Collection 339 - Lou Stocking Stewart Papers, 1871-1941

Creator: Stewart, Lou Stocking, 1862-1942

Provenance Note: Personal papers created or collected by Lou Stocking Stewart were donated to Special Collections by Nora Harber on October 16, 1964. Additional material pertaining to Lucy Bigelow Stocking was donated by Jared C. McDade of Purchase, New York, on January 9, 2009. In 2010, collections formerly assigned accession numbers 306 and 307 were incorporated and placed into the appropriate existing folders. On October 18, 2010, the Montana Historical Society donated a small scrapbook kept by Lou Stocking Stewart, formerly assigned accession number L-40994. On February 28, 2012 Jared McDade of Purchase, New York, donated an additional image of Lou Stocking Stewart.

Historical Note: Katherine Louisa "Lou" Stocking was born on April 3, 1862 in Denver, Colorado to Margaret Henry and John J. Uhle. After John Uhle died, Margaret Uhle married Winfield Scott Stocking on January 16, 1864 in Boise City, Idaho Territory. Stocking, born in Michigan on March 15, 1837, had gone to California in 1859 and prospected in Oregon prior to locating at Boise. After their marriage Winfield and Margaret, along with her daughter Lou, moved to Fort Benton in 1866 where Winfield established a meat market and located a ranch on Teton Creek. During this time Margaret and Winfield had a son, John J. Stocking, and in 1871 they were joined at their ranch by Winfield's mother, Lucy Bigelow Stocking. Lucy remained with her son's family until 1875 when she returned to Chicago and eventually her home in Elk Rapids, Michigan. Lucy returned to the Fort Benton area sometime prior to 1884 and remained there until her final return to Elk Rapids in the summer of 1885.

Lou Stocking grew up on the family ranch and attended St. Mary's Academy at Leavenworth, Kansas. She traveled to Michigan to visit her grandmother Lucy in 1883 and met other members of the extended Stocking family. Lou married Albert H. Stewart sometime after 1910. They spent their lives in Ft. Benton and Great Falls while Albert managed sheep ranches at those locations and Belt, Montana. By 1926, Mrs. Stewart had become very active in various clubs including, but not limited to, the Society of Montana Pioneers, Montana Federated Women's Clubs and Grand Army of the Republic Women's Relief Corps. Lou Stocking Stewart died on March 1, 1942.

Content Description Note: The papers consist of diaries, scrapbooks, correspondence, printed materials, photographs and memorabilia. Materials are arranged in seven series according to document type. The diaries were kept by Lucy Bigelow Stocking and Lou Stocking Stewart and describe Lucy's trip from Chicago to Fort Benton in 1871, her daily life at the Stocking home at Fort Benton from 1873-1875, and her return to Chicago. Lou Stocking Stewart's diaries describe her activities from 1883-1887; 1926-1937 and pertain to women's clubs, Albert Stewart's ranching work, and travels. Correspondence in series two pertains primarily to women's club activities Lou engaged in and includes letters from Harry P. Stanford regarding the history of the "Whoop-up Trail from Fort Benton to Canada. Scrapbooks in series three are extensive and contain primarily newspaper clippings dealing with Montana history and women's clubs. Literary productions, series four, and printed materials, series five, pertain to women's clubs and their activities, including the Grand Army of the Republic Women's Relief Corps, the Montana State Federation of Women's Clubs, and the Great Falls Public Library and manuscript histories of Fort Benton and Fort Shaw. Photographs in series six are primarily images of the Stocking and Stewart families and friends, Fort Benton (town and ruins), Belt and Great Falls, Montana. The memorabilia series includes conventions name tag ribbons Lou Stocking Stewart collected by attending the annual meetings of the Montana Pioneers Society and the GAR Women's Relief Corps. NOTE: Material added to this collection in January 2009 and May 2010 have been incorporated into the appropriate series and marked with [2009] or [2010].

Contents

Series 1	Diaries, 1871-1937
Series 2	Correspondence, 1889-1941
Series 3	Scrapbooks, ca. 1886-1940
Series 4	Literary productions, 1877-1941
Series 5	Printed materials, 1907-1939
Series 6	Photographs, ca. 1890s-1930s
Series 7	Memorabilia, Box 11-12

