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Triangle Mining and Development Company records

 Collection
Identifier: MC-267

Scope and Contents

This collection contains incoming, interoffice, and outgoing correspondence, employment records, financial records, legal documents, minutes, organizational records, printed materials, and reports. The correspondence (1906-1923) does not provide much information about the company operations, rather it is dominated by legal/property-related correspondence. The Financial Records (1906-1923), consisting of ledgers, journals, cashbooks, and invoices, provide the only means of reconstructing the mining operations, since there are no production records or engineering reports. The Legal Document records (1906-1923) include--mining claims, deeds, titles, contracts, leases, water rights, and wills/probates--which do document the creation of a corporation but do not shed any light on operations. The same applies to the Organization series, which includes stock certificates, stockholder ledgers, and articles of incorporation, but tells the researcher nothing about the daily operations of the company. There are fourteen separate small subgroups, consisting of a variety of personal papers and organizational records for other companies. The subgroups include A.K. Andersen (1913-1917), B.P.O.E. (1924-1950), Buffalo Mining Company (1915-1917), Calumet Clinton Copper Company (1909), Patsy H. Duffy (1913), East Clinton Townsite Company (1901), Harry Y. Gephart (1898-1922), O. P. Jackson (1898-1911), Hiram Knowles (1911), V. Sherwood Kutchin (1909-1913), David Lagasse (1911), Missoula Metal Milling Company (1913), Ray-Jefferson Mining Company (1910), Ten Doy Mining Company (1915), and John Wood (1908-1912).

Dates

  • Creation: 1906-1923

Language of Materials

English

Conditions Governing Access

Collection open for research.

Conditions Governing 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.

Biographical / Historical

On August 25, 1906, R.B. Hughes, E.P. Dungan, and Harry Y. Gephart, incorporated the Triangle Mining and Development Company in Missoula, Montana, with $500,000 in capital stock. By 1910 the value of the company's shares had increased to $1.2 million, but their success in raising capital does not seem to have been matched in production. The only evidence of production appears in the Montana Mine Inspector's Reports, 1909-1912, describing the development of a two compartment shaft and 500 feet of tunnels. A company brochure describes the company as a collection of eleven copper-silver-gold mining claims located just east of Missoula near Clinton, a townsite at East Clinton, a millsite along the Northern Pacific and Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul mainlines, and water power from Rock Creek. Although company financial records exist up to 1923, the company does not appear in the Missoula City Directory after 1916. In addition to mining, the company seems to have had interest in real estate, and a number of smaller mining companies. One of the principals throughout the life of the company, Harry Y. Gephart, a native of Pennsylvania, also served as Missoula City Treasurer during the 1910s.

Extent

2.8 linear feet

Abstract

The records of this early twentieth century Missoula, Montana mining company (1906-1923) consist of correspondence, employment, financial, legal and organizational records; minutes; and reports and print material. Also included are personal papers (1898-1922) of individuals associated with the company, and organizational records (1901-1950) of a variety of other companies. The company's mines were located in the Wallace Mining District.

Arrangement

Arranged by subgroup and series.

Physical Location

13:6-3

Physical Location

7:3-5 (Oversize Box 8)

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Acquisition information available upon request

Title
Guide to the Triangle Mining and Development Company records 1906-1923
Author
Finding aid prepared by MHS staff
Date
2004
Description rules
Finding Aid Based On Dacs ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard 2nd Edition)
Language of description
English
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Repository Details

Part of the Montana Historical Society, Research Center Archives Repository

Contact:
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT 59620-1201 United States
406-444-2681
406-444-2696 (Fax)