Content available:
980 hours, 13 minutes
in 3142 files
Reel 507
Demo tapes are some of my favorites.
Reel 474
Another tape that doesn't match the box but the home recording is worth checking out.
Reel 471
Someone didn't like the original tape and replaced it.
Reel 468
This is one of many that come after it that are pre-recorded tapes. I saved this to the end of the project. I did play each tape to verify that it matched the label and the box.
Reel 462
A home recording of someone practicing their guitar. Found home recordings are the best!
Reel 452
Yes, that is a fim can they reel was stored in.
Reel 450
Home recording; A guy plays the guitar a bit, then reads some things about economics, some more guitar, and then an old music recording; 7-1/2 ips
Reel 448
This tape must have been used to record commercials for a radio station and then it was recorded over but some of the voice work wasn't erased; here is a sample which has the voice and the music recorded over it; the voice is at 15 ips and the music is at 3-3/4 ips; Fredonia and Jamestown mentioned so probably originated in New York
Reel 443
Home recording; a man is narrating a slide show of his Mexican vacation pictures; has a music sound track;
Reel 434
Phone calls to a blood bank requesting blood.
Reel 433
Phone calls to a blood bank requesting blood.
Reel 430
Phone calls to a blood bank requesting blood.
Reel 425
Reading of some cowboy poetry.
Reel 415
Some home recordings from a 3" reel
Reel 388
This is a continuous recording from WKZL in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; I am guessing that it is 1979; In this sample I have clipped out the music and left the DJ and commercials
Reel 363
This reel has a home recording of a band practicing.
Reel 312
Recording of Grace Caldwell and Bill Pollard, Keyboard Melodies broadcast from the Northern Hotel in Billings, MT.
Reel 282
Might be the last of the "Jim" tapes that I've come across. Recorded in 1963.
Reel 281
Paul Harvey speaks in Billings to the Chamber of Commerce.
Reel 279
The Ed Sullivan Show with the Beatles first appearance.
Reel 269
Gemini V flight coverage from TV.
Reel 262
Christian Missionary Alliance meeting; Jim voice dates this as October 6, 1963; the speaker of the night is Claude Pike from Portland, OR; he is a minster and radio commentator; his talk is about how the Unites States is under attack from communists, socialists; he said he was a Methodist but that denomination became a problem for him; he was accused of making anti-Semitic remarks on his radio show.
Also on this reel we hear Richard Harrold's "night vision"; Richard was the shoe shine man at the Handy Barber shop; he describes a dream he had for dealing with foreign countries to subdue communism; he says the communists, socialists, liberals, and all others who are not of the Christian faith would be imprisoned.
Reel 257
Another Christian Businessmen Committee meeting. This one from 1955.
Reel 248
Glen Cunningham; story of the athlete as told by himself; how he overcame a childhood accident to become an Olympic athlete; he is speaking to a group of young people; warns about the dangers of alcohol and tobacco;
Reel 247
World War I documentaries from TV.
Reel 245
Gemini V flight coverage from TV.
Reel 235
Promos for Trinity Lutheran School in Billings recorded in 1973 by parents.
Reel 234
Billings Chamber Report from 1974.
Reel 233
This reel is in a pretty cool box from Philips.
Reel 211
Night Cap; KSL call in show; host is Herb Jepko; says it's January 11 although a bit later he says February; a Monday; News; Coco Chanel dies at 87; that was on January 10, 1971; the recording has some static from Dxing; Jepko was the first nationally syndicated talk show.
Reel 195
Church service with Jack Shuler; Jim voice dates this as December 9, 1953 and says that the subject tonight will be gambling; sounds like a very large revival meeting; See Reels 117, 119, and 161;
Reel 191
Funeral and eulogy of Ernest T. Eaton; he was the founder and builder of Billings Polytechnic Institute, now Rocky Mountain College, in 1908, with his brother Lewis T. Eaton (who died in 1934); he was president of that school; he was a Republican member of the state House of Representatives and also served in the state senate; he served as deputy governor of the state for one year in 1934 under Frank Cooney; he later served at Lt. Governor; he passed away on August 19, 1957; more biographical information is found here; eulogy is delivered by Dr. Herbert Hines, president of Rocky Mountain College; he mentions that the next year a memorial tree will be planted for him.