Series 1: Diaries, 1871-1937

Diaries kept by Lucy and Lou Stocking. Lucy Bigelow Stocking, mother of Winfield Scott Stocking, kept the first diary dating intermittently from 1871 to 1883. It details her trip from Chicago to Fort Benton from April 4, 1871 to May 15,1871 by train to Sioux City, then continuing by the steamer. The diary describes weather, scenery, passengers, wildlife, Indians and their camps, repairs to the boat, details of stops for fueling, loading and unloading of freight, and meals. The diary entries resume in 1873. From 1873 to July 1875, Lucy lived with the Winfield Stocking family and her diary documents weather, farm activities, hunting, household activities (food processing, clothing construction, etc.) visitors, parties, letters written and received, and local travel. The diary ends with a brief description of Lucy's return to Chicago in July 1875. The final section details travel, household, social and religious activities, and includes poems. A second diary also kept by Lucy Bigelow Stocking (donated in 2009) contains intermittent entries from October 31, 1884 to May 12, 1889 and documents a second residence in the Fort Benton area during the fall of 1884 up to her return to Elk Rapids, Michigan in the summer of 1885. This diary also concludes with poetry and some pasted newspaper clippings. The balance of the diaries in this series were written by Lou Stocking (later Lou Stocking Stewart). Diary in folder 3 begins in 1883 as Lou left home (near Benton) by coach and wagon to Helena, continuing by train to Chicago. She describes weather, scenery, passengers. From Chicago, she traveled by train, boat, and coach to visit various relatives (including the length of Lake Michigan to Traverse City, Elk Rapids, Blair, Lowell, Grand Rapids. Description is mostly of social life of the young unmarried set including formal entertainment such as theater and at home entertainment such as card playing. Lou returned home three months later and the remainder of the diary mainly deals with the social life in Fort Benton. Diary in folder 4 continues description of the Fort Benton social scene up to 1887. Diary in folder 5 was kept by Lou much later in her life and after her marriage to Albert H. Stewart. Stewart at this time was managing the Los Angeles Sheep Company near Sun River, Montana. Descriptions include weather, farm activities, household activities, social events, correspondence, financial references for farm and personal expenses, medical problems. Names include Judge John W. Tattan (Choteau County). Diaries in folders 6 - 8 were kept by Lou while living in Great Falls. Chronicles weather, social and religious activities, business activities, personal expenditures, illnesses and burials of acquaintances, club activities, occasional references to local, national and international news items.

Box 1.

1. Lucy Bigelow Stocking diary 1871 - 1882

2. Lucy Bigelow Stocking diary 1884-1891 [2009]

3. Lou Stocking diary 10/11/1883 - 10/19/1885

4. Lou Stocking, diary 8/9/1886 - 8/27/[1887?] loose sheets

5. Lou Stocking Stewart diary, 10/21/1926 - 4/20/1927

6. Lou Stocking Stewart diary, 11/1/1931 - 5/8/1932

7. Lou Stocking Stewart diary, 12/3/1932 - 11/13/1933

8. Lou Stocking Stewart diary, 7/27/1937 - 10/31/1937

9. Diary Transcript, Lucy Bigelow Stocking diary 1871 - 1882

10. Diary Transcript, Lou Stocking diary, 10/11/1883 - 10/19/1885

11. Diary Transcript, Lou Stocking diary 8/9/1886 - 8/27/[1887?]

12. Diary Transcript, Lou Stocking Stewart diary, 10/21/1926 - 4/20/1927

13. Diary Transcript, Lou Stocking Stewart diary, 11/1/1931 - 5/8/1932

14. Diary Transcript, Lou Stocking Stewart diary, 12/3/1932 - 11/13/1933

15. Diary Transcript, Lou Stocking Stewart diary, 7/27/1937 - 10/31/1937

Contents | Special Collections

Series 2: Correspondence, 1889-1941

Letters from Lucy Bigelow Stocking to her daughter Mary (Winfield Scott Stocking's sibling) and letters sent or received by Lou Stocking Stewart in chronological order. Includes personal, business, club and research correspondence. Includes research correspondence with Harry P. Stanford concerning the history of the "Whoop-up Trail" from Fort Benton to Canada.

Box 1 (cont.)

16. Lucy Bigelow Stocking letters, 1889-1892 [2009]

17. 1906-1927

18. 1929

19. 1930-1934

20. 1935-1936

21. 1937-1941

22. undated [2010]

Contents | Special Collections

Series 3: Scrapbooks, ca. 1886-1940

Scrapbooks containing mostly newspaper clippings; some magazine clippings, letters, photographs, and greeting cards. Most clippings are from the River Press newspaper in Ft. Benton and the Great Falls Tribune. Most of the clippings are undated and without attributions. Where dates are shown or have been penciled in they have been noted. Most of the clippings are on Montana historic topics but exceptions have been noted. Topics include but are not limited to mining, vigilantes, pioneers, Lewis & Clark, Charles Russell. One heavily represented column is from the River Press with headlines: "Items of Long Ago" and "Twenty Years Ago." There are also clippings on women's club activities. Volume 10 has clippings relating to Miss Lou Stocking and the Stocking family. Volume 11 has undated photo of LSS, p.15; return of the Ft. Benton cannon, steamship line, stagecoach, death of Civil War veteran John Chestnutt, Missouri River pilots.

