Dec. 31 – On this day in Montana history in 1918 the Helena Independent had a front page story bemoaning the death of “King Barrleycorn.” The town was abuzz with people marking the end of legal liquor and the beginning of prohibition. It was reported that most saloons had sold out their liquor supplies even before they had to close their doors at midnight. 

Dec. 30 – On this day in Montana history in 1905 the dedicated the current Montana Club in Helena, replacing the former home of the exclusive club that burned two years before. It cost $117,00, which was a hefty amount in those days. Ironically, given the host of wealthy men who belonged to the club, it took nearly 40 years to pay off the new building. 

Dec. 29 – On this day in Montana history in 1927 prohibitionists meeting in Helena were outraged at what they claimed were rampant violations of the national Prohibition Law by doctors and druggists. The law allowed permits to be issued to doctors and druggists to provide drinking alcohol to patients. It wasn’t clear exactly who was “drinking” to their health, but prohibitionists found it a sobering problem.    

Dec. 28 – On this day in Montana history in in 1889 Ella Louise Knowles Haskell became the first woman admitted to the bar to practice law in Montana. She had already become the first woman to be a notary public. In 1892 she ran unsuccessfully for the office of state attorney general. Throughout her life she was a major voice for the right of women to vote.

Dec. 27 – On this day in Montana history in 1894 the famous outlaw known as Kid Curry killed his first man, Pike Landusky, at Jake Harris’ saloon in Landusky. The details are sketchy, but most accounts say Landusky’s last words were: “My God, Kid, let me up. I have enough, Kid, I never done anything to you.” Curry went on to ride with the famous Hole in the Wall Gang.

Dec. 26 – On this day in Montana history in 1928 one of the most important photographers in Montana and western history died. Evelyn Cameron. She came to Montana in 1890 leaving behind a comfortable life of British gentry. She took up photography and took an incredible collection of life on the Montana frontier from a woman’s perspective. The collection and her diaries are at the Montana Historical Society.

Dec. 25 – On this day in Montana history in 1856 came a lesson of what Christmas is. Frank Woody had come into the Missoula Valley from Ross’ Hole. Fort Benton was the nearest established town. On Christmas day he and six other men worked on their cabin in the morning and then took time off to celebrate the season. “All we had to drink that day was water, coffee,” he wrote later. They sat on a cured buffalo hide. “There was no linen and no silver, but it was a merry meal, and we all enjoyed it.” They had some laughs and told stories about Christmas past.

Dec. 24 – On this day in Montana history in 1874 the bachelors on Bozeman Creek in the Gallatin Valley were given the “Christmas party of their lives.” The Montana Daily reported that Mrs. James Mardis and Mrs. Ada Alexander were talking about their upbringing in Iowa when Mardis said she wished she could “see a man in a white shirt once more.” It led to the idea to invite bachelors to a Christmas party only if they wore a white shirt. It was a rousing hit, and forever became known as the “boiled shirt” Christmas party.

Dec. 23 – On this day in Montana history in 1971 advertisements in the Helena Independent Record show that Christmas gifts really were simpler and cheaper in the “old days.” Play-Doh was selling for 59 cents, slinky toys for 88 cents, Radio steel wagons for $7.77, and even a “delicious” box of Brach’s chocolates for $3.99. Santa must look back nostalgically.   

Dec. 22 – On this day in Montana history in 1930 famous author Ernest Hemingway was dismissed from St. Vincent’s hospital in Billings after being hospitalized for more than a month from injuries suffered in an automobile accident while returning to Billings from Red Lodge. 

Dec. 21 – On this day in Montana history in 1863 outlaw George Ives was hanged from a log beam in a cabin in the rough and tumble Montana mining town of Nevada City near Virginia City. He was hanged for the murder of Nicholas “Dutchman” Tiebolt. A short “trial” was held on the street and presided over by Wilbur F. Sanders. When Tiebolt asked for time to write his mother before they hanged him, a member of the crowd shouted out: “How much time did he give the Dutchman!” Not much. 

Dec. 20 – On this day in 1985 the Montana Standard proclaimed “ ‘Lady’ Mission Accomplished.” The “Lady of the Rockies” statue -- with the help of a helicopter -- was in place high above the city after a project  that lasted five years. It was reported that fire engines sirens, honking horns and shouting people all welcomed the 90-foot-high  “Lady” to the mining city.

Dec. 19 – On this day in Montana history in 1919 the Rev. W.W. Van Orsdel, known fondly as “Brother Van” across Montana, died in Great Falls. Brother Van arrived in Montana in 1872 and held his first services on the steamboat dock at Fort Benton. During his life he traveled the state preaching the gospel and helping organize churches and other civic missions. He was widely mourned throughout the state.

Dec. 18 – On this day in Montana history in 1876 the final battle of what was known as the Great Sioux War occurred. Lt. Frank D. Baldwin, who was a Civil War veteran and holder of two Congressional Medals of Honor, and 140 troopers attacked and destroyed Sitting Bull’s camp of 122 lodges and about 1,000 Native Americans on Ash Creek, a tributary of the Redwater River south of Brockway. The weather was bitter cold, and surprisingly neither side suffered any casualties in the encounter. But the action forced most of the Native Americans back to reservations and ended the conflict that included the famous Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Dec. 17 – On this day in Montana history in 1920 the state was mourning the loss of pioneering leader Paris Gibson who was called the “Father of Great Falls.” Gibson laid out the city of Great Falls and took great pride in the trees, boulevards and spacious streets and parks he created. He also worked tirelessly to attract new people and commerce to Montana. The Montana Historical Society has in its collection a beautiful, hand-drawn map of Montana that Gibson used to show his vision for all that Montana could be.

Dec. 16 – On this day in Montana history in 1961 Santa used a helicopter to come to Great Falls where he landed on the roof of the downtown O’Haire Manor Motel. It brought thousands of people to see the spectacle and do some shopping. Santa noted that he wasn’t giving up on his traditional Christmas transportation: “Rudolph and the rest of the reindeer are home resting up for Christmas Eve,” he said.

Dec. 15 – On this day in Montana history in 1893 the North West Tribune proudly proclaimed that Stevensville had been “lit up by electricity amid much rejoicing, band playing and whistles blowing.” Montana towns were racing to enter into the modern age of electricity.