Reel 189
Padre's Platters; this is what sounds like the station copy of a music program where John Owens, a Catholic priest, is the DJ; I am not sure of the date on this but his show ran for many years on KFYR in Bismarck, ND; he was later caught up in the sexual abuse scandals of the church.
Reel 188
Religious talk; sounds recorded live/local; he's talking about what constitutes a baptism; then he goes after Mormons; makes some references to Catholics and Mormons getting it wrong; when he calls the Mormons liars a Mormon challenges him; the speaker says “because the scriptures say who they were. They were Isrealites...and Jews. I am not a Jew and you're not one either. I can tell by your nose.”
Reel 180
Queen of Battle; program presented by the Army.
Reel 176
Montanans for Better Citizenship; a John Birch Society Group; seminar/talk.
Reel 168
This could be the oldest recording in the collection. Jim introduces the recording: December 12, 1952; Revival service at the Evangelical United Brethren Church;
Reel 157
Billings news; on KBMY with Wes Vernon; controversy over Montana State College Bozeman (MSC) leadership, specifically criticism of Roland Rennie by Dick Smillie; Billings Mayer Harold Gerke will not step down and let Fraser take over; the issue is about selection a fire station site of 24th street; 300 have registered for the Rest-o-rama restaurant convention.
Reel 155
Barber Shop Talk; talking about sinning; the talker asks a kid named Richard (maybe the future shoe shine boy) if he has sinned; Richard sounds pretty young, like a pre-teen; Jim is cutting hair; new people come in; after the previous customers leave Jim says that they were “Roman Catholic boys” and were getting some indoctrination in the scriptures; others come in and the previous say they'll come back later to tell stories; Jim then has to deal with a reluctant 3-year old customer; it sounds like his name is Raymond Russell Taylor.
Reel 146
A program from KOOK-TV; interviewing David Suh, a Korean student at Rocky Mountain College.
Reel 144
Barber Shop Talk; they mention the possibility of a “Russia Commission” in Billings and how Satan is involved; a customer leaves and it sounds like another guy gives a tract to the customer on his way out; when he's gone they talk about him; Jim mentions that the customer was a Catholic; they talk about putting people on the spot with religion; this tape shows that Jim wasn't disclosing that the recordings were taking place.
Reel 140
American Legion Luncheon with speaker Dr. Fred Schwarz, anti-communist; voice dated and introduction by Jim and someone else; February 27, 1957; Schwarz is featured on another reel, Reel 062, when he spoke two years later to the American Legion.
Reel 134
Sermon includes a talk about popular music appealing to the carnal nature; he says the music came “...out of the heart of the jungles of Africa where naked savages would dance around the fire light and that would be the beginning of all kinds of sin and immorality of all sorts."
Reel 114
Jim introduces this as recorded in 1964 at his “alma mater” which would be Rocky Mountain College; the institute was to be held at Rocky on April 1 and 2, 1964 and at Eastern Montana College on April 3; the group holding it is the Institute for International Relations; the topic is the arms race.
Reel 102
Speech by Gordon D. Hall at Rocky Mountain College; November 18, 1965; Hall was a political researcher of fringe groups on the left and right.
Reel 099
There are several interesting converstions on this reel having to do with what sounds like setting up a local chapter of the militia group, the Minutemen. This was recorded in August 1966 at the Barber Shop in Billings, Montana.
