Collection 2109 - Helen Brooke Herford Papers, 1886-1957

Creator: Herford, Helen Brooke, 1887-1972

Provenance Note: Personal papers and ranch records created or collected by Helen Herford were donated to Special Collections by Richard K. Slayton of Billings, Montana on May 22, 1973.  Additional materials were purchased from the AKM Group of Aurora, Colorado, on September 18, 2015. 

Historical Note: Helen Brooke Herford (1887-1972) was the daughter of John ("Jack" Brooke Herford and Susan Whitney Herford of Yellowstone County, Montana. Jack Herford (1857-1923) was one of nine children of Reverend Brooke Herford (1830-1903), an English clergyman. Jack's oldest brother, William, immigrated to the United States in the early 1870s where he established a New Mexico sheep ranch. By 1876 the rest of the Herford family temporarily settled in Chicago. Jack soon joined William in New Mexico while two other siblings pursued careers that would bring them national prominence: Oliver Herford became a writer famous for his wit and sarcasm while Beatrice Herford achieved fame as a Broadway actress. Jack and William eventually moved on to Kansas and Nebraska where they continued ranching. By the early 1880s Jack had located in Montana Territory where he established a ranch of his own on the Mussellshell River. He studied for the bar and held several government positions in Montana including: Yellowstone County Attorney, 1894-1896; Yellowstone County Sheriff, 1908; Billings City Attorney, 1911. Jack also served in the Third United States Volunteer Cavalry during the Spanish American War and in the Canadian Expeditionary Forces in World War I. He married Susan Whitney, daughter of Billings postmaster Lucius Whitney, around 1885 and the couple had three children; Nye, Whitney, and Helen, the principal creator of this collection. Following her education in Germany and Massachusetts, Helen Herford returned to Montana where she taught school in Carbon County and worked on her parent's ranch. In 1929, she and a cousin, Helen Underwood Wellington, entered into a partnership to establish a dude ranch near Limestone (Stillwater County) Montana. The Swinging H Ranch operated until 1937 when financial pressures forced Helen Herford to suspend operations and sell. She returned to teaching afterwards and died in Columbus, Montana in 1972.

Content Description Note: The Herford papers consist of family letters, ranch operation documents, and photographs all pertaining to the Herford family and the Swinging H ranch arranged in four series. Series one consists of family letters, written from various locations in Montana, Massachusetts, England, and elsewhere pertaining to Herford family activities, Helen Herford's early education, the operation of the Jack Herford Ranch, and Jack Herford's Spanish American War service. Ranch letters in series two specifically relate to the operation of the Swinging H ranch, ranch guests and employees, and Helen Underwood Wellington, Helen Herford' business partner. Series three, Ranch Operation Files, document the financial transactions of the Swinging H, promotional essays written by Helen Herford for publication, and subject files for facilities, livestock, and the Levi Strauss and Company's introduction of women's pants in 1934. 674 individually numbered photographs and seven photograph albums in series four pertain to the Herford family and relatives, Montana towns and natural features, Yellowstone National Park, and ranch life.

Related Collection: Researchers are advised that the Montana Historical Society in Helena, Montana holds the John B. Herford Papers, MC 394.

Contents

Series 1: Herford Family Letters, 1886-1957

Letters exchanged by members of the Herford family and friends pertaining mostly to family and personal matters. Included are letters from Beatrice Herford, Reverend Brooke Herford, Helen Herford, Jack Herford, Susan Whitney Herford, Oliver Herford, William Herford, Dolly Whitney, Harvey W. Louther, Sue Larabie Cunningham, and Kula Thuss. Letters were written from various locations in Massachusetts, Montana, England, and elsewhere. Included are letters written by Jack Herford while serving in the Spanish American War and related documents. For letters between Helen Herford and her business partner, Helen Underwood Wellington see series two, ranch letters. Many of the letters are undated, and the identification of many writers is unclear. The letters have been loosely arranged by the name of the supposed writer or recipient.

