Oct. 31 – On this day in Montana history in 1942 future Baseball Hall of Fame member Dave McNally was born in Billings. As a senior at Billings Central in 1960 he pitched five no-hitters and later signed a contract to pitch for the Baltimore Orioles.  

Oct. 30 -- Oct. 30 – On this day in Montana history in 1864 Helena held its first town meeting in the cabin of Capt. George Wood. The first job they ordered done was to survey and lay out streets, and plot building sites into thirty-by-sixty foot lots and record them. The start of the Capitol City.

Oct. 29 – On this day in Montana History in 1877 wagon trains carrying Nez Perce prisoners captured at the Battle of the Bears Paws Mountains left from Miles City headed for internment at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.

Oct. 28 – On this day in Montana history in 1942 B-17 flying fortresses roared over Lewiston’s Main Street with their bomb bay doors open and landed at the Lewistown airfield. They were the first of many that came to bases on the high line to train on the then highly secret Norden bombsight. More than half the men trained there later died in bombing raids over Europe.

Oct. 27 – On this day in Montana history in 1913 Joe Medicine Crow was born on the Crow reservation near Lodge Grass. He went on to be a Crow historian, author, lecturer, WWII war hero and leader of his people and great example for all Montanans.

Oct. 26 –On this day in Montana history in 1956 the Montana Highway Commission began its first federally funded Interstate Highway project. It was a 9.64 mile project on U.S. 87 between Wyola and Lodge Grass. “We have started the ball rolling.” Highway Commissioner Frank Connelly said.

Oct. 25 -- On this day in Montana history in 1945 Vice Admiral John Hoover attended the Navy Day Luncheon in Great Falls. The Great Falls High School grad received the Navy Cross for his service in World War One and served as deputy commander in chief of the Pacific fleet in WWII.

Oct. 24 -- On this day in Montana history in 1926 Cowboy Artist Charles M. Russell died at his Great Falls home.  He was mourned across Montana and the nation. The Great Falls Tribune said “Genius whose brush portrayed the colorful life of Montana’s early days, lays down his palette to answer great call.”

Oct. 23 -- Oct. 23 – On this day in Montana history in 1844 Louis Riel was born in a Canadian Métis Indian colony. He was exiled from Canada after leading two unsuccessful rebellions. His happiest years were spent in Montana where he worked for the rights of his people here.

Oct. 22 -- Oct. 22 – On this day in Montana history in 1903 Judge William Clancy enjoined the company from doing business “branding” them an outlaw.  Amalgamated said it would shut down Montana operations costing 15,000 workers their jobs. Butte was in crisis.

  Oct. 21 – On this day in Montana history in 1925 a major sugar mill was opened before a large crowd in Chinook  Sugar beets were a major crop in Montana for many years until other sources and methods proved cheaper for production of sugar.

Oct. 20 – On this day in Montana history in 1864 Territorial Gov. Sidney Edgerton issued an ominous warning to the criminals that were terrorizing citizens. The order requested that law abiding citizens “assemble for the purpose of forming themselves into militia companies subject to my orders.” 

Oct. 19 – On this day in Montana history in 1947 what was called “The greatest sports crowd in state history” estimated at 11,000 saw the Montana State Bobcats beat the Montana Grizzlies 13 to 12. Special trains brought fans from all over the state to Butte for the game.

Oct. 18 – On this day in Montana history in 1935 Helena was rocked by a major earthquake that struck at 9:52 p.m. and lasted for more than 10 seconds. One person was killed and many injured and millions of dollars of damage were left in its wake.

Oct. 17 – On this day in Montana history in 1938 famous motorcycle jumper and daredevil Evel Knievel was born in Butte. 

Oct. 16 – On this day in Montana history in 1919 it was announced that Jordan was going to be “connected to the outside world by wireless telegraph.” It took a while for the news to get to one of the most remote towns in Montana. 

Oct, 15 – On this day in Montana history in 1891 a Helena detective asked a startling question of what was thought to be a man arrested for a series of hold-ups, shootings and assaults “Why, you are a woman!” and got the response “Well it took you a good while to find that out!” Tough guy “ Bertie

Miller” was actually cross-dressing Miss Helen Forslund.

Oct. 14 -- On this day in Montana history in 1915 the Scientific American finally acknowledged that the first identified Tyrannosaurus was discovered in 1908 on Big Dry Creek near Wibaux by B.M. Wills. The publication said the find was 17 feet in length and 18 ½ feet tall.

Oct. 13 – On this day in Montana history in 1903 frontier justice was still alive, Well-armed men stormed the county jail in Hamilton near midnight, removed Walter Jackson from his cell, and hung him on a lamp pole. Jackson was believed to have murdered six-year-old child.

Oct. 12 – On this day in Montana history in 1964 thousands of Montanans turned out in Butte to greet President Lyndon Johnson who was on a whirlwind campaign trip through the West. He was facing Republican Sen. Barry Goldwater for president.

Oct. 11 – On this day in Montana history in 1902 Booth’s grocery in Butte was experimenting with a new way of marketing goods. It offered “freight prepaid to Basin” for those ordering goods from their store. Little did they know Amazon and others like them would follow in their footsteps.

Oct. 10 – On this day in Montana history in 1958 Phil Chatlain returned to his home town of Dupuyer after spending 7 years in Alaska. It was a simpler time. A local posting said he would be showing interesting pictures of what he had seen “at the school some morning next week.”

Oct 9 – On this day in Montana history in 1870 Truman Everts was rescued by mountain men John Baronett and George Pritchett after spending 37 days lost in the then wilderness of what is now Yellowstone National Park. He had gotten separated from the Washburn-Doane Expedition that was one of the first organized groups to explore Yellowstone country.

Oct. 8 – On this day in Montana history in 1942 the federal War Production Board ordered that 4,000 gold mine workers would be ordered into mining operations  more crucial to needs of fighting WWII. Montana was among the states most affected by the order.

Oct. 7 – On this day in history in 1918 a Montana grain grower reported he had trashed an average on “a little better” that 30 bushels of wheat to an acre using a newly imported Polish wheat variety. The kernels were described as unusually large and plump.

Oct. 6 – On this day in Montana history in 1921 newspapers were reporting that a Miles City Councilman and a Miles City saloon owner had been captured after a wild car chase trying to smuggle bonded whiskey worth $2,500 into Montana.

Oct. 5 – On this day in Montana history in 1877 a dramatic attempt that began in Oregon by Chief

Joseph and his band of Nez Perce to outrun the U.S. Army and escape to Canada came to a tragic end at the Battle of the Bear Paw Mountains in northern Montana.

Oct. 4 – On this day in Montana history in 1902 the ugly side of Montana history came into play when the Great Northern Railroad reported that 300 Greeks had been hired to work on the hi-line to replace “the Japs whose employment has not been a success here.”    The “little brown men” were expected to be gone by Spring.

Oct. 3 – On this day in Montana history in 1903 a vein of a rare mineral called molybdenite was found near Dillon. It was said to be worth $2 a pound and was used in hardening steel.

Oct. 2 – On this day in Montana history in 1918 Montanans were mourning the death of pioneer legend Granville Stuart. He headed the Montana Vigilantes and was involved in most of the major events in early Montana history including the founding of the Montana Historical Society.

Oct. 1 – On this day in Montana history in 1907 at the Helena Fair Grounds Montanans had an early glimpse of what today is the multi-million-dollar auto racing industry. A driver identified only as Van Lune in his “White Bullet” auto had an accident. Fallonsbee won the five mile race in a time of 5 minutes and 30 seconds.