Manuscripts Collection
Also included are Nathaniel P. Langford's 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.
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
Accession numbers: 2263; 2274; 3269; 3336; 4876; 5105; 5169; 5176; 5196; 5213; 5282; 5307; 5313; 5478; 8012; 8371; 9487; 11,544; 16,338; 16,436; 17,544
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 Donnelly.
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 10, 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.