Dec. 14 – On this day in Montana history in 1924 the temperature at Fairfield, Montana, dropped from 63 degrees at noon to -21 degrees at midnight. The 84 degree change in 12 hours still stands as the greatest 12 hour temperature change recorded in the United States. Proof to the adage if you don’t like the weather in Montana wait a few hours – it could get worse.

Dec. 13 – On this day in Montana history in 1977 Anne McDonnell, who was librarian at the Montana Historical Society from 1924 to 1953 died in Helena at age 93. She was known as “an encyclopedia of Montana history.”

Dec. 12 – On this day in Montana history in 1965 Montana rodeo star and rodeo producer Oral Zumwalt was one of eight people honored as the first inductees into the Rodeo Hall of Fame at the Western Heritage Center in Oklahoma City. Zumwalt lived for many years in the Wolf Creek and Augusta area and later moved to Missoula where he headquartered his rodeo production company.

Dec. 11 – On this day in Montana history in 1900 the Billings Gazette had a story that proves entrepreneurs are nothing new. Under a headline “Competition in Popcorn Selling,” it reported that two brothers age six and seven had talked their mother into popping corn for them that they would sell on the streets after school. Things went great for a while, but as with all new business ideas competition soon set in with other young boys copying them. “The business is so overdone now that hardly any of them are making enough to pay for their trouble,” the paper said. 

Dec. 10 – On this day in Montana history in 1934 chemist Harold Clayton Urey was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his discovery of heavy hydrogen. He is the only University of Montana graduate to ever receive the prestigious honor. During WWII Urey went on to head a team of scientists researching heavy water and other elements for the Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb. Most importantly his team found a way to separate uranium 235 from uranium 238.  

Dec. 9 – On this day in Montana history in 1866 legendary cattleman Nelson Story arrived in Virginia City with supply wagons for the booming mining town. Story had made it up the “bloody” Bozeman Trail with a herd of Texas cattle and the wagons. He had left the cattle that were to stock his new ranch at what was then Bozeman City. He lost only one man as he fought his way up the trail against Red Cloud’s Sioux warriors.

Dec. 8 – On this day in history in 1951 the Daily Missoulian had front page stories on the new United Nations including an initial General Assembly vote against accepting “Red China” as a member. On the inside was a Christmas advertisement for an RCA Victor Console Radio that also had a Victrola phonograph with a “Concert Hall” sound system offering “thrilling realism all for $274.95.” Sometimes things don’t change much. Relations with China (minus the Red) remain strained, and electronics remain popular holiday gifts. 

Dec. 7 – On this day in Montana history in 1941 Montana Representative Jeannette Rankin listened to fragmentary reports on the radio of the attack on Pearl Harbor as she packed her bag for a trip to Detroit to deliver a speech on international peace and nonintervention. Ironically, her lone vote against entering World War Two would force her from office.

Dec. 6 – On this day in Montana history in 1878 the first woman ever incarcerated in the Montana Penitentiary, Felicite Sanchez of Deer Lodge, was getting used to her new surroundings and starting a three-year sentence for manslaughter. As officers delivered her to the pen, Sanchez “put her feet on the stove and proceeded to roll a cigarette, which she fabricated with great skill and smoked with manifest enjoyment.” 

“Dec. 5 – On this day in Montana history in 1908 the Little Rockies Miner in Zortman, Choteau County, had a front page headline proclaiming “The Home of Divorce.” In a strangely competitive lead, the paper took issue with South Dakota claiming to be the national leader in divorce rates. “Statistics recently made public by the Department of Commerce and Labor show that, instead of South Dakota being the whole thing in the matter of divorces, Montana is holder of the belt and is in a class by herself.” South Dakota’s rate was 95 per 100,000 and Montana’s was 167 per 100,000. It’s more difficult to determine who was the real winner, socially speaking.

Dec. 4 – On this day in Montana history in 1931 the Circle Banner carried a story had been heard all the way from Butte: “Drys Plan Long Stay in Butte.” It reported that the Mining City’s bootleggers had been “startled” that federal prohibition agents were going to be quartered in the community for the winter. Agents were using crowbars to break locks and barricades set up in speakeasies.  Feds were quoted as saying they had never seen a town so wide open and licensed by a city as “soft drink parlors.” 

 Dec. 3 – On this day in history in 1932 the newly formed Irrigation Committee of Montana was saying that irrigation offered a “new frontier.” The committee said the state had 5 million acres that could be irrigated providing homes for up to 50.000 new farm families. Irrigation in Montana could create “an agricultural empire comparable to that in the central Mississippi valley.”“  

Dec. 2 – On this day in Montana history in 1941 The Billings Gazette was filled with Christmas advertisements even though Black Friday had not been invented yet. The Hart-Albin offered Satin Quilted Robes for $6.95, 3-strand pearls for $1.25, silk stockings $1 a pair and Christmas dolls from $1 to $7.95. Prices worth lining up for today.

Dec.1 – On this day in Montana history in 1921 the State Highway Commission was touting its efforts in constructing bridges across the state. Officials reported that 26 bridges of various types had been built in the preceding two years at a cost of $700,000. Officials said “Montana is particularly fortunate in having several bridge erection companies within the state who bid with a small margin of profit and do not slight the workmanship.” Infrastructure was not a word in vogue then, as it is today.

Sept. 30 – On this day in Montana history in 1911 young aviator Cromwell Dixon in a Curtiss biplane crossed the main range of the Rocky Mountains for the first time in history. He had left from the fairgrounds in Helena. He flew to Blossburg in half an hour and delivered a message from Gov. Edwin Norris to the crowd there that stated that its delivery was the proof of the record setting event. Air mail came later, but this might have been one of the first air mail deliveries. 

Sept. 29 – On this day in Montana history in 1910 the first public performance of what became Montana’s official state song, “Montana,” took place at the Helena Theatre (formerly known as the Ming Opera House.) The song was written by Joseph Howard. The Black Eagle Band of Great Falls was in town to perform at the State Fair, and Howard enlisted the band to perform it in its public debut.

Sept. 28 – On this day in Montana history in 1954 former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt spoke at the Helena Civic Center. She delivered a passionate speech on the importance of the United Nations and her hope for world peace.    

