1885 Montana Territory Frontier Banking Promissory Note — Henry Elling Banking House, Virginia City
Offered here is a remarkable piece of Montana Territory financial history — a large-denomination promissory note dated June 15, 1885, drawn payable at the Banking House of Henry Elling in Virginia City, Montana Territory.
Document Details:
- Date: June 15, 1885
- Principal Amount: $3,442.50 (Thirty-Four Hundred Forty-Two and 50/100 Dollars)
- Payable to: John C. Bell
- Maker/Signer: John W. Gafford
- Payment Terms: One Day after date, for value received
- Interest Rate: Ten percent per annum
- Payable at: Banking House of Henry Elling, Virginia City, Montana Territory
- Printed by: Messenger Print
The reverse side carries a detailed payment ledger spanning 1890–1895, recording a series of partial payments and interest calculations, with a final balance due notation of $1,101.9x dated January 19, 1895 — providing a rare and complete repayment history for this note:
- March 12, 1890 — Int. $430.40/100
- Jan. 22, 1891 — $435.45
- Jan. 17, 1891 — Partial Payment $1,000.00
- Jan. 20, 1892 — Int. $244.25
- Aug. 26, 1892 — Part. Payment $799.15
- Feb. 21, 1893 — Part. Payment $312.36
- Feb. 8, 1894 — Part. Payment $200.00
- Apr. 12, 1894 — Part. Payment $59.60
- Jan. 19, 1895 — Balance Due $1,101.9x
Henry Elling was one of the most prominent frontier bankers in Montana Territory, operating his banking house in Virginia City during the post-gold rush era when the territory was transitioning toward statehood (achieved in 1889). Notes of this size — over $3,400 — represent significant commercial transactions in the frontier economy of the period.
The document is printed on period paper with an ornate engraved vignette at left and shows honest age-related toning, wear consistent with handling over its active life, and some edge wear/loss at left margin. The handwriting, signatures, and rubber-stamped payment dates (in purple, red, and pink inks) are clear and legible throughout.
An outstanding primary source document for collectors of Western Americana, Montana Territory history, frontier banking ephemera, and 19th-century financial documents.
Condition: Good antique condition — toning, edge wear, minor left margin loss; text fully legible; reverse payment record intact and clear.