Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Montana Secretary of State records, 1867-1997
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Montana. Secretary of State
- Title
- Montana Secretary of State records
- Dates
- 1867-1997 (inclusive)18671997
- Quantity
-
991 linear feet
37 volumes - Collection Number
- RS 250
- Summary
- This collection consists mainly records produced by Montana Secretary of State's office. Materials include inactive business license records, correspondence, financial records, oaths of office, and reports and minutes from other Montana state commissions.
- Repository
-
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov - Access Restrictions
-
This collection open for research.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The Montana Territorial Secretary, authorized by the Organic Act of The Territory of Montana, was a presidential appointee whose duties included the transmittal of federal reports, and serving as Territorial Governor in the latter's absence. With the adoption of the 1889 Montana State Constitution the Office of the Secretary of State replaced the Territorial Secretary. The new Secretary was elected to a 4-year term and assigned a variety of new tasks including serving as ex-officio member of various boards and commissions. In 1992, the Constitution was amended to limit the Secretary of State and other top officials to two 4-year terms in a 16-year period.
As of 2021, the Secretary serves as a member of the Board of Land Commissioners, and the Board of Examiners Commissioners. The Secretary also serves as president of the House of Representatives; chief election officer overseeing procedures and publications relating to state elections; state corporations officer overseeing incorporation documentation for foreign and domestic businesses; custodian of records affixing their seal to and filing official documents handled by the Governor's Office; and central filing officer for the Uniform Commercial Codes, notary bonds, deeds, mortgages, motor vehicle registration, and trademarks.
As of 2021, the Secretary of State's Office was made up of the following divisions: Administrative Rules of Montana; Business Services; Notary Services; Elections and Government; and Records and Information Management.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection consists materials created by and relating to the duties of the Secretary of State's Office. These records include correspondence primarily related to appointments, businesses, and commissions. There are also records from court cases involving the Secretary's Office, as well as other legal documents related to certification, contracts, appointments, oaths of office, and election matters. This collection contains information about department regulations for various agencies, notary public commissions, and petitions. in addition to financial records such as account books, fee books, motor vehicle registrations, and tax lists.
Part of the records in this collection were produced by Montana state commissions and boards that are related to the responsibilities of the Secretary's Office. These records consist mainly of correspondence, reports, and meeting minutes.
The bulk of the records in this collection are comprised of business license records for businesses registered in Montana that are no longer in operation. This collection does not contain business license records for still-active businesses registered in Montana. Those materials are held and maintained by the Secretary's Office. Information about whether a business is active or inactive is available on the Secretary of State's Business Search Portal.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases, permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright holders. For more information, contact the Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives.
Preferred Citation
[Name of document or photograph number], Montana Secretary of State records, RS 250, [box and folder number]. Montana Historical Society, Research Center Archives, Helena, Montana.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
This collection is divided into the following four series:
Series 1: Secretary of State records, 1889-1988, 15 linear feet, 37 volumes
Subseries 1: Correspondence, 1890-1966
Subseries 2: Financial Records, 1889-1957
Subseries 3: Legal Documents, 1899-1967
Subseries 4: Reports, 1889-1971, 3.5 linear feet
Subseries 5: Subject Files, 1889-1988
Series 2: Inactive Business Entity records, 1867-1997, 972 linear feet
Subseries 1: Domestic Corporations, 1867-1997
Subseries 2: Foreign [out-of-state] Corporations, 1867-1997
Series 3: Election and Legislative Bureau records, 1908-1919, 4 linear feet
Location of Collection
Acquisition Information
Most of the records in this collection were acquired via a series of transfers from the Montana Secretary of State's office. More detailed information about individual transfers is available upon request.
Processing Note
This collection originally included records from the Montana Territory Territorial Secretary's office. In 2021, those materials were removed from this collection and processed into a separate collection, RS 160.
In 2021, the Montana Secretary of State County Business License records, RS 477, and the Montana Secretary of State Business Entity records, RS 478, were integrated into this collection to promote access and ease of use.
The briefcase containing the Darnell petition materials was discarded, and the papers were housed in Box 12 of this collection.