Sept. 27 – On this day in Montana history in 1870 Henry Comstock shot himself in the head and died dead broke and alone in a shack near Bozeman. Ironically, his name is associated with the famous Comstock Lode in Nevada. Although he was part owner of a claim that others found silver on, he bragged so much about it that the whole area became known as the Comstock Lode. It yielded 400 million dollars in precious metals, but Comstock sold his share for $11,000 which he soon squandered away. His grave marker still stands near Bozeman.

Sept. 27 – On this day in Montana history in 1870 Henry Comstock shot himself in the head and died dead broke and alone in a shack near Bozeman. Ironically, his name is associated with the famous Comstock Lode in Nevada. Although he was part owner of a claim that others found silver on, he bragged so much about it that the whole area became known as the Comstock Lode. It yielded 400 million dollars in precious metals, but Comstock sold his share for $11,000 which he soon squandered away. His grave marker still stands near Bozeman.

Sept. 26 – On this day in Montana history in 1910 the first successful public flight in the state of Montana was made at the Montana State Fair Grounds in Helena. Pilot J.C. “Bud” Mars made two successful flights in his Curtiss plane. The flights dispelled skepticism of many who doubted it would be possible for a plane to take off at Helena’s altitude of 4,157 feet.

Sept. 25 – On this day in Montana history in 1963 President John F. Kennedy came to Billings and was greeted by 17,000 cheering people at the Midlands Empire fairgrounds. He spoke of many things, but most on his mind was the recently passed nuclear test ban treaty. “We now have a chance for a more secure existence,” he told the crowd. On the platform with Kennedy were Sens. Mike Mansfield and Lee Metcalf and Gov. Tim Babcock.

Sept. 24 – On this day in Montana history in 1841 Father Pierre Jean DeSmet planted a cross on the banks of what is now the Bitterroot River in western Montana establishing the historic mission known as St. Mary’s of the Rockies. One can call it coincidence or divine providence, but DeSmet came to Montana from Council Bluffs on the Missouri River after meeting Native Americans from the Flathead country who were on their way to St. Louis to plead for a “black robe” to bring “powerful medicine” to their people. DeSmet went with them to St. Louis and convinced Catholic officials there to allow him to return with his new found friends.

Sept. 23 – On this day in Montana history in 1858 the first Masonic ceremony in Montana history was held on the summit of the main range of the Rocky Mountains near the Mullan road near Helena. Nathaniel Langford and two other Masonic brothers officiated at the ceremony that is commemorated by a large oil painting in the Masonic Library in Helena.

Sept. 22 – On this day in Montana history in 1927 a man who for the rest of his life was known as Miles City’s Flying Cowboy” landed in Spokane. C.B. McMahan in his “American Eagle” landed first in his class in a long distance airplane race. 

Sept. 21 – On this day in 1919 the son of President Theodore Roosevelt, Lt. Col. Theodore Roosevelt, was greeted by a large crowd on a trip to Butte, which was embroiled by mining labor disputes with owners. The Butte Miner reported that the president’s son “minced” no words in urging labor and management to resolve their differences peacefully and not turn to “bolshevism.” “Riots and Disorder have no place in this country and peace and order must be restored before rights can be debated,” Roosevelt said.

Sept. 20 – On this day in Montana history in 1942 quotas were established by the War Production Board in Helena for all Montana counties to save kitchen fat. Advertisements appeared across the state urging housewives to “Save Waste Fats for Explosives” for the World Was Two effort. It was said that 3 pounds of fat could provide enough glycerin to make a pound of gunpowder.

Sept. 19 – On this day in Montana history in 1933 the Santa Rita oil pipeline began carrying most of the oil in the Cut Bank oil field to the rails near Cut Bank. The  Montana Oil and Mining Journal reported that the cost to producers to get oil to the market was cut from about 40 cents per barrel, which had been the cost to using trucks, to 28 cents per barrel using the new pipeline. The economy of the area was booming.

Sept. 18 – On this day in Montana history in 1955 the death of Maggie Smith Hathaway, who was one of Montana’s first two women legislators, was reported in Montana. She died in Tacoma, Wash., As a representative from Ravalli County she served in the Legislature from 1916 to 192215, 16 and 17 Montana Legislatures and was elected the same year as Emma Ingals of Flathead County. If you want to read more about her, her life story “Maggie and Montana” published in 1954 by MSU political Science professor Harold Tacher is available In the MHS Research Center

Sept. 17 – On this day in Montana history in 1945 Philip Douglas Jackson was born in Deer Lodge. Jackson, better known as Phil, went on to graduate from the University of North Dakota and to basketball fame as a player for the New York Knicks and later as a coach for the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers winning championships at all three stops.  He also wrote books including “Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior,” which delved into his Zen influenced philosophy of life and basketball.

Sept. 16 – On this day in Montana history in 1926 Sarah Bickford, a black woman who owned the Virginia City water system, brought suit against the city for failing to pay its bills for rental of city water hydrants. She eventually was successful and ran the mining city’s water system until her death in 1931. She was a groundbreaker for black people in the state and a respected business leader.

Sept. 15 – On this day in Montana history in 1910 The Newspaper of Chester published what it called the “Ten New Dry Landers’ Commandments” on its front page.  Among them was “thou shalt plow deep,” “thou shalt summer fallow when rainfall is less than 15 inches,” “thou shalt add organic matter to the soil.” The list ended with “he who obeys these commandments shall reap abundant crops.”

Sept. 14 – On this day in Montana history in 1894 the Montana Colored Citizen newspaper reported that black man J.P. Ball Sr. had been nominated at the Republican county convention meeting in Helena for the position of coroner of Lewis and Clark County. “The disposition to ignore the colored citizens grows less and less as time rolls on, and the time is near at hand when he shall be accorded the full and just recognition to which he is entitled,” the paper said. Ironically, Ball said that his business interests would prevent him from accepting the nomination.

Sept. 13 – On this day in Montana history in 1944 250 German prisoners of war were being used to help harvest sugar beets in the Hardin area. A work camp was set up on the fairgrounds with the U.S. Army providing the “fencing and armed guards.” 

