Interviewer
Robert Philip
Files
Description
Byron Thrailkill, born in Bell Crossing, Montana, in 1895, discusses growing up in the Bitterroot Valley. He describes working on the railroads and in the Rocky Mountain Laboratories [RML], a Hamilton-based laboratory that focused on vaccine development. Thrailkill discusses his work during the 1920s researching tick-borne diseases, including tularemia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and choriomeningitis, under the direction of Dr. Parker and Dr. Spencer. He details his daily duties in the laboratory, including collecting ticks in Missoula and the surrounding areas for research. Thrailkill also recalls anecdotes about his friends, such as Earl Malone, and provides a snapshot of life in 1920s Missoula.
Note: When this interview was conducted, the interviewee asked that the interview not be made public. Archives and Special Collections has chosen to make it public since the interviewee is deceased and says nothing harmful.
Loading...
Document Type
Oral History
Subjects
Bitterroot Valley, Montana; Rocky Mountain Laboratories [RML]; Missoula, Montana; Vaccination development; Rocky Mountain spotted fever; Tick-borne diseases
Original Date
8-3-1983
Time Period
Twentieth century
Geographic Coverage
Montana
Language
eng
Original Collection
Bitterroot Historical Society Oral History Project, OH 120, Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula
Digital Publisher
University of Montana--Missoula. Mansfield Library
Rights
Copyright to this collection is held by the interview participants and by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula. Permission may be required for use. For further information please contact Archives and Special Collections: (406) 243-2053 / library.archives@umontana.edu
Oral History Number
OH 120-007
Media Type
Sound; Text
Original Format
1 sound cassette (01:00:00 min.) analog + 1 transcript (12 pp.: 28 cm.)
Digital Format
audio/mp3; application/pdf
Run Time
00:38:33 minutes
Local Filename
OH_120_007.mp3; OH_120_007.pdf
Citation
Thrailkill, Byron, "Byron Thrailkill Interview, August 3, 1983" (1983). Bitterroot Historical Society Oral History Project. 1.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/bitterrootvalley_oralhistory/1