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Women in the Archives Research Guide

Literature

Many pieces of rich and beautiful art have been created by Western women, including women who worked or lived near Bozeman itself. Literary pieces in the archives that have been composed by women often include subjects around Western experiences. These stories include narratives about Native Americans, poetry, and Western towns and areas.

Lillian E. H. Culver Papers, 1893-1931

While the Culver papers include letters and bank statements, they also include a variety of short stories. Culver took a correspondence course in creative writing, which may have spurred her story-writing. These stories encompass a diverse range of topics, but the "most revealing" story involves legal problems with homesteading.

Jessie Louise Donaldson-Anne Banks Papers, 1922-1985

This large collection houses a variety of writing. The first piece is an autobiography of Jessie Donaldson, which is accompanied by research notes and audio transcriptions. Also included are a variety of Donaldson's published and unpublished stories, mostly relating to Indians, and a collection of other stories created by other authors and published by Donaldson.

Elizabeth Berger Swan Papers, 1967-1971

The Swan Papers contain two typewritten stories by Elizabeth Swan. The first is a history of her family. The second is a Cree Indian story titled "Sporty and the Bear Claw," which concerns the conversion of a young man from his native religion to Christianity. 

Mildred Walker Manuscript Draft for If a Lion Could Talk, circa 1969-1970

This collection is composed of Walker's manuscript draft and galley proofs for If a Lion Could Talk, her novel about a "young clergyman and his wife who travel to the upper Missouri River in Montana Territory to serve as missionaries to the Indians." The manuscript includes various editorial markups. 

Grace Stone Coates Papers, 1930-1932

An avid writer, Coates wrote dozens of poems throughout her lifetime, many of which were published by literary magazines. Coates herself edited the University of Montana's literary magazine The Frontier, as well as other poetry anthologies. Her collection houses forty-two poems of her poems, poetry advertisements, and a poem by Anna H. Branch.

Beryl Stith Papers, 1883-1963

This collection consists of a booklet and paste-up for Stith's book Terry Does Exist, along with research for the book. The book covers the establishment of the town and the Stith family and their position within Terry.