Interviewer
Edd Nentwig and Diann Wiesner
Files
Description
Lester Barton discusses his life and career as the game warden for the Montana Department of Fish and Game for 17 years, a prison guard for ten years, and his experience as a fur trapper. He describes working as a game warden in the Butte-Silver Bow area of Montana, including his encounters with men who worked for the Anaconda Copper Mining Company. Barton also talks about working at the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge, and the aftermath of the prison riot there in 1959, when Deputy Warden Ted Rothe was shot and killed. He discusses his trapping methods and his use of different traps and snares such as Huckman, Gregerson, and Conibears, which he employed to trap bears, coyotes, foxes, rabbits, beavers, muskrats, and other wildlife.
Audio contains two interviews, one with Lester Barton and a brief conversation with Tex Baker. Baker is also present during Barton’s interview.
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Document Type
Oral History
Subjects
Montana Department of Fish and Game; Trapping, Montana; Game wardens; Montana State Prison, Deer Lodge; Prison riots; Fur trappers, Montana; Fur trapping methods; Deer Lodge, Montana; Archie O’Claire
Original Date
2-14-1981
Time Period
Twentieth century
Geographic Coverage
Montana
Language
eng
Original Collection
Fur Trappers Oral History Project, OH 099, 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 099-003, 004
Media Type
Sound; Text
Original Format
2 sound cassettes (02:00:00 min.) analog + 1 transcript (50 p.: 28 cm.)
Digital Format
audio/mp3; application/pdf
Run Time
02:00:52 minutes
Local Filename
OH_099_003_004.mp3; OH_099_003_004.pdf
Citation
Barton, Lester and Baker, (Clarence) Tex, "Lester Barton and Tex Baker Interview, February 14, 1981" (1981). Fur Trappers Oral History Project. 3.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/montanafurtrappers/3