Box 1

1. Beatrice Herford, 1906-1909

2. Beatrice Herford, 1930-1957

3. Beatrice Herford, no date

4. Beatrice Herford, no date

5. Reverend Brooke Herford, 1886-1892

6. Reverend Brooke Herford, 1893-1901

7. Helen Herford (sister of Jack, William, and Oliver) 1890-1894

8. Helen Brooke Herford, 1902-1908

9. Helen Brooke Herford, January-February, 1909

10. Helen Brooke Herford, March-April, 1909

11. Helen Brooke Herford, May-August, 1909

12. Helen Brooke Herford, October-December, 1909

13. Helen Brooke Herford, 1910

14. Helen Brooke Herford, 1911-1936

15. Helen Brooke Herford, 1947, no date

16. Helen Brooke Herford, no date

17. Helen Brooke Herford, no date

18. Sue Larabie Cunningham, no date

19. Jack and Susan Herford, 1886-1889

20. Jack and Susan Herford, 1895

21. Jack and Susan Herford, 1898

22. Jack and Susan Herford, 1899

23. Jack and Susan Herford, 1900-1901

24. Jack and Susan Herford, 1905, no date

25. Dolly Whitney, 1931-1935

26. Oliver Herford, no date

27. William Herford, 1892-1897

28. Other Herford relatives, 1882-1898

29. Other Herford relatives, 1900-1947

30. Harvey W. Louther, no date

31. Kula Thuss, no date

Contents | Special Collections

Series 2: Ranch Letters, 1929-1937

Letters created or collected by Helen Brooke Herford pertaining to the establishment and operation of her dude ranch, the Swinging H, near Limestone, Montana. Included are: letters to and from her partner, Helen Underwood Wellington, that were written before and during the ranch establishment; letters from various guests who stayed at the ranch or requested information regarding its facilities; notes and memorandum regarding employees; personal letters of Helen Brooke Herford written after the closing of the ranch in 1937.

Box 2

1. Helen Underwood Wellington letters, 1912-1928

2. Helen Underwood Wellington letters, 1929

3. Helen Underwood Wellington letters, 1930

4. Helen Underwood Wellington letters, 1931

5. Helen Underwood Wellington letters, transcripts, 1929-1931

6. General correspondence, 1926-1929

7. General correspondence, 1930

8. General correspondence, 1931

9. General correspondence, 1932

10. General correspondence, 1933

11. General correspondence, 1934

12. General correspondence, 1935

13. General correspondence, 1936

14. General correspondence, 1937

15. General correspondence, 1938-1957

16. Christmas cards

Contents | Special Collections

Series 3: Ranch Operation Files, 1929-1937

Financial records, promotional essays, diaries and subject files pertaining to the operation of the Swinging H ranch. Papers include: bank statements and tax records; promotional essays written by Helen Brooke Herford for submission to dude ranch magazines; brief memoranda diaries from 1930 and 1934; subject files pertaining to the ranch automobiles, livestock, legal matters, facility construction, and the development of women's pants by Levi Strauss and Company in 1934.  Additional folders were added to this container on September 18, 2015 for the inclusion of Helen Herford materials purchased from the AKM Group.

