Kuhlman, Charles, 1872-1959

Charles Kuhlman was born on 15 Jan. 1872 in Davenport, Iowa, and served in the Nebraska militia as a lieutenant. He attended the University of Nebraska, received a Master's Degree in History in 1897, and continued his historical studies in Europe. In 1900, he received a PhD. from the University of Zurich. After spending the next three years doing research in Germany and France, Kuhlman returned to teach history at the University of Nebraska and was appointed head of European History. Kuhlman taught for only one year before retiring due to an increasing deafness. Kuhlman became a farmer and in his spare time he continued to study and write history. In 1916, Kuhlman moved to Billings, Mont., where he became interested in the events surrounding the Battle of Little Bighorn. With the exception of the unpublished essay Kuhlman wrote in reaction to Col. Hughes's Custer history and a copy of his work done for the Encyclopedia Britannica, Kuhlman's Western Americana scholarship was purchased by Michael J. Koury and later sold to Brigham Young University. Charles Kuhlman's interest in military tactics and revolt remained a central focus in his historical research. His earlier scholarship concentrated primarily on the Jacobin cause and other revolutionary societies of the French Revolution. Kuhlman continued to revise his earlier writings through the 1950s, hoping to publish a definitive text on Jacobin history. Charles Kuhlman died in Billings, Mont., in 1959.

From the description of Charles Kuhlman papers, 1896-1959. (Montana State University Bozeman Library). WorldCat record id: 154689585

Charles Kuhlman was born near Davenport, Iowa, on 15 Jan. 1873. He attended the University of Nebraska on a fellowship, receiving his B.A. in 1897 and his M.A. in 1900. He received a Ph.D. in Switzerland. He taught history at the University of Nebraska until deafness forced his resignation. Kuhlman moved to Montana and raised sugar beets and vegetables near Billings. In Aug. 1935 after a visit to the Little Big Horn battlefield, Kuhlman began researching the battle. His major work, Legend into History: the Custer Mystery, was published by The Stackpole Company in 1951. Charles Kuhlman died of cancer on 18 Sept. 1959.

From the description of Charles Kuhlman papers, 1936-1960. (Montana Historical Society Library). WorldCat record id: 154692456

Professor of European History at the Univ. of Nebraska. Retired to become a farmer in Billings, Montana ; became interested in the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

From the description of Charles Kuhlman papers, 1896-1959. (Montana State University Bozeman Library). WorldCat record id: 42929593

Charles Kuhlman was born on 15 January 1872 in Davenport, Iowa. He graduated from the University of Nebraska with a bachelors degree in 1897, and a masters degree in 1900. In 1901, he received a Ph.D. from the University of Zurich. He returned to Nebraska and taught history at the University of Nebraska and was appointed head of European History. He retired after one year due to an increasing deafness. Kuhlman became a farmer and in his spare time he continued to study and write history. In 1916, Kuhlman moved to Billings, Montana, and developed an interest in the events surrounding the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Applying his knowledge of historical methods and his geographical proximity, Kuhlman intensely studied and published around issues concerning the battle, producing large volumes of correspondence with other prominent authors in the field. Kuhlman's interest in military tactics and revolt remained a central focus in his historical research. His earlier scholarship concentrated primarily on the Jacobin cause and other revolutionary societies of the French Revolution. Kuhlman continued to revise his earlier writings through the 1950s, hoping to publish a definitive text on Jacobin history. Charles Kuhlman died in Billings, Montana, in 1959.

From the guide to the Charles Kuhlman, Papers, 1895-1959

Charles Kuhlman was born on 15 Jan. 1872 in Davenport, Iowa. He graduated from the University of Nebraska with a BA and an MA degree, and he received a Ph. D. from the University of Zurich in 1901. He returned to the University of Nebraska where he taught and became the head of European History Department. Early scholarship concentrated on the Jacobin cause and other revolutionary societies of the French Revolution. Kuhlman retired in 1916 and moved to Montana where he wrote of historical events surrounding General Custer and the Battle of Little Bighorn, focusing on the military tactics and revolt. Charles Kuhlman died in Billings, Montana, in 1959.

