from Bozeman to their parents who were away; Civil War military documents pertaining to the 60th New York Volunteer Infantry and Lester S. Willson; student papers of Fred and Eugene; scrapbook materials and newspaper clippings; photographs of the Willsons, the Tuller and Rich Cash Store, and the Willson home in Bozeman.
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

Lester S. Willson was born in Canton, New York on June 15, 1839. His parents, Ambrose and Julia Willson had at least two other sons, Davis and George. Lester enlisted as a private in the 60th New York Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War and spent the early months guarding the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in Maryland. By 1865 Willson had gained the rank of colonel of his regiment, and at the war's end he was brevetted a brigadier general. He administered the Soldier's Home in Albany, New York following the war and in 1867 moved to Montana Territory to join his brother Davis in the mercantile business at Bozeman. Willson entered into a partnership with Tuller and Rich at Bozeman, eventually replacing both men to become a sole proprietor. He also served in the state legislature and with the state militia. He married in 1869 Emma D. Weeks and the couple had three children; George (who died as an infant), Lester Eugene, and Fred Fielding. Both Fred and Eugene attended Bozeman schools, and Fred eventually became a prominent local architect. Eugene died in 1893 at the age of 14. Lester S. Willson continued to operate his business until his death on January 26, 1919.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Lester S. Willson family papers consist of letters written by Lester and Davis Willson during the Civil War while both men were with the army; letters written by Lester and Davis during their first years in Bozeman; letters written by Eugene and Fred from Bozeman to their parents who were away; Civil War military documents pertaining to the 60th New York Volunteer Infantry and Lester S. Willson; student papers of Fred and Eugene; scrapbook materials and newspaper clippings; photographs of the Willsons, the Tuller and Rich Cash Store, and the Willson home in Bozeman. The papers have been arranged in five series.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Series 1 Correspondence, 1861-1922

Series 2 Civil War military documents, 1863-1865

Series 3 School papers, 1890-1893

Series 4 Scrapbook material, 1893-1911

Series 5 Photographs, 1865-1910

Acquisition Information

Family papers, military documents, and photographs created or collected by members of the Lester S. Willson family of Bozeman, Montana, were donated to Special Collections in 1968 by Merrill G. Burlingame. Additional materials were donated by Burlingame in 1974. The papers incorporate those originally recorded under accession number 846.

Processing Note

This collection was processed 2009 March 16

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series 1: Correspondence, 1861-1922Return to Top

Letters written by Lester S. Willson, Davis Willson, Lester Eugene Willson, Fred Fielding Willson, and other family members and friends. Letters pertain to the Civil War, early Bozeman, Montana, condolences on the 1919 death of Lester S. Willson, and other family news. The letters have been chronologically arranged and individually listed.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
1/1		1861-1866
	Lester S. Willson (Camp Wheeler, Ogdensburgh) to Davis Willson	September 26, 1861
	Lester S. Willson (Baltimore, Maryland) to parents	November 10, 1861
	Lester S. Willson (Camp Preston King) to family)	February 19, 1862
	Davis Willson (on march) to parents	January 26, 1865
	Lester S. Willson (Albany, New York) to mother	December 26, 1866
1/2		1867-1879
	Davis Willson (Bozeman, Montana Territory) to "folks at home"	May 29, 1867
	Lester S. Willson (Bozeman, Montana Territory) to Mary A. Cory	June 12, 1867
	P.J. Moran (Albany, New York) to Lester S. Willson	January 9, 1868
	Lester S. Willson (Bozeman, Montana Territory) to Mary A. Cory	May 10, 1868
	Lester S. Willson (Bozeman, Montana Territory) to Mary A. Cory	September 18, 1868
	Description of headstone for Mary Blackmore	July 19, 1872
	Blanche Blackmore, (Salisbury, England) to Emma Willson	August 18, 1872
	Mrs. Hampton (Bedford, England) to Emma Willson	November 6, 1872
	Lester S. Wilson, (Bozeman, Montana Terr.) to Mary A. Cory	February 19, 1879
1/3		1886-1890
	Grandmother Willson (Greene, Maine) to Fred and L. Eugene Willson	August 1, 1886
	Fred W. Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Emma Willson	October 25, 1887
	L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Emma Willson	October 25, 1887
	L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Emma Willson	November 3, 1887
	Fred W. Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Emma Willson	November 3, 1887
	Fred W. Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Emma Willson	February 11, 1888
	L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Emma Willson	December 9, 1888
	Fred W. Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Emma Willson	December 9, 1888
	L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Uncle Gus	November 15, 1890
1/4		1891
	L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Uncle Gus	January 20, 1891
	Fred F. Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Lester S. and Emma Willson	February 2, 1891
	L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Lester S. and Emma Willson	February 8, 1891
	L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Lester S. and Emma Willson	February 9, 1891
	L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Lester S. and Emma Willson	March 4, 1891
	Fred F. Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Lester s. and Emma Willson	March 9, 1891
	L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Lester s. and Emma Willson	March 16, 1891
	Fred F. Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Lester S. and Emma Willson	March 23, 1891
	L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Uncle Gus	April 4, 1891
	L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to Mr. Johnson	April 7, 1891
1/5		1892-1918
	L. Eugene Willson (Bozeman, Montana) to S. R. Raymond	October 26, 1892
	Col. M. Rich (Bozeman, Montana) to Lester S. and Emma Willson	March 24, 1894
	May Travis (Twin Bridges, Montana) to Emma Willson	April 15, 1894
	[unknown] (Revenue Mill, Montana) to George Willson	July 13, 1895
	Jim Gertirdge (Salmon City, Idaho) to Lester S. Willson	July 25, 1895
	[unknown] (Revenue Mill, Montana) to Mr. Lowman	July 28, 1895
	"Sis" (Revenue Mill, Montana) to George Willson	November 19, 1895
	Robert H. Chapman (Camp near Choteau, Montana) to Emma Willson	September 4, 1897
	Invitation to wedding of Helen Fisher and Fred F. Willson	October 15, 1897
	May Travis Shaw (Lansing, Michigan) to Emma Willson	January 14, 1917
	Robert M. Donaldson (Boise, Idaho) to Lester S. and Emma Willson	February 23, 1917
	"Stella" (Pocatello, Idaho) to Emma Willson	December 19, 1918
	Robert M. Donaldson (Boise, Idaho) to Lester S. and Emma Willson	December 21, 1918
1/6		1919
	J.R. Russell (Butte, Montana) to Emma Willson	January 27, 1919
	Wilbur F. Sanders (Pasadena, California) to Fred F. Willson	January 28, 1919
	John S. Axtill (Columbia Falls, Montana) to Emma Willson	January 29, 1919
	W.W. Wylie (Pasadena, California) to Emma Willson	January 30, 1919
	R.O. Wilson (Bozeman, Montana) to Emma Willson	January 31, 1919
	Alfred Myers (Hardin, Montana) to Emma Willson	February 1, 1919
	Daniel H. Tuttle (St. Louis, Missouri) to Emma Willson	February 5, 1919
	Sarepta Sanders (Long Beach, California) to Emma Willson	February 15, 1919
	May Travis Shaw (Lansing, Michigan) to Emma Willson	February 16, 1919
	One lot telegrams, all to Emma Willson	January-February 1919
	Robert M. Donaldson (Boise, Idaho) to Emma Willson	May 27, 1919
	Adaline Terry (Lynn, Massachusetts) to Emma Willson	December 30, 1919
1/7		1920-1922
	Wilbur F. Sanders (Butte, Montana) to Emma Willson	circa 1920
	R. P. Calvin (Chicago, Illinois) to Emma Willson	November 14, 1920
	Adelaine Aldrich (Oakland, California) to Emma Willson	May 12, 1921
	Alfred Atkinson (Bozeman, Montana) to Fred F. Willson	June 4, 1922
	Miscellaneous envelopes