Sept. 12 – On this day in Montana history in 1907 a Great Northern Railroad Oriental Limited express car was held up and robbed near Rexford. Two men who were onboard the train climbed over the tender and forced the engineer to stop the train in the wilderness near Yaak. They blew up one of two safes in the car and reportedly netted about $40,000. George Frankhauser and Charles McDonald were eventually convicted of the crime, but not before escaping from the Lewis and Clark jail and eventually being recaptured.

Sept. 11 – On this day in Montana history in 1969 Montana’s first and pioneering radiologist Dora Walker died in Great Falls. In 1918 she came to Great Falls and opened the Walker Laboratory “specializing in X-ray, chemistry and pathology.” She also was a leading cancer specialist and founder of a medical program for Cascade County’s poor. 

Sept. 10 – On this day in Montana history in 1884 headlines lit up with “The First Fires Started in That Mighty Structure” as the Anaconda Smelter – still a landmark visible for miles on the Interstate – was lit up for the first time. It was hailed as “the most important and extensive smelting enterprise yet known in connection with the mining history of Montana.” The plant manager said in ceremonies at the smelter the furnaces were lit “for the hope that they may never be extinguished.” It is historic evidence that nothing lasts forever.

Sept. 9 – On this day in Montana history in 1896 famous Montana cowboy artist Charlie Russell married Nancy Cooper in Cascade. The couple had a successful life with many people saying that Nancy was the business brains behind the man who painted Montana. Their honeymoon cottage is still standing in Cascade. 

Sept. 8 – On this day in Montana history in 1883 Northern Pacific Railroad president Henry Villard held what was actually the second ceremony driving the last spike of the line at Independence Creek. In reality the first ceremony occurred Aug. 22 when work was actually completed, but Villard held an international public relations event on this day that saw a special train filled with dignitaries and reporters from across the world brought to Montana to bring attention to the economic possibilities of the line.

Sept. 7 – On this day in Montana history in 1904 the Havre Herald reported on the success of Labor Day events with 500 working men marching and dozens of floats in the parade. In its reports of major speeches given touting the need to organize labor, W. G. Conrad’s speech on the need to “fight against” the threat of “Orient labor” to American workers was said to have riled up the crowd. Some things never change, it seems.

Sept. 6 – On this day in Montana history in 1923 the Absarokee Enterprise was touting tobacco as a major crop for Montana. J.W. Tucker of Worden, who had been a tobacco grower in Kentucky, said his experiments in growing tobacco in Montana over several years were successful, and produced “leaves equal to, if not superior, in quality to that grown anywhere else.” His neighbors in the Huntley irrigation project were following his experiments carefully.

Sept. 5 – On this day in Montana history in 1927 famous aviator Charles “Lucky” Lindbergh landed in Butte and into a throng of fans anxious to greet a true American hero. Extra police and soldiers from Fort Missoula handled security and made sure the field was safe and clear for landing. Lindbergh spoke at a sold-out banquet in the evening and thrilled the crowd with stories of barnstorming in Montana in his early days with a lot of his old friends.

Sept. 4 – On this day in Montana history in 1805 Lewis and Clark met the Salish at Ross Hole. The meeting was critical to the success of the expedition because they secured a guide and horses to continue on to the Pacific coast. Famous Montana artist Charles Russell commemorated the event with a large mural considered one of his masterpieces above the rostrum in the House Chamber in the state Capitol.   

Sept. 3 – On this day in Montana history in 1894 the first African-American newspaper was published in Montana. “The Colored Citizen” was published in Helena and “Devoted to the Interests of Colored Americans.” 

Sept. 2 – On this day in Montana history in 1911 Montana’s congressional delegation sent word back to the state that the federal government had decided to restore a large amount of land near Cut Bank back to public domain making it available for homesteading. The lands were taken off public domain when a small irrigation project was created. The subsequent uproar and economic logjam nearly killed the town local officials complained. “But for our railroad payroll we would have had the deadest town in all Montana,” a Cut Bank  official said.    

Sept. 1 – On this day in Montana history in 1953 newspapers used large headlines to warn “Every Highway will be Passable but Dangerous Over Labor Day.” The public service ad campaign noted that 290 people were being killed and more than 13,600 injured nationally on an average weekend. That number jumped significantly on Labor Day, and newspapers warned “Slow Down! The Life You Save May be Your Own.”

Aug. 31 – On this day in Montana history in 1953 Montanans experienced their first television commercial. KXLF owned by famous broadcaster Ed Craney in Butte moved the station’s only camera to the street where automobiles for sale by the Wilson Motor Company were paraded by it as an announcer described them. Depending on your point of view, the ad was said to be successful and millions more were to follow.

    

Aug. 30 – On this day in Montana history in 1901 one of the worst train wreck disasters in Montana and U.S. history occurred near Kalispell when 28 cars broke loose from a train stopped for water, and crashed into another train. Thirty-four people were killed in the wreck, many of them burned alive in the fire that quickly engulfed the wreckage.

Aug. 29 – On this day in Montana history in 1916 actor George Montgomery was born on a farm near Great Falls. One of his favorite things to do when young was to sneak in to the Mint Saloon and look at the Charlie Russell paintings there. He starred in many films and married singer Dinah Shore. 

Aug. 28 – On this day in Montana history in 1878 the first corporate use of a telephone took place at the Hecla Mine. It was a project of the Stuart, Cable City and Phillipsburg Telegraph and Telephone Co. Stuart was located near Opportunity in Deer Lodge County, and Cable City was in Warm Spring Canyon. The Hecla mine was west of Melrose. 

Aug. 27 – On this day in Montana history in 1864 the first newspaper published in Montana Territory, the Montana Post, hit the streets of the gold boom town of Virginia City. Although Thomas Dimsdale is often credited with being the first editor of the Post, the first four issues were edited by John Buchanan. Dimsdale was hired as editor for the fifth issue. The paper was moved to Helena in 1868 with the discovery of gold there. All of the extant issues of the Post and 95 percent of all the newspapers ever published in Montana are available at the Montana Historical Society. 

Sept. 26 – On this day in Montana history in 1910 the first successful public flight in the state of Montana was made at the Montana State Fair Grounds in Helena. Pilot J.C. “Bud” Mars made two successful flights in his Curtiss plane. The flights dispelled skepticism of many who doubted it would be possible for a plane to take off at Helena’s altitude of 4,157 feet.

