Interviewer
Jo Rainbolt
Files
Description
Mary Welte describes her experiences homesteading in Montana. She recalls moving with her family on an immigrant train from Illinois to Montana when she was eleven years old. Welte discusses her father’s musical ability and his insistence that each of his children learn to play an instrument. She talks about living on a wheat ranch south of Chinook, Montana, with her first husband and raising a family, and the difficulty of trying to ranch in a hail belt. She also describes, how after her first husband died, she held various jobs including working at a mortuary, running a gas station, and writing for a Texaco trade publication under the pen name Gasoline Annie. Welte talks about marrying her second husband and relocating to his wheat ranch outside of Havre for almost 20 years before moving to the Bitterroot Valley. She briefly discusses the different types of home remedies she and her mother used when their families were sick. Welte concludes by talking about playing guitar for the Golden Age senior citizens group in the Bitterroot Valley.
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Document Type
Oral History
Subjects
Women pioneers, Montana; Frontier and pioneer life, Montana; Wheat ranches, Eastern Montana; Chinook, Montana; Havre, Montana; Bitterroot Valley, Montana; Musicians; Guitar players; Home remedies; Herbal remedies; Homesteaders, Montana; Texaco Corporation
Original Date
2-19-1981
Time Period
Twentieth century
Geographic Coverage
Montana
Language
eng
Original Collection
Montana Settlers and Homesteaders Oral History Project, OH 052, 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 052-001
Media Type
Sound; Text
Original Format
1 sound cassette (01:00:00 min.) analog + 1 transcript (28 p.: 28 cm.)
Digital Format
audio/mp3; application/pdf
Run Time
01:00:45 minutes
Local Filename
OH_052_001.mp3; OH_052_001.pdf
Citation
Welte, Mary, "Mary Graves Welte Interview, February 19, 1981" (1981). Montana Settlers and Homesteaders Oral History Project. 7.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/montanahomesteaders_oralhistory/7