Materials produced by the following external Montana agencies and boards--Building and Loan Commissioner, Capitol Site Commission, Board of Charities and Reforms, Efficiency and Trade Commission, Board of Examiners, Fish and Game Commission, Law Library, Montana Legislature, Railroad Commissioners, State Canvassers, Department of Weights and Measures, and Board of World's Fair Managers--were removed from this collection and processed separately according to creating entity.
Future Additions
Future records transfers from the Secretary of State's office will be added to this collection, including business entity records when businesses cease to exist.
Related Materials
Records produced by the Territorial Secretary, including business license information for businesses established prior to Montana's statehood, are available in the Montana Territory Territorial Secretary records, RS 160.
Business license records for still-active business registered in Montana can be accessed by contacting the Montana Secretary of State office.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series 1: State Executive Office, 1889-1988Return to Top
This series consists of correspondence, legal and financial documents, reports, and other records created by the Office of the Secretary of State.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
Subseries 1: Correspondence |
1890-1966 | ||
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | Appointments and resignations |
1894-1962 |
| 1 | 2 | Commissioner of Deeds |
1889-1914 |
| 1 | 3 - 4 | Notary public |
1889-1893 |
| 1 | 5 - 12 | Secretary of State, L. Rottwitt |
1889-1891 |
| Volume | |||
| 35 | Secretary of State, L. Rottwitt |
1890 | |
| 36 | Secretary of State, L. Rottwitt |
1891 | |
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 13 - 30 | Correspondence organized alphabetically, A-Y
Includes information about appointments, auto licenses, and elections
|
1895-1966 |
Subseries 2: Legal
The materials in this subseries are arranged alphabetically by topic. In the case of court papers, they are arranged alphabetically by defendant's or plaintiff's last name.
|
1899-1967 | ||
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 31 - 77 | Court papers, B - H |
1902-1928 |
| 2 | 1 - 9 | Court papers, H - T |
1900-1953 |
| 2 | 10 | Washington Water Power Co. agreement
Dam construction in Sanders County
|
1953 |
| 2 | 11 | Agriculture certificate |
1895 |
| 2 | 12 | Applications for survey of Yellowstone River and Echo Lake |
1912; 1930 |
| 2 | 13 - 14 | Certificates for analysis of metal culverts |
1919-1957 |
| 2 | 15 | Political certificates |
1919-1957 |
| 2 | 16 | Certification of insurance claims |
1934 |
| 2 | 17 | Certification: special elections on city reorganization |
1911-1915 |
| 2 | 18 - 39 | Construction contracts
State and local government buildings
|
1898-1913 |
| 2 | 40 - 41 | Contracts for state government printing |
1890-1913 |
| 3 | 1 - 4 | Contracts |
1901-1917 |
| 3 | 5 | County appointments |
1903-1946 |
| 3 | 6 - 8 | County descriptions |
1912-1923 |
| 3 | 9 | County seals |
1901-1922 |
| 3 | 10 | County seats |
1896-1898 |
| 3 | 11 - 15 | Oaths of office |
1890-1942 |
| 3 | 16 | Precinct boundaries for Carter County |
1966 |
| 3 | 17 | Resolution of Lewis and Clark County Commissioners |
1889 |
| 3 | 18 | State Textbook Commission |
1940-1941 |
| 3 | 19 | Township descriptions |
1890-1967 |
Subseries 3: Financial Records |
1889-1957 | ||
| Volume | |||
| 1 | Fee books
Executive Office services to the public
|
1901-1949 | |
| 2 | Fee books |
1901-1949 | |
| 3 | Fee book |
1901-1949 | |
| 4 | Fee book |
1901-1949 | |
| 5 | Fee book |
1901-1949 | |
| 6 | Fee book |
1901-1949 | |
| 7 | Fee book |
1901-1949 | |
| 8 | Fee book |
1901-1949 | |
| 9 | Fee book |
1901-1949 | |
| 10 | Fee book |
1901-1949 | |
| 11 | Fee book |
1901-1949 | |
| 12 | Fee book |
1901-1949 | |
| 13 | Fee book |
1901-1949 | |
| 14 | Fee book |
1901-1949 | |
| 15 | Fee book |
1901-1949 | |
| 16 | Fee book |
1901-1949 | |
| 17 | Fee book |
1901-1949 | |
| 18 | Fee book |
1901-1949 | |
| 19 | Fee book |
1901-1949 | |
| 20 | Fee book |
1901-1949 | |
| Box | Folder | ||
| 3 | 20 - 22 | Fee books |
1889-1900 |
| Volume | |||
| 14 | 37 | Executive Office budget |
1921-1937 |
| Folder | |||
| 3 | 23 | Annual statements of Choteau and Silver Bow counties |
1899 |
| 3 | 24 | Capitol Building bonds |
1912-1916 |
| 3 | 25 | Building estimates for Historical Society Library |
circa 1933 |
| 3 | 26 | Motor Vehicle department expenditures |
1917-1926 |
| 3 | 27 | Governor's Office accounts |
1919-1921 |
| 3 | 28 - 30 | Bonds |
1919-1947 |
| 3 | 31 | Gifts, donations, grants records |
1927-1957 |
| 3 | 32 | Tax lists |
1918-1926 |
Subseries 4: Reports
The materials in this subseries are arranged by type of report, then alphabetically by the agency or commission who submitted it.