Aug. 26 – On this day in Montana history in 1862 the first official hanging in what became Montana took place on a tree at Gold Creek near present day Garrison Junction on the Interstate between Missoula and Butte. C.W. Spillman, 25, reportedly from Kentucky was found guilty of horse stealing by a miner’s court headed by Walter Booth Dance. Spillman admitted his crime and asked only to be given time to write a letter to his father asking his forgiveness. Noted Montana pioneer Granville Stuart said Spillman was not a hardened criminal but a firm and brave man who met his death with great nerve. Some still call Gold Creek “Hangtown.”

Aug. 24 – On this day in Montana history in 1975 Libby Dam on the Kootenai River in northwestern Montana was dedicated. It was called the “key element” for plans to develop the Columbia River Basin for flood control, power generation, and recreation. It also destroyed historic Native American sites and had a major impact on fish and wildlife. The total cost was nearly half-a-billion dollars.

Aug. 23 – On this day in Montana history in 1866 a heavily guarded wagon with $1.5 million in gold left Helena for Fort Benton. Most of it was taken from Last Chance Gulch, and it showed that what became the Capitol City was overtaking Virginia City as the territory’s new gold capital.

Aug. 22 – on this day in Montana history in 1874 the Madisonian newspaper in Virginia City offered some tips on how to deal with the heat under a headline “Modern Health Rules.” Perhaps with tongue in cheek one of the guidelines offered was: “Clothes prevent the escape of heat from the body; wear only a loose shirt and drawers.” One never sees photos of early day miners dressed like that – and it’s probably a good thing.

Aug. 21 – On this day in Montana history in 1884 an incident occurred that reminds us that domestic violence has long been a serious problem. A couple identified only as Mr. and Mrs. Westlake got into a family fight in Butte and Mrs. Westlake was knocked off a veranda suffering severe injuries. “Mr. Westlake, unfortunately, was not hurt,” the Weekly Herald reported. Later he tried to take his own life in jail. The headline called it “Domestic Discord.”

Aug. 20 – On this day in Montana history in 1905 Butte was mourning the deaths of 10 people and injuries to more than 20 others after a railroad freight car crashed into a crowded trolley returning from the Columbian Gardens amusement park. Butte reporters wrote that the trolley was crushed into kindling and that many of the faces of the dead could not be recognized. “Men cried out for members of their families from whom they had been separated and mothers begged piteously concerning their children.”

Aug. 19 – On this day in Montana history in 1969 the first McDonald’s opened in Billings noting in an ad it was time to “stop building walls, and start building hamburgers.”  A & W Drive-in was fighting back offering a ham sandwich for 30 cents. Meanwhile actor Dustin Hoffman took time to take a photo on the set of “Little Big Man,” which was being shot in Virginia City and other Montana locations. A low flying plane had halted productions.  

Aug. 18 – On this day in Montana history in 1920 the Silver State Deer Lodge newspaper had a story that portended one of the greatest presidencies in American history. Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was the vice presidential candidate on the Democratic ticket, spoke at the Deer Lodge Valley Farmer’s Picnic. The paper noted that Roosevelt was applauded and praised by “all parties” and their voters. Roosevelt’s appeal to the “common man” would make him the nation’s only four term president. 

Aug. 15 – On this day in Montana history in 1953 the first television station in Montana went on the air in Butte. Legendary television pioneer Ed Craney actually put on a test pattern on his KXLF at ten minutes before midnight on Aug. 14 but programming didn’t begin until the next day. The reason he hurried the opening of his station was that KOPR in Butte was in a race to become the first in the state. The Montana Historical Society has a new state-of-the-art studio funded by the Greater Montana Foundation named in honor of Ed Craney.

Aug. 14 – On this day in Montana history in 1908 the railroad town of Taft on the far western edge of the state was consumed in a fire of near biblical proportions. News accounts described the town this way: “Women of the underworld, gamblers etc. flocked to the mushroom railroad town, and it was soon a place of about 1,000 inhabitants.” The town was rebuilt but once again was leveled by fire in 1910.

Aug. 13 – On this day in Montana history in 1920 eastern Montana was “a buzz” with talk of “aerial mail service.” The Broadus Independent said “as a direct result of the activity of the Chamber of Commerce” that Broadus had been designated a station on the branch aerial mail route from Cheyenne, Wyo., all the way to Miles City. Air mail was the e-mail of its day.

Aug. 12 – On this day in Montana history in 1919 Missoula police announced a “Vag Roundup” to clear the city of “undesirables.” It was a repeat of a similar campaign from the previous year. Police Chief Moore said: “Missoula gained a reputation through hobo circles, as a poor place for loafing.” Those arrested and convicted of vagrancy were put to work on the city’s “wood pile.”     

 Aug. 11 – On this day in Montana history in 1926 Montana, the rest of the Northwest U.S, and Canada were mourning the death of Col. James T. Stanford who died of pneumonia in Conrad while on a trip. At the time he was head of the powerful Conrad Banking Company of Great Falls and a statewide financial leader. Born in Nova Scotia in 1856, Stanford became a Canadian Mountie and played a pioneering role in the early development of the Canadian and U.S. Northwest. While still a Mountie, He came to Helena in 1875 as part of the inquiry into the Cypress Hills Massacre in which five Montana citizens were accused of killing 200 Cree Indians. He eventually settled in Montana.

Aug. 10 – On this day in Montana history in 1906 Bozeman was preparing to celebrate the first Sweet Pea Festival. It was hailed as “the prettiest” event in the history of the state. Festival Lord High Chancellor John Luce proclaimed: “For the first time in the history of the state of Montana a carnival has been inaugurated, and its citizens have laid aside the cares and responsibilities of business for a day to indulge in fun and frolic and the worship of the beautiful.”    

Aug. 9 – On this day in Montana history in 1877 Lt. James Bradley came upon an encampment of Nez Perce led by Chief Joseph that were moving across Montana in an attempt to seek freedom in Canada. In what became known as the Battle of the Little Big Hole near Missoula, Bradley charged the camp and lost 31 men including himself,  with 39 wounded. The Nez Perce lost about 90 men women and children but beat off the attack and escaped. It was one of the most devastating battles of the Indian wars in the West.

