Nov. 28 – On this day in Montana history in 1926 Montana grain growers were racking up awards at the International Livestock Show in Chicago. Of the 125 awards given in the wheat category, Montana grain growers won 53 of them including eight of the 15 awards for white spring wheat and those were the top seven places in the category. C. Edson Smith of Corvallis won first place for hard red winter wheat. 

Nov. 27 – On this day in Montana history in 1931 an early morning fire destroyed the Circle Post Office and the Kalberg Building in which many thousands of dollars’ worth of farm equipment was lost. Postal authorities were setting up a temporary office to try to determine loses and restore postal service for the busy Holiday mail traffic in the community.

Nov. 26 – On this day in Montana history in 1976 a train derailment in Belt created a holocaust in which 2 people were killed and more than a dozen injured. The first call for help: “A train is wrecked. There’s gas all over. .. we need help …” and the telephone line went dead. The train wreck caused a propane tank car to explode that caused extensive fires in the southwest section of the town and destroyed several homes and damaged many others. “It broke windows all over town,” one person said.

Nov. 25 – On this day in Montana history in 1875 the first issue of the Rocky Mountain Husbandman was published by Robert Sutherlin in Diamond City near Helena. It was the first Montana newspaper devoted to agriculture. Advertisers came from as far away at Corrine, Utah, and Augusta, Maine.

Nov. 24 – On this day in Montana history in 1864 the miners who had flooded into what became the Montana Territory to Bannack and later Virginia City had little time, or food, to waste celebrating Thanksgiving Day. But legendary Sheriff Henry Plummer, who was later hung by vigilantes, invited friends and neighbors and other leading citizens of Bannack to his home to celebrate with a turkey that was shipped in from Salt Lake City at a cost of $50 in gold dust. And you think food costs are high today.

Nov. 21 – On this day in Montana history in 1877 Montanans were talking about reports that Native American survivors of the Nez Perce battle in the Bear Paws who had made it into Canada were suffering from a lack of provisions. Many were quietly slipping back across the border, and Indian scouts said that of the nearly 300 Nez Perce who made it into Canada only about 100 remained there.

Nov. 20 – On this day in Montana History in 1904 the first “interscholastic athletic and declamatory contest ever held in the state” was underway in Missoula. Students from across the state gathered for track and field competition in the day, and the “declamatory contest” in the evening . Declamatory  performances included speeches and musical solos. The contestants were judged “10% for selection, 10% for enunciation, 10% for pronunciation and 70% for general delivery.”

Nov. 19 – On this day in Montana history in 1883 the Livingston Daily Enterprise had a short story on a problem that travelers are still dealing with today. The Northern Pacific Railroad had earlier announced it would allow up to 150 pounds of baggage for each first-class passenger for free.  Not to be left behind, the paper reported that the Central Pacific Railroad was going to match that offer. Makes carry-on offers today look a little light on limits.

Nov. 18 – On this day in Montana history in 1918 the Yellowstone Monitor in Glendive reported that the Glendive Creamery was open for business. “The equipment is the best money can buy,” the paper said, and in addition to producing “ice cream” year round, it would be a boon to farmers throughout the area. It was also noted that it would help the war effort by meeting the federal government goal “for the use of home products.” 

Nov. 17 – On this day in 1935 the Montana Works Progress Administration reported that 10,616 people were on the WPA payroll. They were at work on projects across the state. But Butte was taking its first steps toward recovering from the effects of heavy mining. More than 700 WPA workers there were “busy on a civic beautification project to remove remains of old mine dumps  and many unsightly conditions.”