Series 2: Civil War military documents, 1863-1865Return to Top

Muster rolls, property returns, and blank forms prepared or collected by Lester S. Willson in his various officer appointments within the 60th New York Volunteer Infantry. Included are the resolutions of the "Moral and Anti-Swearing Society" formed by an officer's mess of the 60th regiment in 1865. Most of the muster rolls are large and have been removed to separate storage.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
1/8	Military documents	1863-1865

Series 3: School papers, 1890-1893Return to Top

Report cards, tests, and student essays created by L. Eugene Willson and Fred Willson. The essays by Eugene are on a number of topics and describe life in Bozeman and Gallatin County during the 1890s.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
1/9	Fred and Eugene Willson report cards and tests
1/10	Eugene Willson student essays

Series 4: Scrapbook material, 1893-1911Return to Top

Newspaper clippings and other memorabilia pertaining to the Willson family. Clippings include obituary notices for Lester, Emma, and Eugene Willson. Other documents are: memorial resolutions of GAR for Lester Willson, 1919; funeral guest list for Lester S. Willson, 1919; organ recital program, 1910; L. Eugene Willson account book, 1893.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
1/11	Newspaper clippings
1/12	Miscellaneous material

Series 5: Photographs, 1865-1910Return to Top

Portraits of Lester S. Willson, L. Eugene Willson, Fred F. Willson, Willson family, and Lt. George Tyler, 2nd U.S. Cavalry. Building views including the Tuller and Rich Cash Store, Bozeman, 1866, and the Willson home, also in Bozeman. Images marked with (*) have negatives available.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
1/13
	#1: Lester S. Willson	1865*
	#2: Lester Eugene Willson	circa 1880
	#3: Fred F. Willson	circa 1890s*
	#4: Lester Eugene Willson	circa 1893
	#5: Willson family, outdoors by tent	circa 1880s
	#6: Lt. George L. Tyler	circa 1880s*
	#7: Tour bus, Washington, D.C.	circa 1910
1/14
	#8: Tuller and Rich Cash Store, Bozeman	1866*
	#9: "First residence of Gen'l L.S. Willson and Family, Bozeman...." (printed engraving; two copies)
	#10: Wilson home, interior, hallway	circa 1890
	#11: Wilson home, interior, dining room	circa 1890
	#12: Wilson home, interior, dining room	circa 1890
	#13: Wilson home, interior, stairway	circa 1890
1/15	Negatives

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

General stores-Montana-Bozeman-Photographs
Soldiers-United States-Correspondence

Personal Names

Willson, Davis, 1841-1915-Correspondence

Corporate Names

Tuller and Rich Cash Store (Bozeman, Mont.)-Photographs
United States-Army-New York Infantry Regiment, 60th (1861-1865)

Family Names

Willson family-Homes and haunts-Montana-Bozeman-Photographs
Wilson family

Geographical Names

Bozeman (Mont.)-Buildings, structures, etc. -Photographs
United States-History-Civil War, 1861-1865-Personal narratives

Form or Genre Terms

Family papers-Montana-Bozeman
Photographs-Montana-Bozeman

Other Creators

Personal Names
- Willson, Fred Fielding, 1877-1956 (creator)
- Willson, Lester Eugene, d. 1893 (creator)
Family Names
- Willson family (creator)

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