Manuscripts Collection
Also included are Nathaniel P. Langford son George's letters from Harvard University (1894-1897) describing university life and varsity athletics; and from Joliet, Illinois (1898-1940s), regarding his career with the McKenna Steel Working Company. There are 24 volumes of genealogical notes, charts, correspondence, and other papers on the Langford and related families, compiled by George.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the
Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics
should
Nathanial Pitt Langford was born in Westmoreland, New York, in 1832; he came to St. Paul in 1854. He was cashier in the banking house of Marshall and Company in 1855, and in 1858 he became cashier of the Bank of the State of Minnesota. On June 16, 1862, Langford left St. Paul with the Northern Overland Expedition led by Captain James L. Fisk to establish a wagon road into Montana Territory. Langford settled in Bannack, Montana Territory, where he established freightage, milling, and other enterprises in partnership with other businessmen. From 1864 to 1868 he was collector of internal revenue in Montana Territory, and was instrumental in the vigilance movement to combat lawlessness in the territory.
In 1870 Langford was one of the organizers of the Washburn-Langford-Doane expedition
that explored the region that would become Yellowstone National Park. From 1872 to
1877 he served as the park’s first superintendent. He also served as national bank
examiner for the Pacific states and territories, 1872-1884. He returned to Minnesota
and began a career as an historian of the West, authoring numerous works, including
Typed copies of originals in the Montana Historical Society, Helena
Accession number: 2263; 2274; 3269; 3336; 4876; 5105; 5169; 5176; 5196; 5213; 5282; 5307; 5313; 5478; 8012; 8371; 9487; 11,544; 16,338; 16,436
Processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with a Basic Project grant
awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission
Catalog ID number: 001719744
Papers of George Langford are available in the Minnesota Historical Society library.
Correspondents include Daniel A. Robertson, William R. Marshall, James Wickes Taylor, and Ignatius Donnely.
Topics include living accommodations, food, weather, animals, game birds, his
work in the Lake Pepin area, a smallpox epidemic, mail service, the steamer
The Langford to Doolittle letters were written from Lake Pepin (November 10, 1854-May 2, 1855), from St. Paul (July 1855-June 29, 1857), from Virginia City and Helena, Montana Territory (April 22, 1865-September 14, 1869), and again from St. Paul (1884, 1886, 1899, 1903). The 1854-1857 correspondence includes a description of Langford's trip from Utica, New York, to Minnesota Territory (November 100, 1854).
Signed by Langford. Describes his opinions of Alexander Ramsey, Republican politics, the Northern Pacific Railroad, and the Benton (Montana) road. Includes envelope.
Letters of particular interest include a long letter written to Jennie Doolittle (daughter of William) describing Langford's views on the constitutionality of American acquisition of the Philippine Islands, citing historical precedents to support their legality, and discussing Cushman K. Davis's views on the expansion of European commercial concessions in China and their importance to American security (March 29, 1899) and a retrospective description of buffalo herds on the plains as traveled by Langford and Pierre Bottineau in 1862 (August 3, 1903).
Include membership certificates, family documents, and records of the Marshall Coal Company (Denver, Colorado).
Relate to his experiences in Montana (1863-1911) and include typewritten copies of his diaries dated 1863 (Montana) and 1870 (his trip from St. Paul to Fort Garry).
Essays by George Langford and notes and galley of an unattributed article on Western explorations.
Information on the Langford and Sweeting families, including a
photostatic copy of the
Relate to activities of the Langford family, including some describing George Langford's archaeological work.
Includes, among other items, a religious tract entitled
Includes Nathaniel Pitt Langford.
Includes clippings on sporting events and copies of theatrical programs.
Contains mainly Langford family data.
Volume 22, originally containing family letters from 1836 to 1881, was dismantled and the letters interfiled into the correspondence.
Contains Robertson family data and family correspondence.
Not in chronological order.
Includes literary material and miscellaneous items.
Includes Langford family data, and one newspaper clipping relating to T. Evart's experiences with the Washburn expedition in Yellowstone National Park.
For land in Dakota City, Nebraska.