|
1889-1971 | ||
| Box | Folder | ||
| 3 | 33 | Inventory: list of reports |
1905-1922 |
| 3 | 34 - 40 | Inventory: State Agencies and Boards, A-C |
1889-1925 and undated |
| 4 | 1 - 43 | Inventories: State Agencies and Boards, C-S |
1905-1956 |
| 5 | 1 - 5 | Inventories: State Agencies and Boards, T-V |
1905-1956 |
| 5 | 6 | Inventory work papers |
1924-1927 |
| 5 | 7 - 55 | Reports: State Agencies and Commissions, A-S |
1891-1953 |
| 6 | 1 - 19 | Reports: State Agencies and Commissions, S-W |
1890-1951 |
| 6 | 20 | Payroll comparison of state agencies |
circa 1920-1959 |
| oversizebox | Oversize Folder | ||
| OS 15 | 1 | Payroll comparison of state agencies |
1915-1916 |
Subseries 5: Additional Records |
1889-1988 | ||
| Volume | |||
| 21 | Appointments to state boards and agencies |
1901-1983 | |
| 22 | Appointments to state boards and agencies |
1901-1983 | |
| 23 | Appointments to state boards and agencies |
1901-1983 | |
| 24 | Appointments to state boards and agencies |
1901-1983 | |
| 25 | Appointments to state boards and agencies |
1901-1983 | |
| 26 | Appointments to state boards and agencies |
1901-1983 | |
| Box | Folder | ||
| 8 | 1 - 2 | Appointments to state boards and agencies |
1895-1896 |
| 7 | 1 - 15 | Attorney General opinions per request of the Secretary of State
Includes index.
|
1897-1966 and undated |
| 7 | 16 | Auto registration application examples |
1914 |
| 7 | 17 | Auto dealer registrations |
1913-1914 |
| Volume | |||
| 27 | Auto registration fee books |
1913-1921 | |
| 28 | Auto registration fee books |
1913-1921 | |
| 29 | Auto registration fee books |
1913-1921 | |
| 30 | Auto registration fee books |
1913-1921 | |
| 31 | Auto registration fee books |
1913-1921 | |
| Box | Folder | ||
| 7 | 18 | Coal dealer license applications
These records were sampled and only represent a fraction of the bulk of applications created from 1911 to 1921.
