Biographical / Historical Note
Francis Vinton Greene (1850-1921), was detailed in 1872 to serve under the Department of State on a joint commission, the North American Boundary Commission to survey and mark the boundary line along the 49th parallel.
Summary
The 1874 letter to Francis Greene's parents describes his travels with the boundary survey team from Sweet Grass Hills overland to Fort Shaw and Fort Benton and by boat to Bismarck, North Dakota. It contains a map of the route (WA MSS 230). The 1875 letters to his parents describe his trip with Lt. Doane through Yellowstone National Park in 1875 and the return journey to Washington, D.C., with stops in Virginia City, Montana, Denver, and St. Louis (WA MSS 231).