Sept. 7 – 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 J.W. Tucker of Worden, who had been a tobacco grower in Kentucky before moving to Montana, 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.” 

Sept. 5 – On this day in Montana history in 1959 Edward Kennedy hitched a ride on a friend’s airplane to Havre where Democrats were going to select 20 delegates for the Democratic Convention. He had been assigned by the national party to organize campaigns in 11 western states including Montana. He went on to become the longest serving majority leader in the U.S. Senate.

Sept. 4 – On this day in Montana history in 1955 Brian Schweitzer who was to become Montana’s 23 governor was born in Havre.

Sept, 3 – On this day in Montana history in 1884 the newly renamed “College of Montana” held its first classes in Deer Lodge. Tuition for five months was $25 and “board, washing, fuel, lights” were $6 a week.  It was supported by Copper King W.A. Clark and had the first school of mines in the state.

Sept. 2 – On this day in Montana history in 1866 county officials in Montana Territory were gearing up for the first statewide election that had been called for by Acting Territorial Gov. Thomas Francis Meagher the year before. Elections were to be held on the first Monday of September each year.

Sept. 1 – On this day in Montana history in 1942 E.J. Keeley, executive secretary of the conservation division of the War Production Board announced in Helena that women on the home front could help the WWII war effort if they were blondes or redheads. The Washington Institute of Technology needed their hair for use in bombsites. It had to be at least 22 inches long – and “no peroxide or henna.”