Montana Department of Transportation, Outdoor Advertising Control (OAC) Program records, 1966 1995 Overview of the Collection Creator Montana. Department of Transportation. Title Montana Department of Transportation, Outdoor Advertising Control (OAC) Program records Dates 1966 1995 (inclusive) 1966 1995 Quantity 7 linear feet of shelf space Collection Number RS 422 Summary Collection is comprised of records documenting the work of the Outdoor Advertising Control Program, a division of the Montana Department of Highways and the Montana Department of Transportation, including: general correspondence, case files, reports, subject files, and miscellany. Repository Montana Historical Society, Research Center Archives Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives 225 North Roberts PO Box 201201 Helena MT 59620-1201 Telephone: 406-444-2681 Fax: 406-444-5297 mhslibrary@mt.gov Access Restrictions Collection is open for research. Languages Sponsor English Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) Historical Note The Montana State Highway Commission was created in 1913 by the state Legislative Assembly. The original Commission was composed of three members. In 1917 new legislation altered the organization of the Commission by authorizing the appointment of twelve members according to geographic highway districts. Membership was changed again in 1921 to three members appointed by the Governor and in 1941 to five members, also appointed by the Governor. In 1971 the Commission was renamed the Montana Department of Highways, created by Chapter 7 of the Executive Reorganization Act of 1971 and implemented by executive order of the Governor on December 16, 1971. The Department of Highways took over all but the advisory functions of the State Highway Commission. http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv99246 1
By 1972, the Department consisted of seven divisions: the Legal Division, Personnel Division, Centralized Services Division, Engineering Division, Motor Pool Division, Gross Vehicle Weight Division, and the Maintenance Division. Each division was headed by an administrator. The Centralized Services Division, Engineering Division, Motor Pool Division, Gross Vehicle Weight Division, and the Maintenance Division were furthered sub-divided into bureaus, headed by Chiefs. In 1991, the Department of Highways became the Department of Transportation. The Montana Department of Highways Right of Way Bureau was given the responsibility, under the Montana Outdoor Advertising Act of 1971, to inventory signs along Montana's interstate and primary highways, license those which were legal, and remove those which were not legal. Content Description Records include correspondence, primarily with sign companies and individual sign owners; case files for permitted and non-permitted signs statewide; case files for legal actions; reports, including appraisers' progress reports, a legislative report, statistical reports on minority contractors, and a feasibility assessment; subject files on highway beautification, Outdoor Advertising Control, and other topics; and miscellany, including sign inventories, Federal Highway Administration manuals, and other materials. The Montana Department of Transportation series also includes documents relating to the Adopt-A-Highway program, Missoula Logo Signs, OAC Basin Creek, and Yellowstone Park signage. Use of the Collection Restrictions on Use The Montana Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners. Preferred Citation Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana. Administrative Information Arrangement This collection is arranged by series. Location of Collection 41:4-2 Acquisition Information http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv99246 2
Acquisition information available upon request Detailed Description of the Collection Montana Department of Highways, Outdoor Advertising Control Container(s) Description Dates Correspondence 1/1-7 Outdoor Advertising Control 1967-1978 1/8 District: Billings 1983-1991 1/9-11 District: Butte 1975-1991 1/12 District: Glendive 1983-1991 1/13 District: Great Falls 1983-1991 1/14 District: Missoula 1983-1991 1/15-19 General 1973-1991 1/20 Inquiries pending 1989-1991 1/21-22 Myhre Advertising 1973-1982 2/1-2 Myhre Advertising 1973-1982 2/3-6 National Advertising Company 1972-1978 2/7 Naegele Outdoor Advertising company 1973 2/8 Newman Signs 1974 2/9 Rainbow Sign Company 1971-1973 2/10 Randolph Sign Company 1971-1973 2/11 Sign Companies 1981-1985 http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv99246 3
Container(s) Description Dates 2/12 Snarr Outdoor Advertising 1973-1976 2/13 SOS Sign Company 1972-1974 2/14 St. Regis Sign Company 1973-1979 2/15 Time Outdoor Inc. 1973 2/16 Walford Electric Company 1975-1976 2/17 Western Neon 1973-1980 2/18 White Advertising International 1967-1979 2/19 Young Electric Sign Company 1972-1973 2/20-21 Federal Highway Administration 1972-1991 2/22-24 Private sign owners 1975-1982 2/25 Commercial electronic variable message signs 1990 Case Files 2/26-28 Active projects: City Ordinances, A-W 1966-1972 2/29-31 Legal action: Billings district 1984-1990 2/32-42 Legal action: Butte district 1972-1991 3/1-6 Legal action: Butte district 1972-1991 3/7-10 Legal action: Glendive district 1982-1991 3/11-23 Legal action: Missoula district 1972-1991 3/24-30 Permits (applications for, cancelled) (Carter- Fallon counties) 1972-1991 4/1-14 Permits (applications for, cancelled) (Garfield- Wibaux counties) 1972-1990 http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv99246 4