From the description of Charles Kuhlman, papers, 1895-1959 1926-1955. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 61051711

Charles Kuhlman was born on January 15, 1872 in Davenport, Iowa and served in the Nebraska militia as a lieutenant. He attended the University of Nebraska, received a Master's Degree in History in 1897, and continued his historical studies in Europe. In 1900, he received a PhD. from the University of Zurich. After spending the next three years doing research in Germany and France, Kuhlman returned to teach history at the University of Nebraska and was appointed head of European History. Kuhlman taught for only one year before retiring due to an increasing deafness. Kuhlman became a farmer and in his spare time he continued to study and write history. In 1916, Kuhlman moved to Billings, Montana where he became interested in the events surrounding the Battle of Little Bighorn. With the exception of the unpublished essay Kuhlman wrote in reaction to Colonel Hughes' Custer history and a copy of his work done for the Encyclopedia Britannica, Kuhlman's Western Americana scholarship was purchased by Michael J. Koury and later sold to Brigham Young University. Charles Kuhlman's interest in military tactics and revolt remained a central focus in his historical research. His earlier scholarship concentrated primarily on the Jacobin cause and other revolutionary societies of the French Revolution. Kuhlman continued to revise his earlier writings through the 1950s, hoping to publish a definitive text on Jacobin history. Charles Kuhlman died in Billings, Montana in 1959.

From the guide to the Charles Kuhlman Papers, 1896-1959, (Montana State University-Bozeman Library, Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections)

Charles Kuhlman was born on a farm near Davenport, Iowa, on January 15, 1873. When he was five, his family moved to a farm near Grand Island, Nebraska. Kuhlman attended school in Grand Island when he was free from farm work, about three months of the year. He graduated from high school in 1892. To earn money for college, he taught for a year in a rural school and also raised sugar beets for a local sugar factory. He attended the University of Nebraska on a fellowship, receiving his B.A. in 1897 and his M.A. in 1900. Kuhlman's Leipzig-trained professor in the Department of European History convinced him to go to Europe for further study. In Paris he began research on the Breton Club, a precursor of the Jacobin Club of French Revolutionary fame. His thesis was accepted for a Ph.D. by the university at Zurich, Switzerland. On his return from Europe, Kuhlman accepted a position as instructor for the University of Nebraska history department. Unfortunately, his hearing--which had been poor ever since an attack of measles and mumps--began to deteriorate rapidly and he was forced to give up teaching. In 1903, after leaving the university, Kuhlman married Minnie Wilkinson. They moved to Loveland, Colorado, where Kuhlman engaged in sugar beet farming. Unsuccessful in this venture, they moved to Joliet, Montana, but had no better luck with beets there. He next tried truck farming in Billings, which proved profitable until the late 1920s when the bottom dropped out of the farm market. Kuhlman's mortgaged farm was foreclosed. In 1930, his wife Minnie died. Kuhlman went into a deep mental and physical decline. In August 1935, Kuhlman's children convinced him to accompany them on a visit to the Custer Battlefield. While there, Kuhlman discovered a new interest in life. He was especially fascinated with the burial markers and how poorly poorly their locations fit with accepted accounts of the battle. For the next sixteen years, Kuhlman devoted his European academic training to a close analytical study of the terrain to produce a new interpretation of the Custer defeat. In 1940, he wrote a short book on the battle, General George A. Custer: A Lost Trail and the Gall Saga (popularly known as "Custer and the Gall Saga"). His major work, Legend into History: the Custer Mystery, was published by the Stackpole Company in 1951. It quickly became accepted as the most authoritative treatment to date. During the last years of his life, Kuhlman continued to research the Custer battle, producing several booklets and articles. During the 1940s and 1950s, Charles Kuhlman again devoted himself to truck farming, though never again on the scale of the 1920s. Also for a period in the 1940s, he was head gardener for the agricultural education program of the Billings Polytechnic Institute. His writing and research time was thus dictated by the planting and harvesting seasons. Charles Kuhlman died of cancer September 18, 1959, at the age of 86.

From the guide to the Charles Kuhlman Research Collection : Battle of the Little Big Horn, 1876-1959, (Montana Historical Society Archives)

Charles Kuhlman (1878-1959) was a author, historian, and farmer from Billings, Montana.

From the description of Charles Kuhlman collection of photographs and postcards, circa 1900s-1950s. (Brigham Young University). WorldCat record id: 137730552