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Montana Statehood Centennial Commission and Office Records

 Collection
Identifier: RS-2

Scope and Contents

Records include general correspondence (1984-1990), which is primarily outgoing correspondence, but also includes some incoming correspondence, interoffice memoranda, circular letters to the Centennial Commission members, and correspondence of lieutenant governors Allen Kolstad and Gordon McOmber. The bulk of the incoming letters were filed in the subject files. Case files include grant agreements, grant applications, and license applications. The grant applicants also appear in the license application files, but the numbering system is totally separate. There are indexes to all three sets of files to assist in locating the files. Indexes to the grant agreements and grant applications are only by number. Indexes to the license application are arranged by number, by applicant, by town, and by type of project. Financial records (1984-1990) include budget materials, audits, financial reports, and State Budget and Accounting System (SBAS) reports. Legal documents consist of contracts for services (1988-1989). There is a complete set of Commission minutes (1985-1990), including agendas, lists of license applications to be discussed, and related material. In addition there are minutes of the Archiving Committee. [Minutes also exist on cassette tape.] The subject file consists of relations with other states' centennial committees, files on the Centennial Acre program, files on the design of the centennial logo, brief biographical data on centenarians nominated as Century Citizens, writings by Northern Cheyenne students at Dull Knife Memorial College, centennial birthday cards sent in by school children, and files on proposed centennial events and products. Many of these last files expand on the materials submitted with the license application. There is an extensive clipping file, focusing primarily on the Great Montana Centennial Cattle Drive, but also documenting a wide range of other centennial events. [Tapes of minutes, radio programs, etc. ......]

Dates

  • Creation: 1982-1991

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

The 1983 Montana Legislative Assembly passed Senate Joint Resolution 21 recognizing the approaching Montana Statehood Centennial and urging the governor to make recommendations to the 1985 Legislative Assembly on formal centennial observances. In response to this resolution, Governor Ted Schwinden appointed Lieutenant Governor George Turman to coordinate the official response. Turman concentrated on three areas: volunteer citizen involvement, interagency cooperation, and communication with other centennial states in the region. To encourage citizen participation, Turman created "The Eighty-Niners", a volunteer organization with local chapters around the state. The Eighty-Niners solicited suggestions concerning possible celebrations, published a newsletter, and its local affiliates sponsored many local events. The Centennial Commission sponsored several projects among which were the issuing of special Centennial license plates to finance grants for local projects; the Century Citizens Project, honoring Montanans who would be 100 years old by 1989; and the Centennial Acres Project, selling certificates of "ownership" in several State Parks and sites. The main focus of the work of the Centennial Office, however, became the licensing of officially sanctioned products, events, and projects. The Office received 1,068 applications for licensing, most of which were approved. These applications included museum exhibits, musical events, parades, rodeos, plays, pageants, tree plantings, art work, books, belt buckles, lapel pins, baseball caps, etc. Money from license plate sales funded a small number of grants to worthy projects. The Centennial celebration's grand finale was the Centennial Ball held in Helena November 11, 1989. The final event of the year-long celebration was the burying of a time capsule on January 23, 1990.

Extent

14 linear feet

Abstract

This collection (1985-1991) consists of materials produced by the Montana Statehood Centennial Commission and Office during its preparations for centennial celebrations. Records include correspondence, license files, grant applications and agreements, financial records, minutes, subject files, newsletters, video and audio cassettes, clippings, and miscellany. [Video cassette tapes transferred to Photograph Archives.]

Arrangement

This collection is arranged by series.

Physical Location

17:5-6

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Acquisition information available upon request.

Title
Guide to the Montana Statehood Centennial Commission and Office Records 1982-1991
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)