|
1911-1921 |
| 7 | 19 | Copyright registration for music |
1936 |
| 7 | 20 | Corporation reports, forms, etc. |
1981-1988 |
| 7 | 21 - 30 | Departmental Regulations, B-I |
1919-1973 |
| 8 | 3 - 12 | Departmental Regulations, I-W |
1919-1973 |
| 8 | 13 | Eagleman, Melvin Leroy, Sr. pardon |
1975 |
| 8 | 14 | Elected officials biographical data |
circa 1960 |
| 8 | 15 - 24 | Elections: state and presidential races |
1964-1980 |
| 9 | Executive Record: #1-1388 |
1911-1946 | |
| 10 | Executive Record: #1389-2750 |
1947-1961 | |
| 11 | Executive Record: #2751-4000 |
1961-1970 | |
| oversizebox | Oversize Folder | ||
| OS 15 | 2 | Executive Record: #1389-4000 |
1947-1970 |
| Box | |||
| 11 | Honorary Commissions |
1940; 1958 | |
| 11 | Index to Montana Codes |
undated | |
| Volume | |||
| 34 | Unidentified Index |
circa 1890 | |
| Box | |||
| 11 | Lists of registered lobbyists |
1961-1981 | |
| 11 | Lists of stray horses
Deer Lodge and Silver Bow Counties
|
1892 | |
| 11 | Memorials |
1895; 1955-1970 | |
| 11 | Native American Church of Montana |
1969 | |
| 11 | Notary public commissions |
1913-1916 | |
| Volume | |||
| 32 | Notary public commissions |
1924-1955 | |
| 33 | Notary public commissions |
1924-1955 | |
| Box | |||
| 12 | Petitions, John Darnell |
1921-1928 | |
| oversizebox | Oversize Folder | ||
| OS 15 | 4 | Petitions, Joseph Hurst |
circa 1900 |
| Box | |||
| 12 | Petitions, Special legislative sessions |
1939 | |
| Folder | |||
| 8 | 25 | Press releases |
1966-1978 |
| 12 | Proclamations
State observance of national holidays
|
1889-1942 | |
| 13 | Proclamations
State observance of national holidays
|
1943-1970 | |
| Folder | |||
| 8 | 26 - 27 | Railroad license book and card file |
1893-1943 |
| 8 | 28 - 30 | Reapportionment |
1965-1971 |
| oversizebox | Oversize Folder | ||
| OS 15 | 5 | Register of bills received by Governor's Office |
undated |
| Box | Folder | ||
| 8 | 31 - 32 | Vote tabulation, State Primary 1920 |
1892-1920 |
| 8 | 33 - 39 | Constitutional Conventions |
1889-1972 |
| oversizebox | Oversize Folder | ||
| OS 15 | 3 | Constitutional Conventions |
1889; 1934 |
Series 2: Inactive Business Entity records, 1867-1997Return to Top
This series consists of articles of incorporation, annual reports, dissolution notes, and other items, for domestic and foreign [out-of-state] corporations that no longer exist.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Subseries 1: Domestic Corporations
The records in this subseries contain license numbers #D00001-D60774. Keep in mind that there are gaps in the numbers because active business entity records are still held by the Secretary of State's Office. To determine whether a business is active or inactive, visit the Secretary of State's Business Search Portal.
The records in this subseries are arranged numerically by the license number.
|
1867-1997 | |
| Box | ||
| 001 - 599 | Domestic Corporation Licenses, #D00001-D60774
Due to the number of boxes in this series, there is no itemized box and folder list. Once you determine that the business you're researching is inactive, contact the Research Center Archives so they can assist you with accessing the box containing the correct record.
|
1867-1997 |
Subseries 2: Foreign [out-of-state] Corporations
The records in this subseries contain license numbers #F00001-F27667. Keep in mind that there are gaps in the numbers because active business entity records are still held by the Secretary of State's Office. To determine whether a business is active or inactive, visit the Secretary of State's Business Search Portal.
The records in this subseries are arranged numerically by the license number.
|
1867-1997 | |
| Box | ||
| 600 - 972 | Foreign [out-of-state] Corporation Licenses, #F00001-F27667
Due to the number of boxes in this series, there is no itemized box and folder list. Once you determine that the business you're researching is inactive, contact the Research Center Archives so they can assist you with accessing the box containing the correct record.
|
1867-1997 |
Series 3: Election and Legislative Bureau records, 1908-1919Return to Top
Container(s): Box 16, Box 17, Box 18, Box 19
This series consists of petitions submitted to the Montana Secretary of State's Office in compliance with the initiative and referendum process.
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Auditing--Montana
- Constitutional conventions--Montana
- Elections--Montana
- Finance, Public--Montana--Auditing
- Taxation--Montana
Corporate Names
- Montana Territory. Territorial Secretary
- Montana. Governor
- Montana. Secretary of State
Geographical Names
- Montana--Politics and government
Finding aid prepared by MHS Staff
2004
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