Reel 094
Comment/call-in show; a call about the phone company inserting something in the bill about an excise tax; the host begs for callers; garbage collectors leave trash behind in the alleys; someone looking to sign a petition against water fluoridation; the situation at Eastern Montana College with students suing the college because they'd been disciplined; another water fluoridation call; another call about the college lawsuit.
Reel 084
This is an interview with Congressman Bruce Alger (R) of Texas, who served in Congress from January 1955 to January 1965. One of the topics is race relations.
Reel 083
Barber Shop Talk; reel label says March 1962; it also indicate that present are Carl Aldrich and Bob Thompson; Jim cuts some hair and talks about the Poly Technic 1927 yearbook; Professor Carl Aldrich taught automotive; he talks about Carter County people being well represented there;Jim was from Ekalaka; he mentions himself in the reading; this is from a clipping scrapbook; Aldrich contributes articles to outdoors magazines; Bob reads one of Carl's articles, “The Blizzard”
Reel 078
Barber Shop Talk; Jim records some people talking about tape recording; this was recorded at 7-1/2 then 3-3/4 then back to 7-1/2; I corrected all the speeds and edited it together; the guy telling a story mentions Mrs. Lohoff and Mr. Koons and someone buying a car; Mr. and Mrs. Feeley are mentioned; something about not knowing they were recorded.
Reel 071
Seminar for the Montanans for Better Citizenship, this was a John Birch Society group;
Reel 069
Local recording; an audio letter to the Abe Carlson Show; the speaker mentions that Abe had dropped in to the barber shop at 3919 Montana Avenue; he also says the recording hobby goes back to when he started recording on disc, then in wire recording; he currently uses Ampro tape recorders; he then reads a poem for Abe to play on his show; there was an Abe Carlson who is described as a “veteran radio announcer” who died in a radio station, KHAR, fire in Anchoratte, Alaska on October 28, 1961, this occurred while Carlson was on the air;
Reel 067
Jim reads as article from the Billings Gazette regarding a march in Washington led by a communist; article is from August 15, 1963, page 18; This was a march planned for August 28, 1963; it was about civil rights and jobs and was hoping to 100,000 in attendance; Martin Luther King gave his “I have a dream” speech there; Jim says the march is led by communists.
Reel 063
A young person reads an anti-communist essay; it is written in an attempt to get him a place at some kind of event put on by Carl McIntire; Jim introduces him as Richard Harrold who works at the barber shop. This is a followed up to a recording on Reel 057. Another recording on this reel has Richard relating how he talked to his pastor about the American Council Churches and the National Council; the pastor said McIntire is a “louse;” Richard brought up the UN and the pastor defended it; Richard talks about how his school history book tells what the advantages are of the UN; one world government; Jim talks about standing up for Jesus and against communism.
Reel 062
This is an event hosted by the American Legion of Billings and, according to the label on the reel, was held at a Junior High auditorium on February 27, 1959. The guest speaker was Dr. Frederick Schwarz, a fairly well-known anti-communist activist. This is Part One. The next file has the conclusion.
Reel 060
Local/live recording; woman talks about nutrition among Crow tribe; other people chime in; voice dated near the end as March 2, 1961; the next recording on this reel identified her as Bob Yellowtail's daughter.
Reel 057
Barber Shop Talk – Jim talks to “Richard” who is 14 tells him that he went to his pastor, Ronald F. Moen, and asked him what he should do to become a good pastor and Moen referred him to every subject except to the Bible and that left him peaved off; Jim counsels him and points him to Carl McIntire; (Moen was pastor of Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1963);
Reel 048
Jim interviews Tommy Dabner; he is on leave from the service; Jim dates this as September 11, 1956
Reel 045
Look to the Skies – salutes the Ground Observer Corps, which operated from 1952-1957, features the Air Force dance orchestra; guest Arlene Francis; from Billings, KGHL
Reel 044
A Barber Shop Talk with Rev. Harold “Brother Tan” Tannehill
Reel 041
A speech – the recordist, JC, voice overs a comment at the beginning referencing communists in the pulpits of America; the broadcast is from the First Methodist Church of Billings with Pastor Vern Klingman speaking on the “Divine Shelter for Human Fallout;” from KURL; from about 1962; Vern passed away on Feb 12, 2015;
Reel 040
Viewpoint – KOOK radio, in Billings; call-in show; removing Nixon from office; host read letters including comments about “long hair;” caller talks about long-hair and sideburns and agrees that employers shouldn't hire them and it makes it difficult to tell which restroom should be used; New Tread tire commercial; pressure from the schools for students to buy activity tickets; another call about long hair, pointing out presidents that had long hair; caller pints out to “Bible thumpers” who don't like long hair that Jesus is depicted with long hair; Kent state; long hair looks stupid and tells people they can't work for him if they drive a foreign car; etc. May 28, 1970.