Box 3

1. Bank statements, 1929-1930

2. Bank statements, 1931-1932

3. Bank statements, 1933

4. Bank statements, 1934

5. Bank statements, 1935

6. Bank statements, 1936

7. Petty cash ledger, 1931-1934

8. Tax assessments, 1929-1936

9. Essay, Dude Rancher

10. Essay, Dude Ranching

11. Essay, Reminiscences

12. Essay, Montana Ranch Women

13. Essay, Moose and Moose

14. Essay, What does a dude rancher do?

15. Essay, What Oliver Herford might call a woman's view of the west

16. Essay, With only one woman

17. Diary, 1930

18. Diary, 1934

19. Automobiles

20. Cabin plans

21. Lawsuit, 1934

22. Levi Strauss and Company

23. Ranch operations

24. Sheep Dogs

25. Cambridge Country School pamphlets

26. Helen Brooke Herford diaries, 1898, 1903; blank pocket calendar 1923

27. Brooke Herford eulogy, 1904

Contents | Special Collections

Series 4: Photographs, 1900-1937

674 individually numbered prints, six albums, and multiple negatives of images taken by Helen Brooke Herford, the Herford family, or commercial photographers of a wide variety of subjects and people. Included are images of: The Herford family and residences; Montana communities; Yellowstone National Park; Montana lakes, rivers, and mountains; vacation and leisure activities; ranch life on both the Herford and Swinging H ranches. The photographs have been arranged in alphabetical order based on broad subject headings. Photograph albums and negatives have been stored in separate containers. The negatives for prints found in the photograph albums are collected in small booklets bearing the same volume number. Loose negatives which have no corresponding prints have been gathered in similar subject headings as the numbered prints in boxes 4 and 5.

Box 4

Folder 1. Photos #1-13

#1-2. Agricultural Extension Service, Women

#3. Alpine, Montana 1914

#4-9. Arnold, John B. Ranch (a number of pictures identified as Herfords were taken here)

#10-13. Artist's Carnival

Folder 2. Photos #14-27

#14-24. Automobile 1914

#25. Avalanche Lake

#26-27. Barn

Folder 3. Photos #28-40

#28-40. Beartooth Mountains - scenic

Folder 4. Photos #41-53

#41-47. Beartooth Mountains - scenic

#48. Beartooth summit

#49-50. Cody rodeo parade (?)

#51. Billings - railroad siding

#52. Billings - Paradise Park

#53. Billings - Riverside Park

Folder 5. Photos #54-67

#54. Billings roundhouse crew

#55-57. Billings parade 1940 (55956 Chapple's Petek photo)

#58. Boulder River (Bray Photo)

#59-62. Branding cattle

#63-64. Bridge - Glendive

#65. Broken bridge (Yellowstone)

#66-67. Buffalo

Folder 6. Photos #68-79

#68-69. Buffalo Bill traveling show

#70-73. Butchering a bear

#75-77. Camping in Beartooth Mountains

#78-79. Camping on West Rosebud

Folder 7. Photos #80-92

#80-83. Camps

#84-88. Cattle Range (Herford Ranch)

#88-89. Chickens (Herford Ranch)

#90-92. Children

Folder 8. Photos #93-106

#93-97. Clark Fork Canyon area

#98-100. Cody Rodeo Parade

#101-103. Cooke City 1930

#104-106. Cooke City area

Folder 9. Photos #107-120

#107-115. Corrals

#116-117. Crow Fair

#118. Deer

#119. Demet Maybelle, Fishing on West Fork

#120. Demet Maybelle, Riding

Folder 10. Photos #121-131

#121-122. Ditching on Herford Ranch

#123-124. Dude Ranch (Beartooths)

#125-131. Dude Ranch Publicity

Folder 11. Photos #132-146

#132-146. Dudes

Folder 12. Photos #147-161

#147-148. Dudes, camping

#149-154. Dudes, fishing

#155-156. Dudes, hunting

#157-161. Dude in the mountains

Folder 13. Photos #162-173

#162-166. Dudes, older ladies

#167-173. Dudes on horseback

Folder 14. Photos #174-189

#174-175. Dudes on the trail (Modern Studio, Columbus, Montana, LA Maxson)

#176-189. Dudes on the trail

Folder 15. Photos #190-204

#190-204. Dudes on the trail

Folder 16. Photos #205-218

#205-218. Dudes picnicking (216, 217 Modern Studio, Columbus, LA Maxson)

Folder 17. Photos #219-231

#219-221. Dudes swimming

#222-231. East Rosebud

Folder 18. Photos #232-244

#232-238. East Rosebud

#239-243. East Rosebud Lake

#244. Eaton: Alden, Bill, & Willis

Folder 19. Photos #245-258

#245-247. Elk

#248-249. Farm yards

#250-251. Fences

#252-253. Fishing

#254-255. Flathead Lake

#256-258. Flood - Yellowstone River

Folder 20. Photos #259-276

#259-276. Glacier National Park, Set from: Redshirts, Pahaska Tepee, Cody, Wyoming

Folder 21. Photos #277-289

#277. Goose Lake

#278-279. Granite Peak

#280. Grass Mountain

#281-289. Grasshopper Glacier

Folder 22. Photos #290-301

#290-295. Haying

#296. Hell-Roaring Falls

#297-298. Herford, Brooke

#299-301. Herford, Helen Brooke

Folder 23. Photos #302-313

#302-313. Herford, Helen Brooke

Folder 24. Photos #314-325

#314-320. Herford, J.B. and Ivan

#321. Herford, J.B. - Warehouse

#322-324. Herford, Mrs. J.B.