Box 2

Volume 1 (1937)

Volume 2 (1934-1936)

Volume 3 (1932-1939)

Volume 4 (1933-1934)

Volume 5 (1940)

Box 3

1. Volume 6 (1926-1939)

2. Volume 7 (1938-1940)

3. Volume 8 (1930-1934)

4. Volume 9 (1928-1930)

5. Volume 10 (1886-1925)

Box 4

1. Volume 11 (1926-1939)

2. Volume 12
Secret organizations, "Old Coyote" Crow scout for Gen. Miles, cyclists journey to 1893 Chicago World Fair, Chief Joseph surrender, mining, cattle raising, pony express, stock brands, Montana first governor

3. Volume 13 (1931-1932)
Lewistown, Indian conflicts, mining, minutes of Veteran Central Committee Meeting (1931), Bozeman Flour Mill, Sacajawea, buffalo skinning, Hornaday bison, steamers, James Fergus

4. Volume 14
Indian conflicts, steamboats, stagecoaches, essays by Franklin Welles Calkins and James Willard Schultz, Liver Eater Johnson, pioneer reunions

5. Volume 15 (1928-1932)
Entirely on Charles Lindbergh. Includes first airmail to Butte: letter and cacheted envelope (1928).

Box 5

1. Volume 16 (1928-1938)
sale of Belt Valley Sheep Co. (A.H. Stewart part owner) includes map of sections); national news items, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington clippings, Catholic church news items; Col. William Boyce Thompson death; poetry; Civil War veterans

2. Volume 17 (1929-1931)
Montana pioneer groups, Custer battle information

3. Volume 18 (1928)
2 letters (1877, 1882)

4. Volume 19

Box 6

1. Volume 20

2. Volume 21
Mining freight camels

3. Volume 22 (1927)
Constitution & By-laws of the Northern Montana Horse Assoc. 1885; carver, John Clarke

4. Volume 23 (1908-1938)

5. Volume 24 (1912-1925)
"Nora E. Harber, Fort Benton, Mont." written inside front cover on brown paper book cover. Obituary of LSS' mother, Margaret Stocking, is on page 25 (8-29-1912). Laid in: W.C.T.U. tract with pledge. Photo print of W.S. Stocking (page 93)

Box 7

1. Volume 25 (1916-1937)
Laid in: page from Marvelous Montana magazine (no date).

2. Volume 26 (1910-1928)
J.W. Schultz obituary of Joseph Kipp (p. 26), linen section maps of Ft. Benton area (p.58-9), death of Charley Russell (beginning p.84), photo print of the Harber girls (p. 100)

3. Volume 27 (1929-1933)
1929 letter from Clark Stocking (p. 8), 1908 photo of Stocking ranch hay stacking (p.19)

4. Volume 28 (1883-1929)
photo prints: 1928 Judge & Mrs. Tattan (p.47), Piegan papoose (p. 59), 1909 Mr. & Mrs. W.S. Stocking (p. 61), 1911 Mrs. W.S. Stocking (p. 63) 1883 letter of invitation to Miss Stocking (p. 70) 1928 letter from Historical Society of Montana to LSS regarding early Montana newspapers (p. 72), obituary of Margaret Stocking listing German birthplace (p. 112), livestock auction flyer (1907?) owners A. Elson and Lou Stocking (p. 118)

5. Volume 29 (1931-1934)
Laid in: handwritten listing of early Ft. Benton doctors (1867-1910). 1901 map of Montana as political advertisement for legislature candidate Byron DeForest (p. 86)

Box 8

1. Volume 30 (1913-1940)
1937 letter from Harry Stanford to LSS (p. 42), 1940 obituary of John Stocking, brother of LSS (p. 75) Laid in: Masterson's "It Happened in Montana" clipping; blank land sale option with A.H. Stewart name printed in as agent

2. Volume 31 (1922-1936)
Laid in: Montana State Song, handwritten list of names & notes 1922 obituary of W.K. Harber, father of Nora E. Harber (p. 6), 1936 letters from the Historical Society of Montana on early marriages (p. 104) and the Fiske expedition (p. 107). 1936 letter from LSS RE early irrigation along the Teton River

