This is a collection of stand-alone interviews pulled together by Archives and Special Collections around the topic of homesteaders, settlers, ranchers, and farmers in Montana. These interviews were conducted from 1973 to 2006. The original interviews are held at Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula.
This collection includes 30 interviews.
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Abalona "Lona" Peterson Interview, November 11, 1979
Abalona Peterson
Abalona “Lona” Peterson describes emigrating from Denmark to Havre, Montana, in 1890. She talks about adjusting to life in a new country. Peterson discusses her work experiences in various towns in Montana, particularly Havre, Fort Harrison, and Helena.
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Albert Barnier Interview, June 25, 2006
Albert Barnier
Albert Barnier describes growing up on a farming ranch in Eastern Montana. He discusses his work with livestock, his education in a one-room school, hunting rabbits, his French ancestry, and his work as an overseer at a prison farm. He also describes working in the ... Read More
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Alicia Conrad Campbell Interview, November 28, 1973
Alicia Campbell
Alicia Conrad Campbell, daughter of Kalispell, Montana founder Charles E. Conrad, reflects on the Conrad buffalo herd established by her father in 1900. She recalls how the herd originally grazed on the leased land of Wild Horse Island before eventually being driven to the Conrad ... Read More
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Alicia Conrad Campbell Interview, October 13, 1973
Alicia Campbell
Alicia Conrad Campbell recalls stories about her family life throughout Montana. She describes how much her entire family loved and respected her father, Charles E. Conrad. She talks about her father’s interactions with Native American tribes north of Fort Benton, and his personal life which ... Read More
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Angus Monroe and Lilly Monroe Interview, circa 1970s
Angus Monroe and Lilly Monroe
Angus and Lilly Monroe reminisce about Angus’ grandfather, Hugh Monroe, who is referenced as a Hudson's Bay Company employee and the first white man to live in the Pondera County area of Montana. They recall their friendship with cowboy and painter Charles Russell and share ... Read More
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Bessie Pearl Catron Conner Interview, September 6, 1970
Bessie Pearl Conner
Bessie Catron Conner, who came to Montana in 1899, discusses growing up on a homestead at Camp Creek, Montana, located near the Gallatin Valley. She describes in detail the house and outbuildings, riding horseback to the schoolhouse four miles away, problems raising chickens, planting a ... Read More
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Betty Burton Interview, July 12, 1984
Betty Burton
Betty Burton describes moving with her parents to Pocatello, Idaho, as a young woman and graduating from the Idaho Technical Institute during the 1920s. She talks about moving again to Nevada to teach after getting married in 1927. Burton recalls how she raised three children ... Read More
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Carrie Stout Interview, 1983
Carrie Stout
Carrie Stout talks about how she first came to Stanford, Montana, from Penalosa, Kansas, in search of more farmland for her three brothers. She recalls working on her family’s farm including her year in Wyoming during the drought years. Stout describes a typical day in ... Read More
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Dorothy Bruner Floerchinger Interview, May 9, 1984
Dorothy Floerchinger
Dorothy Floerchinger discusses her family history, including moving and settling to Dupuyer, Montana in the early 20th century. She describes her early years as a teacher, the Spanish flu epidemic following World War One, and settling on a farm outside of Conrad, Montana, after her ... Read More
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Ellen Higgins Little Anthony Interview, October 1993
Ellen Little Anthony
Ellen Higgins Little Anthony discusses her experiences growing up in Ravalli County, Montana in the early 20th century. She describes her father’s beet farming, the Missoula Sugar Beet Refinery and working at the Red Lodge Canning Company during the Great Depression and World War Two. ... Read More
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Florence Murray Tubbs Interview, October 24, 1982
Florence Murray Tubbs
Florence Murray Tubbs recalls her family’s experiences in moving to and living in rural Montana in the early 1900s. She describes how her father obtained a homestead near Belt and Raynesford, Montana, in 1918, and how much upkeep it required. She talks about the chores ... Read More
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Harl L. Bruner Interview, October 5, 1989
Harl L. Bruner
Harl Bruner discusses his experiences growing up on a homestead ranch in Dupuyer, Montana. He describes his first job, working as a rider and sheep herder for the Hamilton Sheep Company, and his later experience working as a ranch hand for the Babcock Ranch. Bruner ... Read More
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Harold Hagen Interview, January 6, 1995
Harold Hagen
Harold Hagen discusses the history of his ranch outside of Stevensville, Montana before the area was converted into the Metcalf Wildlife Refuge. He describes life in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana, the apple boom, agricultural practices, and the history of the Bitterroot area.