Aug. 8 – On this day in 1920 K. Ross Toole, the father of the modern Montana Historical Society, was born in Missoula. In 1951 after graduating from UCLA Toole became director of the newly reorganized Montana Historical Society and put it on the national history map with among other things the acquisition of the Mackay collection of Charlie Russell artwork and the construction of the current home of the Society and its museum across from the Capitol. He wrote “Uncommon Land” and went on to become a professor at the University of Montana and a preeminent leader in Montana history.

Aug. 7 – On this day in 1958 the Missoula Timberjacks celebrated a 14 to 5 come from behind win in baseball against the Havana Cuban Giants in a game played in Kalispell. This was a good will tour before the days of the Cuban trade and travel sanctions and the two teams played the next night in Libby. It was not reported whether the Americans celebrated by lighting up any Cuban cigars.

Aug. 6 – On this day in Montana history in 1929 author Mary MacLane died. While still a teenager in Butte in 1902, she wrote “The Story of Mary MacLane” which at the time was considered a scandalous reflection on men, morals, customs and events in Montana’s booming copper town. It was translated into more than 30 languages and brought MacLane international recognition.

Aug. 5 – On this day in Montana history in 1949 the Mann Gulch forest fire in the Gates of the Mountains near Helena killed 13 firefighters etching their names into history with the passion of “Young Men and Fire.” Their tragic deaths forever changed the way that forest fires were fought and touched hearts across Montana and the nation.

Aug. 4 -- On this day in Montana history in 2003 Native American author James Welch died in his home in Missoula. The Blackfeet and Gros Ventre descendant wrote numerous groundbreaking books including the heartbreaking “Fools Crow.” His books and Emmy Award-winning documentaries brought new understanding to American history across the world. He was knighted by the British and received a French Medal for his work.

Aug. 3 – On this day in Montana history in 1949 the Montana Historical Society received one of the rarest books in the world of which only eight were printed. The Cheyenne-English dictionary was created by a Swiss Mennonite missionary who came to the West in 1880. The five-inch thick volume took 11 years to compile. It is still used by researchers today.

Aug. 2 – On this day in Montana history in 1917 labor organizer Frank Little was found hanging from a trestle under a bridge in Butte. A 3-7-77 vigilante warning was attached to his body. Although it remains officially an unsolved murder, thousands of workers turned out for Little’s funeral and had no doubt that the Anaconda Company was behind it.

Aug. 1 – On this day in Montana history in 1934 Robert Yellowtail was installed as superintendent of the Crow Reservation. What made the event unique was that Yellowtail was a member of the Crow Tribe, and it is believed that he was one of the first tribal members in the nation to become a superintendent. 

Aug. 31 – On this day in Montana history in 1953 Montanans experienced their first television commercial. KXLF owned by famous broadcaster Ed Craney in Butte moved the station’s only camera to the street where automobiles for sale by the Wilson Motor Company were paraded by it as an announcer described them. Depending on your point of view, the ad was said to be successful and millions more were to follow.

    

Aug. 31 – On this day in Montana history in 1953 Montanans experienced their first television commercial. KXLF owned by famous broadcaster Ed Craney in Butte moved the station’s only camera to the street where automobiles for sale by the Wilson Motor Company were paraded by it as an announcer described them. Depending on your point of view, the ad was said to be successful and millions more were to follow.

    

July 31 -- On this day in Montana history in 1934 Robert Yellowtail was installed as superintendent of the Crow Reservation. What made the event unique was that Yellowtail was a member of the Crow Tribe, and it is believed that he was one of the first tribal members in the nation to become a superintendent of a reservation.

July 30 – On this day in Montana history in 1931 the Hingham American carried a prayer from a local Hill County minister: “Oh, Lord, we pray thee in accordance with the request of this people that Thou send the rain to make their crops flourish, bring forth fruit abundantly; but, oh Lord, thou knowest as I know, as they ought to know, that what they need is good plowing, better cultivation and more summer fallowing, Amen.”  There was a minister using God and science to make the Montana land produce.

July 29 – On this day in Montana history in 1865 The Montana Post reported that “ships of the desert” had found their way to Montana. A train of camels drew “a large crowd of idlers and spectators attracted by the novel spectacle.” The camels were not circus animals, but were being used to carry freight and supplies to remote mining areas. A company out of San Francisco was experimenting with camels as a better alternative to oxen and mules.  

July 28 – On this day in Montana history in 1972 Fanny Cory Cooney died at age 94 after a long and fruitful career as one of the nation’s favorite illustrators and artists. Her nationally syndicated daily “Sonnysayings” and “Little Miss Muffet” cartoon adventure series were loved by readers across the country. But one of her highest honors, she said, was being named Montana Mother of the year in 1951. She also found time with her husband Fred to raise three children on their ranch near Canyon Ferry near Helena. 

July 27 – On this day in Montana history in 1906 the Carbon County Joliet Journal reported that a “game of baseball between Joliet and Carbonado proved a sensational and spectacular event.”  Proving that taunting and “dissing” opponents is nothing new, the paper said “the Carbonado team was handicapped from the start on account of having became used to pitching hay and plowing beets.” It said the score “stood 2 to 24” when “the Joliet runners became so tired they could run no more.”

Aug. 25 – On this day in Montana history in 1959 the famous white buffalo “Big Medicine” died at the Moisse National Bison Range in Montana. He was not an albino but a true white bison. After his death artist and taxidermist Bob Scriver preserved his remains and they are still on exhibit at the Montana Historical Society.  

July 24 – On this day in Montana history in 1902 W.T. Hornaday of the New York Zoological Society and now famous Miles City photographer  L.A. Huffman found the fossil remains of a “gigantic lizard” on MacScriber’s ranch on Hell Creek near the Missouri River that measured 37 feet in length. Hornaday would later shoot and use taxidermy to record the last free-ranging buffalo in Montana.   

July 23 – On this day in Montana history in 1918 the Bozeman Weekly Courier had a big headline: High-Class Entertainment Is Object of Chautauqua.” Opening the next day it claimed to be one of the first held in Montana. “Every man, woman and child who misses the sessions will miss something that should be seen.” Lectures, band music, magicians and other attractions at the Chautauqua would “Replace the old-fashioned street carnival and its vulgarities,” the paper predicted.