The Association to Preserve the Right to Keep and Bear Arms; Art Hollowell talk on gun rights; May 27, 1970; recorded in Laurel, MT; the MC is Wayne Kim of Billings; he says that the association was founded in Oregon after President Johnson called for gun registration in the wake of the University of Texas massacre; it sounds like they are running a slide show with an audio track that beeps; the film is “Firearms and Freedom”;
If this is the same Art Hollowell, likely, he was involved with several groups in Oregon: the Medford Citizen's Bar Association and the Christian Patriot Association; they ran their own bank, the Northwest Community Exchange, and other activities out of the view of the IRS; they were raided by the Feds; Hollowell fled and dodged arrest for 6 years, living in Canada and Montana; he was later convicted in October 1996 and sentence to a year in federal prison;
Reel 037
West High football game vs. Billings Senior High, November 1963. It picks up in the 2nd quarter and rolls to the end of the game. Senior wins 20-0;
Reel 035
Viewpoint; call in show; voice over at beginning says it's July 1, 1970; calls include: sewers on Ave F; getting the communists in North Vietnam to release POWs; the country is putting to much importance on what minority groups are saying; Vietnam War and who supports who and who asked us to get involved; dissing the the Red Cross; supporting peaceniks;
Reel 034
Marilyn Peterson's recital at the Billings High School auditorium, May 26, 1956.
Reel 031
Music and interview with a band visiting Billings; the band, the Larry Live Band (?) is there and they are interviewed; from KOOK-TV in Billings; members include Sammy Duncan; Ray Thomas, trombone; interviewer is Billie; she disses rock and roll as “noise;”
Reel 030
Meeting of the Rescue Mission board.
Reel 028
West High School Band Concert. Also there is a commercial for the Kit-Kat Restaurant in Billings Heights.
Reel 027
Some meeting of the Men's Fellowship of the Church of the Air.
Reel 026
A good example of one of the many "Barber Shop Talks" found among these reels.
Reel 025
A jazz concert recorded at Eastern Montana College, now Montana State University - Billings, on January 24, 1964.
A news broadcast mentioning that Lincoln Rockwell, the head of the American Nazi Party, will be speaking at Rocky Mountain College.
Some local/live recordings about water fluoridation.
Reel 024
This tape is full of local/live recordings focussing on anti-fluoridation and other local issues.
Reel 017
Former president Truman speech from Butte, MT, October 26, 1956.
Reel 016
Billings call-in shows.
Reel 013
Billings news from KURL, January 18, 1972. Also some local call-in shows.
Reel 012
A long recording from KIRO in Seattle from June 23, 1974.
Reel 009
Good local news and then Listener Exchange which is like classified ads on the radio.
Reel 008
Some live singing from September 16, 1959.
A political speech about Yellowtail Dam.
AFL-CIO 3rd convention keynote speech 1957 - Keynote speech by George Meany to the 1957 American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations convention.
Reel 004
Willard Fraser for Billings Mayor advertisement.
Reel 003
There is a nice long KURL aircheck from Febuary 3, 1963. There is also a nice long Barber Shop Talk;