Collection 538 - Muir family papers, 1915-1956

Creator: Muir family

Provenance Note: Financial papers and photographs pertaining to the Muir family ranch were donated to Special Collections by the Muir Ranch Co., Harlowton, Montana, March 27, 1996.

Historical Note: Nick Muir operated a sheep ranch near Harlowton, Montana from approximately 1930 into the 1960s. Mr. Muir turned the ranch into a family corporation in 1959. He passed away in 1981. His wife, Evelyn Muir in 1996 is the Secretary/Treasurer officer of the Muir Ranch Co. Nick took over the ranch from his father, Joseph Muir. Joseph immigrated from Scotland and worked around the Deer Lodge valley as a ranch hand and later ranch foreman at the Bielenbury Ranch. After marrying Bertha Higgins in 1901, they settled and started the sheep operation near Harlowton, Montana.

Content Description Note: The materials in this collection include: ranch account books of Joseph Muir's 1915-1927; ranch account books and papers of Nick Muir's 1933-1956; copies of photographs and negatives of the ranch operation near Harlowton, Montana, family members, and sheep. The photographs are either 3"x5" or 8"x10" and all are black and white. All the negatives are in Box 2, Folder 13.

Contents

Box 1

1. Ledger 1915-1924

2. Ledger 1915-1927

Box 2

1. Ledger 1933

2. Ledger 1934

3. Ledger 1935

4. Ledger 1936

5. Ledger 1937

6. Ledger 1938

7. Ledger 1939

8. Ledger 1940

9. Ledger 1941

10. Ledger 1942

11. Ledger 1943

12. Account papers 1956

13. Photographs #1-4

    #1. Joseph Muir's home in Glenville, Scotland

    #2. Joseph M. Muir, Deer Lodge, Montana

    #3. Mrs. Bertha (Higgins) Muir

    #4. Bielenbury Ranch workers including Joseph Muir, Deer Lodge valley [1870s]

14. Photographs #5-11

    #5. Joseph Muir, Harlowton, Montana, 1920

    #6. Sheep at Muir Ranch 1920

    #7. Sheep at Muir Ranch 1920

    #8. Ranch hands at Muir Ranch 1920

    #9. Hauling bales of wool 1920

    #10. Ranch hand at Muir Ranch 1920

    #11. Baling hay at Muir Ranch 1945

15. Photocopies of newspaper clippings about Mrs. Joseph Muir

Contents | Special Collections

Updated: 5/4/09