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Helen M. Wax Interview, November 8, 1994
Helen M. Wax
Helen Wax discusses her parents’ experiences in Lewiston, Montana after they moved from Wisconsin, giving details about her father’s work as a farmer. Wax describes living on a homestead, working as a farmhand and teamster, and discusses how the Great Depression and drought years affected ... Read More
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Herbert "Herb" Knuth Interview, November 13, 1994
Herbert Knuth
Herbert Knuth describes his childhood in the Malta and Saco areas of Montana where his family homesteaded during the early 20th century. Knuth recalls daily chores such as milking and herding cows and bringing in the horses. He discusses his grandfather Charlie Hess who owned ... Read More
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Joseph "Joe" Zelezny Interview, August 13, 1954 and August 31, 1954
Joseph Zelezny
Joseph “Joe” Zelezny talks about his experiences as one of the first homesteaders on Flathead Lake, near Rollins, Montana. He describes moving to the area in 1899 by covered wagon, building a log cabin, clearing the land, and helping build the schoolhouse. He talks about ... Read More
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Joseph Paul Caffrey Interview, September 1, 1993
Joseph Paul Caffrey
Paul Caffrey recalls attending the Sweeney School of Aviation in Kansas City, Kansas and learning how to fly planes and work on airplane engines. He also describes trying to find work in Kansas City during the Great Depression when he had no money to move ... Read More
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Lawrence W. "Larry" Nash Interview, August 24, 1988
Lawrence W. Nash
Lawrence “Larry” Nash discusses moving from Kalispell, Montana, to Polson, Montana, with his family in 1908. He describes the early days of settlement and development in Polson, including homesteading, school houses, land allotments, and the evolving layout of the town. He also discusses childhood trips ... Read More
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Lee Christensen Interview, February 14, 1988
Lee Christensen
Lee Christensen discusses his career as a hay derrick—also known as beaver slides or stackers—builder, which started in the 1920s when he apprenticed with another builder before striking out on his own. Christensen talks about building beaver slides throughout Montana, particularly in the Big Hole ... Read More
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Leo Kinney and Della Schmitz Kinney Interview, 1978
Leo Kinney and Della Kinney
Leo Kinney and Della Kinney discuss the history of Alberton and Lothrop, Montana during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They talk about the lumber industry that supported settlement in Lothrop and recall that a major flood in 1908 devastated much of the town. ... Read More
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Lyman Ferguson Interview, February 15, 1986
Lyman Ferguson
Lyman Ferguson discusses growing up on a farm outside of Helena, Montana, and moving to Spion Kop, Montana, a small railroad town located in Judith Basin County, during the Great Depression. Ferguson describes aspects of his everyday life, including farming, ranching, and experiences with Prohibition ... Read More
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Mabel Goldie Peterson Holliday Interview, July 1993
Mabel Goldie Peterson Holliday
Mabel Holliday talks about growing up in various towns in Montana, including Silver Bow, Moiese, and Dixon. She recalls her father working for the Northern Pacific Railroad and explains that because of his job, her family moved around a lot. She discusses attending school in ... Read More
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Mae Nichols Schumann Interview, May 31, 1990
Mae Schumann
May Nichols Schumann discusses her family history, including the lives of her parents and grandparents, before describing her move from South Dakota to Superior, Montana, in 1899. She talks about her life in Superior, Montana, detailing her education, her work history, and the mining and ... Read More
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Martha Staff McIver Interview, July 8, 1993
Martha McIver
Martha Staff McIver discusses her family history, detailing how her grandparents emigrated to the United States from Norway and her parent’s homestead near Chinook, Montana. She describes her childhood and everyday chores and responsibilities on the farm. She discusses her marriage and children, including her ... Read More
