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.”