July 22 – On this day in Montana history in 1915 baseball got a double deck headline on the front page of the Forsyth Times-Journal. “Glendive Ball Team Meets Double Defeat At Forsyth’s Hands,” the large headline screamed. It didn’t give a specific figure, but said “attendance at both games is very encouraging.” The national pastime had taken hold in Montana.

July 21 – On this day in Montana history in 1925 what was called the Upper Missouri Historical Expedition that was recording and marking important historical sites in the river valley held what it called its crowning event when it reached the summit of Marias Pass. Several hundred people gathered to see a statue of John Stevens unveiled. His 1889 exploration of the area eventually allowed the Great Northern Railroad to complete its mainline to the Pacific Coast.

July 20 --  On this day in Montana history in 1893 the temperature hit a blistering 117 degrees in Glendive. The Glendive Independent quipped in its report of the record heat wave: “Don’t the Bible say something about burning up, brethren of the press?”

July 17 – On this day in Montana history in 1860 Capt. John Mullan reached the summit of the Continental Divide west of what is now Helena. He had first been at this point six years before on a survey trip for the U.S. Army. This time he had a road building crew with him that was laying out the first  overland route between Fort Benton – the terminus of Missouri River boat traffic – to Walla Walla and the gateway to the Columbia River. The pass is now known as Mullan Pass in his honor. The next day the crew experienced a solar eclipse.

July 16 – On this day in Montana history in 1806 the William Clark and part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which had split up on its return trip, crossed the Bozeman Pass and began its descent on what is now known as the Yellowstone River. Clark reported in his diary that the current was rapid on the ”Rochejhone.” He was busy looking for a large cottonwood tree so that he could build a canoe that could navigate the water.

July 15 – On this day in Montana history in 1933 the famous Going to the Sun Highway in Glacier National Park was dedicated. A crowd of about 5,000 people gathered at the summit of Logan Pass. Part of the event was a ceremony involving the Blackfeet, Kootenai and Flathead Tribes. Tribal leaders passed a peace pipe between them signifying an official end to traditional enmity that has separated the tribes. National Park Service Director Horace Albright the road gives all people access to see “the glory of Glacier’s peaks and crags.” In summary he said: let there be no completion of other roads with the Going to the Sun Highway. It should stand supreme and alone.” It still does. 

July 14 – On this day in Montana history in 1883 Northern Pacific Railroad publicist Eugene Smalley laid the groundwork for what would become Livingston’s enduring claim as what he called the “Gateway to Yellowstone National Park.” A 52-mile rail spur was being completed between Livingston and Cinnabar along the Yellowstone River. Eventually, car traffic supplanted the now abandoned rail line to the park, but Livingston still remains the gateway city.

July 13 – On this day in Montana history in 1941 12-year-old Terry Palo won the first soapbox derby in the state held at Great Falls. More than 1,500 people lined Central Avenue to watch the event. Even then controversy was a part of racing. One young driver was disqualified for having an “illegal steering apparatus.” Palo said afterwards that he hadn’t ever driven a real car, but wanted to become “a racing pilot and drive on the Indianapolis speedway.”

July 10 – On this day in Montana history in 1894 units of the 22^nd Infantry arrived in Livingston to open the Northern Pacific Railroad lines and stop what had become a nationwide railroad strike known as the Pullman Strike. Capt. B.C. Lockwood reportedly said upon the arrival of his troops: “I am running this town.”  It was a harbinger of the major labor strikes that were coming in the next century.  

July 9 – On this day in Montana history in 1930 15,000 people turned out for the dedication of the first bridge over the Missouri River east of Fort Benton near Wolf Point. The Wolf Point Herald wrote “Seen at a distance of 15 miles this massive structure appears as vaporous as the ethereal substance of which dreams are made.” It brought families and friends closer together and was a boon to economic development in northeast Montana. 

July 8 – On this day in Montana history in 1958 the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported that Montana was in the international news after two pilots flying over the Spanish Peaks area near Bozeman reported 8 or 9 flying discs at an altitude of 32,000 feet that forced them to dive to 25,000 feet to avoid them.

July 7 – On this day in Montana history in 1884 noted Montana pioneer Granville Stuart sent a group of his vigilantes to a rustler’s cabin on the Missouri River near Rocky Point. They had a fight with a group of rustlers, and confiscated a large herd of horses with the brands of many central Montana cattle operations on their hides. The Vigilantes are often associated with the early mining days in Virginia City and Helena, but their wrath and “justice” were known across Montana well into the ranching days.

July 6 – On this day in Montana history in 1964 Gallatin County authorities were investigating  a “mob rampage” in West Yellowstone that saw about 30 residents of the community using ax handles against what was called a “mob of about 1,000 teenagers and college-age young people” who had come to the town to celebrate the Fourth of July.  “Illegal possession of beer” was seen as the cause of the incident that saw several fires, many tipped over outdoor toilets and other damage. 

July 3 -- On this day in Montana history in 1901 Kid Curry, whose real name was Harvey Logan and was one of the Hole in the Wall Gang, held up the Great Northern train near Malta. As in the famous movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” Logan had trouble blowing up the safe, and had to increase the dynamite he used in three different tries before blowing the money car up. But he got away with more than $100,000 -- a lot of money in those days.

July 2 – On this day in Montana History in 1872 William Wesley Van Orsdel who had just arrived at Fort Benton by steamboat was preaching a street corner sermon and beginning to build a legend all across Montana for his circuit-riding, missionary, educational efforts, health care and children’s activist work. He came to be known simply as Brother Van. When asked why he wanted to come to Montana he said: “To preach, to sing and encourage people to be good.”

July 1 – On this day in Montana history in 1867 Acting Montana Territorial Gov. and Civil War Gen. Thomas Francis Meagher was reported drowned in the Missouri River at Fort Benton at age 41 Territorial Gov. Green Clay Smith in his official proclamation of mourning for Meagher wrote: “He was a man of high social qualities, great urbanity, a high order of intellect, a brave soldier, a true gentleman, and an honor to his Territory and Government.” Meagher’s body was never found and controversy still swirls about the circumstances of his death.    

March 13 – On this day in Montana history in 1962 the World Theatre opened in Billings to “show unique films from all over the world.” One of the movies was “Seven Little Sins” a French film starring Maurice Chevalier. “Like other art theaters the World will have a coffee hour before showings,” organizers said. And you thought coffee shops were a new thing.