#325. Herford, Mrs. J.B. and Brooke

Folder 25. Photos #326-336

#326-329. Herford, Rose

#330-334. Herford family

#335-336. Herford friends (men)

Folder 26. Photos #337-348B

#337-348. Herford Ranch (+348A & 348B)

Folder 27. Photos #349-365

#349-355. Herford Residence

#356-359. Herford station wagon

#360-365. Homestead fun

Folder 28. Photos #366-378

#366-378. Horsemen

Box 5

Folder 1. Photos #379-389

#379-389. Horses

Folder 2. Photos #390-400

#390-400. Horses

Folder 3. Photos #401-409

#401-407. Horses (Brooke Herford) not the same man identified as Brooke Herford in photos 297, 298 & 325

#408-409. Horses, standing

Folder 4. Photos #410-421

#410-421. Horses, Morgans in Vermont

Folder 5. Photos #422-431

#422. Indian Craft Shop - St. Mary's (?)

#423. Indian Cave, Billings

#424. Jacobn's private car

#425-428. Lillian's cards (Beartooth and family)

#429. Limestone Post Office

#430-431. Log bridges

Folder 6. Photos #432-443

#432-443. Log cabins

Folder 7. Photos #444-454

#444-446B. Logging (446 Photo Service, Newport, Washington)

#447. Lowther, H.W.

#448. Mammoth, Wyoming

#449. Mary's Lake

#450. Milking a cow

#451. Mill (aluminum mill on the Stillwater - maybe)

#452. Montana State College laboratory

#453. Mount Aeneas, Jewel Lakes

#454. Mount Lockhart & Mount Reargard, Red Lodge

Folder 8. Photos #455-466

#455-458. Oil wells

#459. Oil well workers (?)

#461-461. Pack horses in winter

#462-466. Pack outfits

Folder 9. Photos #467-479

#467-472. Pack outfits

#473-477. Pets (dogs)

#478-479. Picnics

Folder 10. Photos #480-490

#480-481. Pigs

#482-483. Chief Plenty Coups

#484-486. Railroad, Wyoming and Southern

#487-490. Ranch hands at work

Folder 11. Photos #491-501

#491-497. Ranch houses

#498-501. Rattlesnakes

Folder 12. Photos #502-512

#502-512. Red Lodge (set of commercial photos)

Folder 13. Photos #513-524

#513-520. Red Lodge area (set of commercial photos)

#521. Red Lodge area

#522. Red Lodge - Cooke City Highway

#523. Road in winter

#524. Rock Creek

Folder 14. Photos #525-538

#525-535. Rodeos (Photos by R.R. Doubleday)

#536. Saloon

#537. Sawmill in Beartooth Mountains

#538. Shadow Lake (composite print)

Folder 15. Photos #529-550

#539-543. Sheep

#544-547. Sheep camp

#548. Shoeing a horse

#549. Slough Lake

#550. Skiing

Folder 16. Photos #551-563

#551-554. South Fork Ranger Station, Big Horn Mountains

#555. Spring wagons

#556-563. Stillwater canyon and Basin

Folder 17. Photos #566-577

#564-577. Stillwater Basin

Folder 18. Photos #578-591

#578. Stillwater Meadows

#579-591. Stillwater River and West Fork

Folder 19. Photos #592-602

#592-594. Stocking fish in Beartooth Mountains

#595-602. Surveying from Beartooth Plateau

Folder 20. Photos #603-611

#603-607. Swimming in the Yellowstone

#608. Telephone line

#609. Tennis

#610. Train

#611. Train wreck (L.G. Webber, Silesia, Montana)

Folder 21. Photos #612-620

#612-619. Wagons and buggies

#620. Wash day, bachelor camp

Folder 22. Photos #621-634

#621-634. West Rosebud

Folder 23. Photos #635-648

#635-639. Westfork (635 is same bridge I.D. as Kerwin's Ranch in another negative)

#640-646. Women, 1915

#647-648. Yellowstone Canyon

Folder 24. Photos #649-663

#649-658. Yellowstone Park, 1921

#659-662. Yellowstone River

#663. Boulder R.

