Montana Department of Transportation, Maintenance Division records
Scope and Contents
This collection is a sub-subgroup under the Montana Department of Transportations records, RS 492. The Maintenance Division oversees the Communications Bureau. To see the other Department of Transportation records, visit the primary finding aid, RS 492.
The collection contains files for the Maintenance division as it existed under the Department of Highways and then as part of the Department of Transportation.
The records for the Department of Highways consist of Subject Files (1927-1991) and Correspondence. Correspondence includes general correspondence of the Governor (1978-1985), and of the Maintenance Division Administrator and Engineer (1970-1985). Also included are files regarding the district and area offices (1953-1991), including: correspondence; "complaint" files; flood files; historical markers files; signing and landmark files; and miscellaneous report and project files, including Kootenai Hydroelectric Facility Project and aerial photographs of Seeley-Swan Highway.
The records for the Department of Transportation are comprised entirely of records documenting the Maintenance Division’s work with Power Engineers and “Touch America”/AT&T to install fiber optic cable in Montana. Documents include field diaries, both bound and loose leaf, written by inspectors and project managers overseeing the project; environmental reports and mitigation plans written by Power Engineers, one of the companies contracted to work on the project; general subject files about the project; and meeting minutes.
Dates
- Creation: 1927-2001
Language of Materials
English
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The Montana Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
Biographical / Historical
The Montana State Highway Commission was created in 1913 by the state Legislative Assembly. The original Commission was composed of three members. In 1917 new legislation altered the organization of the Commission by authorizing the appointment of twelve members according to geographic highway districts. Membership was changed again in 1921 to three members appointed by the Governor and in 1941 to five members, also appointed by the Governor. In 1971 the Commission was renamed the Montana Department of Highways, created by Chapter 7 of the Executive Reorganization Act of 1971 and implemented by executive order of the Governor on December 16, 1971. The Department of Highways took over all but the advisory functions of the State Highway Commission.
By 1972, the Department consisted of seven divisions: the Legal Division, Personnel Division, Centralized Services Division, Engineering Division, Motor Pool Division, Gross Vehicle Weight Division, and the Maintenance Division. Each division was headed by an administrator. The Centralized Services Division, Engineering Division, Motor Pool Division, Gross Vehicle Weight Division, and the Maintenance Division were furthered sub-divided into bureaus, headed by Chiefs. In 1991, the Department of Highways became the Department of Transportation.
The Maintenance Division oversaw general maintenance throughout the entire Department of Highways/Transportation including flood mitigation and damage repair, installing and maintaining road signs and Montana’s recognized Historical Highway Markers, managing public complaints about road conditions, as well as other maintenance-related projects. The Maintenance Division also worked closely with the district offices, overseeing the districts’ maintenance projects.
Extent
8.8 linear feet
Abstract
This collection is comprised of records documenting the work of the Department of Transportation and Department of Highways Maintenance Division and includes correspondence, "complaint" files, flood files, historical markers files, signing and landmark files, inspector field journals, meeting minutes, and subject files. Topics include: the statewide installation of fiber-optic cable through “Touch America” and AT&T, the Kootenai Hydroelectric Facility Project, and aerial photographs of Seeley-Swan Highway.
Arrangement
This collection is organized into two subgroups: (Subgroup 1) Department of Highways, Maintenance Division and (Subgroup 2) Department of Transportation, Maintenance Division. The two subgroups are further organized into series. Subgroup 1 is organized into the series Subject Files and Correspondence. Both Series are arranged alphabetically. Subgroup 2 is organized into the series Diaries, Minutes, Reports, and Subject Files.
Physical Location
40:4-3
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Acquisition information available upon request
- Title
- Guide to the Montana Department of Transportation, Maintenance Division records, 1927-2001
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Rachel Lilley and Ellie Letterman
- Date
- 2012
- 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 Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC)
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