A collection of research and secondary material about the fur trade in the Rocky Mountains compiled by Clyde H. Porter and Mae Reed Porter.

Clyde H. Porter (1889-1958) and his wife Mae Reed Porter (1889-1969) studied and wrote about the early exploration, development, and fur trade of the Far West, particularly the Rocky Mountain area. Clyde H. Porter, the son of Joseph and Jennie Henderson Porter, was born in St. Louis, Missouri; he attended Iowa State College where he met Mae Reed, whom he married in 1910. After Clyde's service in the U.S. Army during World War I, the Porters moved to Kansas City where Clyde gradually rose through the ranks to become an executive for the Kansas City Power and Light Company. Both Clyde and Mae Porter were passionate about the history of the American West. Mae Porter was an historian and art collector in her own right who collaborated with Bernard DeVoto on his book Across the Wide Missouri. This work won the Pulitzer Prize for history in 1948. After thirty-five years of service at the Kansas City Power and Light Company, Clyde retired and began assisting Mae with her historical research. Cooperatively, the Porters contributed to at least two books entitled Ruxton of the Rockies (1950) and Matt Field on the Santa Fe Trail (1960).

15.8 Linear Feet (19 boxes, 1 notebook)

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