Montana Industrial Accident Board records
Scope and Contents
This collection is a sub-subgroup (Board) of the Montana Department of Labor and Industry records, RS 498. The Industrial Accident Board operated independently until 1971, when it was abolished and its duties transferred to the Department of Labor and Industry. Please see the primary finding aid for more
Montana Department of Labor and Industry records.
This collection consists primarily of Board minutes (May 3, 1915-December 6, 1971). Also included is a financial journal (1915-1925) listing Board expenses and premium income debits and credits; and two subject files (1934-1950, undated) concerning mine disasters.
One of the subject files (1934-1950) contains information relating to the Bear Creek (Smith) Mine disaster including correspondence; lists of miners killed and their next of kin; lists of widows and other beneficiaries paid compensation and funeral allowance; a list of 73 miners buried by a Red Lodge funeral home; and a list of those receiving emergency hospital service from the American Red Cross, including addresses, occupations, type of injury, and dates of admission and discharge. Also included is a "List of Widows Receiving Compensation as of January 1, 1940" for fatal injuries in mining accidents.
The other subject file (undated) contains a "List of Fatal Accidents Occurring at Speculator Mine June 8, 1917" (undated) providing the name of the accident victim; date of death; their beneficiary; date claim was filed, allowed, paid, and the amount; and marital status. (OVERSIZE MATERIAL: map case)
Dates
- Creation: 1915-1971
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 Montana Industrial Accident Board was established in 1915 for the purpose of ensuring financial compensation to victims of industrial accidents. Mining has played an important role in the history of Montana, and the industry has been a significant employer. Consequently the Accident Board played a major role in providing compensation to victims of Montana's mine disasters.
Mining is a dangerous occupation, and large and small mine disasters have claimed the lives of many miners in the state. On June 8, 1917 a fire, started by a carbide lamp, spread rapidly through the shafts of the Speculator Mine, owned by the North Butte Mining Company in Butte. The disaster was responsible for the deaths of 164 miners. Following an explosion in 1943 in the Smith Mine, a coal mining property of the Montana Coal and Iron Company at Bear Creek, 74 miners lost their lives.
The Industrial Accident Board was abolished in 1971 and the Board's duties were transferred to the newly formed Division of Workmen's Compensation within the Department of Labor and Industry.
Extent
5.6 linear feet
Abstract
This collection is a sub-subgroup (Board) of the Montana Department of Labor and Industry records, RS 498. The Industrial Accident Board operated independently until 1971, when it was abolished and its duties transferred to the Department of Labor and Industry. Please see the primary finding aid for more Montana Department of Labor and Industry records. These records of the Industrial Accident Board consist of a financial journal, Board minutes, and two subject files concerning the Speculator and Bear Creek (Smith Mine) mine disasters. (OVERSIZE MATERIAL: map case)
Arrangement
The collection is arranged by series.
Physical Location
33:6-7; Financial Records Volume 120:9-6; Map Case
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Acquisition information available upon request
Processing Information
In 2024, the various collections of the Montana Department of Labor and Industry were integrated under one collection identifier, RS 498, in order to help facilitate access, reduce redundancy in the Montana Historical Society Library and Archives catalog, and to follow best archival practices.
Collections from Montana Department of Labor and Industry's various Divisions and Bureaus that were previously treated as separate entities are now integrated into this collection, RS 498. Rather than reprocessing over 20 linear feet of DLI materials, MTHS staff decided to keep the past arrangement of those collections/finding aids and provide access to them via links in the primary finding aid. This decision has allowed the MTHS archival staff to maintain intellectual control over the collection, while removing the need to reprocess it. It also keeps State Agency finding aids at manageable sizes. Please read the scope and content note carefully to determine if this subgroup/sub-subgroup pertains to your research needs.
Geographic
Temporal
Topical
- Title
- Guide to the Montana Industrial Accident Board records, 1915-1971
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Connie Geiger, 1997
- Date
- 2006
- Description rules
- Finding Aid Based On Dacs (Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition)
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- 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
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT 59620-1201 United States
406-444-2681
406-444-2696 (Fax)
mhslibrary@mt.gov