Folder 25. Photos #664-674

#664-667. Camping trip, 1919

#668. Fleming, Dave 1919

#669-670. Hay drag

#671-674. Lewis Ranch on the Clark Fork, 1917-1918

Box 6

Volume 1. Photograph album, ca. 1920s

Pack outfit; Beartooth Mountains; Yellowstone National Park, ca. 1925; Herford Ranch; Native Americans; Buffalo

Volume 2. Photograph album, 1890-1915

Jack Herford family; Billings; Germany; England; Salt Lake City; Beatrice Herford

Volume 3. Photograph album, 1914-1918

Chesnut, 1914; Bozeman parade, 1914; Indian Cave, Billings, 1914; Kirby Ranch, 1915; Prior Agency, 1915; Glendive bridge, 1915; World War I training camp, location unknown.

Volume 4. Photograph album, ca. 1920s

Beartooth Mountains

Box 7

Volume 5. Photograph album, 1916

Daily's Ranch; Woods Ranch; Stillwater River; Stillwater basin; Woodbine Falls; Devil's Washtub; Sioux Charley Lake; Big Park Ranger Station; Horseshoe Creek; Wounded Man Lake; Lake of the Woods; Lake Abundance; Daisy Pass; Cooke Ranger Station; Broadwater River; Kersey Lake; Fox Lake; Rock Island Lake; Clark's Fork Falls; Cooke City; Elk Park; Beartooth Lake; Deep Lake; Mirror Lake

Volume 6. Photograph Album, ca. 1930s

Beartooth Mountains; Herford Ranch; Stillwater River; Swinging H Ranch; Rosebud River; Sheep

Volume 7. Photograph album, 1913-1916

Lame Deer Reservation; Indian Caves; Kirby Ranch; McCormick Cabin; Rosebud Lake; Shadow Lake; Slough Lake; Snow Lake; Miles City Roundup

Box 8

Negatives for volumes 1-5

Numbered image negatives: 4, 5, 6, 8, 26, 27, 98, 100, 102, 121, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 157, 167, 168, 174-184, 201, 202, 214, 215, 216, 292, 297, 298, 302, 305-317, 321, 326, 346-348a, 352-355, 376-378, 379-381, 422, 424, 432-434, 455-457, 462, 463, 431, 482, 521, 539-541, 544, 548, 550, 551, 605, 635, 639, 647, 648

Loose negatives by subject:

Arnold, John B. Ranch Automobiles 1914 Beartooth Mountains Big Timber Billings - railroad siding Cattle Feeding Cattle Range Children Cody, Woming Corrals Dead Indian panorama Deer Dude Ranch Dude Ranch Publicity Dudes Dudes, fishing Dudes in the mountains Dudes on horseback Dudes on the trail Dudes picnicking Dudes swimming Farm show

Geese Goat cart Haying Herford, Brooke Herford, Helen Brooke Herford, J.B. in office Herford, Mrs. J.B. Herford, Mrs. J.B. and Brooke Herford friends Herford Ranch Herford Residence Herford station wagon Horsemen Horses Indian Craft Shop - St. Mary's (?) Kerwins Ranch Log cabins Mckay, Mary Ellen Milk Cows Navajo rugs Mystic Lake Oil Wells

Pack Mules Pack Trip Picnic Ranches on Stillwater Ranch Houses Red Lodge Russell, Charles M., painting Rosebuds near Red Lodge Sheep Wagon Skiing Stillwater River Tennis Wading Wellington, Helen White, Dudley, ranch Wright, Eleanor Wright, Fred Wright, George Wright, Harr Yellowstone National Park

Contents | Special Collections

Updated: 4/11/13