Container(s) Description Dates 4/15-16 Permitted signs, inactive (includes Big Horn, Blaine, Broadwater, Flathead, Gallatin, Lewis and Clark, Madison, Missoula) 5/1-2 Permitted signs, inactive (includes Musselshell, Park, Phillips, Pondera, Powder River, Powell, Prairie, and Ravalli counties) 5/3-11 Non-permitted signs, removed (Beaverhead- Yellowstone counties) 1972-1980 1972-1980 1972-1980 5/12-14 Surveillance original forms: Billings-Missoula Districts 1976-1988 5/15-17 Surveillance (1988): Billings-Missoula districts 1976-1991 Financial Records 6/1 Highway beautification cost estimates 1971 Legal Documents 6/2 Montana Outdoor Advertising Act 1971, 1991 6/3 Legal counsel agreements & opinions 1972-1982, 1987 6/4 Model for city resolution for regulating encroachments undated Reports 6/5 Appraisers progress reports (Billings, Butte, Glendive, Great Falls, and Missoula districts) 1969-1971 6/6 Department Of Transportation Feasibility Assessment 1990 6/7 Federal Highway Administration reports 1971-1974 6/8 Legislative Report: a Statewide Plan for Highway Signing 1989 http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv99246 5
Container(s) Description Dates 6/9 Minority contractors statistical reports 1980 6/10 Report on Montana s OAC Program and the Restrictions Imposed By the Federal Government 1986 6/11 Companies wishing to sell and miscellaneous 1973-1976 Subject Files 6/12 Administrative rules of Montana 1989-1991 6/13 Basin Creek (Eckman) 1985-1990 6/14 Coalition for Scenic Beauty 1985-1988 6/15 Columbus Chamber of Commerce, I90 Exit 408 1989 6/16-20 District R/W agent information (arranged by county) 1984-1989 6/21 Federal Highway Association 1972-1991 6/22 Highway beautification 1966-1978 6/23 Laws regulations 1985-1991 6/24 Legal action case summary (re: illegal signs) 1987-1990 6/25 Mom & Pop signs 1981 6/26 Non-conforming signs 1979-1992 6/27 Operations: Scenic America Organization and Scenic Byways (Nat l Forest Service) 1989-1991 6/28 Outdoor Advertising 1986 6/29 Permit / sticker information 1975-1992 6/30 Political signs & Real Estate signs 1984-1986, 1989 http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv99246 6
Container(s) Description Dates 6/31 Jack Ricker working files 1977-1986 6/32 Scenic byways 1967-1993 6/33 Signing committee 1986 6/34 Statewide Outdoor Advertising Control 1982-1991 6/35 Workshops undated Miscellany 6/36 Billboard inventory 1971 6/37 Control of outdoor advertising agreement: other states 1967-1972 6/38 Federal Highway Act: Indian reservations 1972-1976 6/39 Federal Highway admin manuals and directives 1971-1982 6/40 Handbook 1987 6/41 Illegal signs: list submitted to legal 1984-1994 6/42 Junkyard administrative data 1974 6/43 Manual for Classifying and Valuing Outdoor Advertising Devices 1972 7/1 National reassessment inventory 1980 7/2 Original forms & Sample letters 1979-1982 7/3 Rules and regulations: other states 1971-1991 7/4 Sign statistics 1976-1977 7/5 Signs erected before 1965 1973 http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv99246 7
Montana Department of Transportation, Outdoor Advertising Control Program Container(s) Description Dates Correspondence 7/6 Project # STPE 0002 (125) 1994 7/7 OAC and Right of Way Bureau 1993-1994 7/8 Billings District 1992 7/9 Butte District 1992-1993 7/10 Glendive District 1992-1993 7/11 Great Falls District 1992-1993 7/12 Missoula District 1992-1993 7/13 Federal Highway Administration 1996 7/14 Motorist Information Sign Program 1991 7/15 Motorist Information Sign Program 1992 7/16 Miscellany 1992-1993 Case Files 7/17 Legal Action, Butte District: Hall Outdoor 1984-1992 7/18 Legal Action, Butte District: Beaverhead and Gallatin Counties 1991-1993 7/19 Legal Action, Glendive District: Wibaux and Valley Counties 1990-1992 Subject Files http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv99246 8
Container(s) Description Dates 7/20 Adopt-a-Highway Program 1991-1993 7/21 Columbus Chamber of Commerce 1992 7/22 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) 1991 7/23 Logo Signs: Billings 1992-1993 7/24 Logo Signs: Missoula 1990-1992 7/25 Montana Power Company Education and Information Plans 1992 7/26 Basin Creek (Eckman) 1992 7/27 Non-conforming signs, FHWA 1992 7/28 Public Involvement Handbook 1994 7/29 Operations: Scenic Byways (Nat l Forest Service) 1993-1994 7/30 Primary OAC: Funding and Projects 1994 Miscellany 7/31 General File 1994 7/32 General File 1993 7/33 General File 1994-1995 Names and Subjects Subject Terms : Roads Roads--Montana Signs and signboards--montana Transportation--Montana http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv99246 9
Finding aid prepared by Rachel Lilley 2013 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Creative Commons Licenses in Archives West: http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/cc-attr.shtml http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv99246 10