3. Volume 32 (1929-1931)
Letter from Clark Stocking (p. 26) photographic prints: Stocking ranch photos (p.49)

4. Volume 33 (1930-1938)
Inscribed inside front cover "Mrs. A.H. Stewart, Glendale Apt. 32", Laid in: cut-out of LSS name mostly women's club news, Andrew Garcia (p.119)

Box 9

1. Volume 34 (1925-1940)
Paper cover labeled "Mrs. A.H. Stewart/416-1/2 Central Ave./Great Falls" Laid in: River Press clipping, undated GAR clippings (p. 49), Earl Heikka (p. 76)

2. Unnumbered volume, unnumbered pages (1923-1924)
Laid in: 3 page handwritten address to the Great Falls Women's Club, club Constitution and By-Laws Handwritten address regarding soldier bonus, mostly women's club clippings

3. Unnumbered volume, unnumbered pages
Recipe clippings, a few handwritten

4. Unnumbered volume, unbound, women's club clippings ca. 1920s

5. Great Falls Federation of Women's Clubs, 1935-1936

6. Women's clubs report clippings

7. "Life History of Miss Stocking" by G. Harber, 1909

Contents | Special Collections

Series 4: Literary productions, 1877-1941

Handwritten and typed essays, poetry, and reports prepared by Lou Stocking Stewart and others pertaining to a variety of historical and social topics. Included are program speeches for various women's clubs that LSS attended; official reports on the operation of the Great Falls public library; a reading composition book kept by LSS as a teenager while she attended school at St. Mary's Academy at Leavenworth, Kansas; manuscript histories of Fort Benton and Fort Shaw, Montana.

Box 10

1. "Bilking Uncle Sam" by Percy Shallenberger, 1928

2. Fort Benton history essays [2010]

3. Fort Shaw history essays

4. Grand Army of the Republic Women's Relief Corps, 1933

5. Great Falls Public Library reports, 1922-23

6. Historical essays--general

7. Miscellaneous notes and poetry

8. "Montana Products" essays

9. Probation Officer essay

10. Reading composition book, 1877-1879

11. Women's club reports, 1930-1941

12. Lucy Bigelow Stocking composition book and papers, ca. 1884-1892 [2009]

Contents | Special Collections

Series 5: Printed materials, 1907-1939

Printed brochures, programmes, and ephemera collected by LSS and pertaining primariy to the women's groups of which she was a member. Material pertains to: the Grand Army of the Republic Women's Relief Corps; the Ladies Improvement Society of Old Fort Benton (dedicated to stablizing the ruins of the first fort's buildings); the Great Falls Federation of Women's Clubs; the Fort Benton Women's club. An asterisk indicates oversize material in the folder has been removed for separate storage.

Box 10

13. Catholic church

14. Fort Benton Women's Club, 1931-1939

15. George Washington Bicentennial, 1932

16. Grand Army of the Republic Women's Relief Corps--meeting programs, 1930-1933

17. Grand Army of the Republic Women's Relief Corps--music and verse

18. Grand Army of the Republic Women's Relief Corps--orders, 1930-1933

19. Grand Army of the Republic Women's Relief Corps--orders, 1933-1939

12. Grand Army of the Republic Women's Relief Corps--other publications

21. Grand Army of the Republic Women's Relief Corps--program book, national meeting 1931; obituary book

22. Grand Army of the Republic Women's Relief Corps--rosters, 1930-1934

23. Great Falls Federation of Women's Clubs

24. Ladies Improvement Society, 1907; Interstate Temperance Alliance

25. Montana State Federation of Women's Clubs, 1930-1935

26. Poetry, Music, calling cards*

[Contents]