March 12 – On this day in Montana history in 1854 George Gore reached St. Louis where he introduced himself to leaders of the American Fur Company. They helped him hire 40 men with wilderness experience for his hunting trip into Montana. The English royal from his luxurious tents enjoyed fine wine and other comforts on his trip. He left more than 4,000 bison, 1,500 elk, 2,000 deer and 500 bears dead during his “gory” hunting trip.

March 11 – On this day in Montana History in 1962 “throngs were attending” the Building Material and Home Show in Billings. The show offered the latest in home building and furnishing materials. The want ads in the Billings paper of the day show how much things have changed. 3-bedroom homes were going for as little as $50 down and $71 a month. “Fabulous Colonial Casual” divan and matching chair was selling for $75 or only $7.20 a month. In contrast, the latest in “quality picture and stereo high fidelity” televisions were going for $328 – if you had a good trade in!!!!  

March 10 --  On this day in Montana History in 1864 J.A Slade was the victim of what became known as “A Decent, Orderly Lynching” in Virginia City, Montana. Slade had developed a reputation for toughness and some said meanness as a boss on the Overland Trail. He came to Virginia City, Montana, in 1863 and his drinking and problem behavior soon had him at odds with the Vigilantes who administered and carried out their justice in the boom town.  On March 10, it came to a head when he took a leading member of the vigilantes hostage and threatened to kill him. He was convinced to free the man, but was immediately taken prisoner and told the Vigilantes’ executive committee had just met and voted to hang him. A friend sent for Slade’s wife, but before she could get to the makeshift gallows behind Pfouts and Russell’s Store to say her goodbyes, the order was given “Men, do your duty.” The box was kicked away and Slade was later carried off to boot hill.

March 9 – On this day in Montana History in 1880 the first railroad was completed into Montana. The Summit of the Rocky Mountains Utah and Northern Railroad brought a special train filled with dignitaries to Monida Pass south of Butte on the Montana Utah border for the driving of the Silver Spike. Yes, silver spike, apparently the golden one used for completion of the Union Pacific was not available. Corrine, Utah, had been the terminus for getting equipment, supplies and people to the booming gold towns of Montana. The line eliminated most of the 500-mile stagecoach route that ran from Corrine to Virginia City, Montana.

March 6 – On this day in Montana history in 1905 Gov. Joseph Toole signed an act providing for the nomination of candidates in primary elections to be elected by direct vote. The law was backed by progressives and had huge statewide support. It was designed to prevent powerful entities like the Anaconda Company from selecting candidates in the legendary “smoke filled back rooms.”

March 5 – On this day in Montana history in 1913 Gov. Sam Stuart signed a bill providing for an Executive Residence for the governor – himself. For $30.000 the state purchased what is now known as the Original Governors’ Mansion in Helena operated as a house museum by the Montana Historical Society. Before the act any place the governor lived was deemed the “governor’s mansion.” They ranged from a log cabin in Virginia City to a Helena duplex apartment.

March 4 – On this day in Montana history in 1895 a law was passed allowing the creation of official Montana symbols. The first symbol approved was to declare the Bitterroot Montana’s official state flower.

March 3 – On this day in Montana history in 1932 Crow Chief Plenty Coupes died at his home on Pryor Creek at age 84. He had lived through the time when the Crow still lived free on their historic homeland into the reservation days. His home is now a State Park honoring the “Chief of all the Crow.”

March 2 -- On this day in Montana history in 1922 the Montana Supreme Court ruled that a “bachelor tax” of $3 a year for unmarried men that was passed by the Legislature as a poll tax was unconstitutional. They ordered money collected under the law be returned. There was no report on how many bachelors without wives to remind them asked for the refund.

Feb. 27 – On this day in Montana History in 1943 Montana was reeling from a major explosion at the Smith Coal Mine near Red Lodge. Seventy-five miners went to work at the mine, and only three of them returned to the surface alive. Miners from as far away as Butte and even Salt Lake soon rushed to the mine for rescue and recovery work. It took eight days for the last body to be brought to the surface. Methane gas was eventually identified as the killer, but no one will ever know what sparked the explosion. Some miners had time to scribble notes before they died. Emil Anderson wrote in halting English: “It’s 5 minutes pass 11 o’clock, dear Agnes and children I’m sorry we had to go this God Bless you all. Emil with lots kiss.”  

Feb 26 – On this day in Montana history in 1912 the Livingston Daily Enterprise was writing about the new town of Wilsall as “a busy town with big prospects.” “People here seem very much interested in the new town and are not very well acquainted with it,” the paper noted. It wrote about the area’s rich farm land and its role as the terminus of the Northern Pacific branch road out of Livingston. In 1968 Wilsall was put on the world map when an extraordinary archaeological find of 13,000-year-old stone tools was discovered near the town. The tools are now on exhibit at the Montana Historical Society.  

Feb. 25 – On this day in Montana history in 1906 Billings sports fans were gloating over their local high school basketball teams double victories over the team from Sheridan, Wyo. Sheridan had beaten the Billings team two week earlier on their home court, and some revenge seeped in with the story about the return games. “(They) will go home with two large goose eggs in their little basket that they brought up with them in which to convey the scalps of the local basketball players on their return trip,” a local sports writer opined.  And we think rivalries in sports are tough today. 

Feb. 24 – On this day in 1883 The Post newspaper in Billings proudly announced the creation of Yellowstone County. The headline said “Sound the Loud Timbrel;” “Billings a County Seat.” Noting the bitter political and social fight for creation of the county, the paper said: “We are at last cut loose from the Miles City Ring.” The art accompanying the story was a woodcut of a strutting rooster.

Feb. 23 – On this day in Montana history in 1906 the Billings Daily Gazette featured a story on the Billings Club calling it a “prominent organization.” The club was about to open its new location in the Stapleton Building that the paper described as “one of the most comfortable and most commodious homes of any club in this section of the northwest, with the possible exception of the Montana Club at Helena.” The Hart-Albin Company took the occasion to buy a large ad for the opening of its new department store noting that “one thousand cigars will be presented to men visitors.” Punch was served in the clothing department “under the auspices of Cass.”