Series 6: Photographs, ca. 1890s-1930s

Box 11

Folder 1. Photographs 1-10

1. Lou Stocking and Margaret Stocking, ca. 1890s

2. Margaret Stocking with stove, ca. 1890s

3. Lou Stocking Stewart, Mrs. J. M. Stafacher, Mrs. Mike Kelley, Septemeber 1926

4. Lou Stocking Steward and Mr. and Mrs. Avis Thornton, ca 1920s

5. Margaret and Lou Stocking with "Ring" (pet dog) ca. 1912

6. Lou Stocking with "Ring," 1912

7. Lou Stocking with "Ring," September 4, 1912

8. John J. Stocking, ca. 1890

9. John J. Stocking with racehorse "Duke of Cumberland," May 21, 1909

10. Clark B. Stocking, Los Angeles, ca. 1920s

Folder 2. Photographs 11-20

11. Winfield S. Stocking home, Fort Benton, 1913

12. Winfield S. Stocking home, Fort Benton, 1913

13. Margaret Stocking at homestead, 1911

14. Winfield S. Stocking ranch on Teton Creek, 1910

15. Winfield S. Stocking ranch on Teton Creek, 1910

16. Log Cabin, Winfield S. Stocking ranch on Teton Creek, ca. 1890

17. Horses at Winfield S. Stocking ranch on Teton Creek, 1910

18. Hay Wagon at Winfield S. Stocking ranch on Teton Creek, 1910

19. Horse drawn hay cutter at Winfield S. Stocking ranch on Teton Creek, 1910

20. Horse drawn hay cutter at Winfield S. Stocking ranch on Teton Creek, 1910

Folder 3. Photographs 21-30

21. Steam tractor at Winfield S. Stocking ranch on Teton Creek, 1910

22. Belt Valley Sheep Company, ca. 1920s

23. Aarsand Ranch, ca. 1920s

24. Belt, Montana, ca. 1920s

25. Lou Stocking Stewart residence, Great Falls, ca. 1920s

26. Lou Stocking Stewart residence, Great Falls, interior

27. Harry Stanford, portrait

28. Lou Stocking Stewart and Fannie Irwin

29. Charles Bristle on Stocking ranch, ca. 1910s

30. Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Snyder, Great Falls, ca. 1920s

Folder 4. Photographs 31-40

31. Lou Stocking Stewart, ca. 1920s (no print available)

32. Women's club group, Great Falls, July 1923 *

33. Grand Army of the Republic veterans, Great Falls, July 4, 1930

34. Grand Army of the Republic veterans, Great Falls, July 4, 1930

35. Grand Army of the Republic veterans, Great Falls, July 4, 1930

36. Grand Army of the Republic Women Relief Corps parade float, Great Falls, July 4, 1930

37. Grand Army of the Republic Women Relief Corps parade float, Great Falls, July 4, 1930

38. Soldiers monument, Great Falls, July 4, 1930

39. Laying of Presbyterian Church cornerstone, Great Falls, n.d.

40. Black Eagle Falls

Folder 5. Photographs 41-50

41. Lou Stocking Stewart at Fort Benton ruins, 1910

42. Ladies Improvement Society of Old Fort Benton at ruins, ca. 1910 (no print)

43. Ladies Improvement Society of Old Fort Benton at ruins, ca. 1910

44. Fort Benton ruins, ca. 1880s

45. Fort Benton ruins, 1904

46. Fort Benton ruins, 1904

47. Fort Benton ruins, 1922

48. Fort Benton ruins, 1922

49. Fort Benton ruins, 1922

50. Lou Stocking Stewart with Fort Benton cannon at Great Falls city park (no print)

Folder 6. Photographs 51-60

51. Fort Benton town, elevated view, 1930s

52. Fort Benton fire department, 1890s

53. Fort Benton store fronts, n.d.

54. Joe Regli wagon outfit, Fort Benton main street, ca. 1890s

55. Fort Benton Steamboat Days parade, June 1937

56. Fort Benton Steamboat Days parade, June 1937

57. Fort Benton Catholic Church interior, 1886

58. Fort Benton flood, June 6, 1908

59. Fort Benton flood, June 6, 1908

60. Fort Benton flood, June 6, 1908

Folder 7. Photographs 61-73

61. "Voyage End," boats at Fort Benton June 19, 1937

62. Boats on Lake Fort Peck, ca. 1930s

63. Boats on Missouri River? 1920s

64. Fort Benton parade float at Great Falls, July 4, 1930

65. Fort Benton parade float at Great Falls, July 4, 1930

66. Oil Well, Dalies New Mexico, 1932

67. Unidentified Ladies group, ca. 1930s

68. Unidentified Indian group, ca. 1930s

69. Unidentified man driving horse and buggy, ca. 1890s

70. Unidentified man with sheep, ca. 1920s

71. Unidentified elderly man, ca. 1920s

72. "Little Jimmy Howard"

73. Lou Stocking Stewart, ca. 1870s

Folder 8. Photograph album pages

Folder 9. Negatives 28, 31, 41, 42, 43, 50, 67

[Contents]

Series 7: Memorabilia, Box 11-12

Halftone prints of historic scenes of Old Fort Benton and an unidentified ranch (possibly one operated by A.H. Stewart); cigar box lid; convention nametags and ribbons for Montana Pioneeers and GAR Women's Relief Corps meetings; vintage canning labels for Montana-produced vegetables; small scrapbook containing newspaper clippings and original letters from the Baker family [2010]. Oversize materials have been removed for separate storage and indicated by an asterisk.

Box 11 (cont.)

10. Haftone prints*

Box 12 Memorabilia

Contents | Special Collections

Updated: 4/4/12