At the turn of the twentieth century, Montana started emerging from its rugged past. Permanent towns and cities, powered by mining, tourism, and trade, replaced ramshackle outposts. Yet Montana's frontier endured, both in remote pockets and in the wider cultural imagination. The frontier thus played a continuing role in Montanans' lives, often in fascinating ways. Author John Clayton has written extensively on these shifts in Montana history, chronicling the breadth of the frontier's legacy with this diverse collection of stories. Explore the remnants of Montana's frontier through stories of the Little Bighorn Battlefield, the Beartooth Highway, and the lost mining camp of Swift Current--and through legendary characters such as Charlie Russell, Haydie Yates, and "Liver-eating" Johnston.
More than 12,000 years of Montana history come to life in Montana: Stories of the Land. This new book, created for use in teaching Montana history, offers a panorama of the past beginning with Montana's first people and ending with life in the twenty-first century. Incorporating Indian perspectives, Montana: Stories of the Land is the first truly multicultural history of the state. It features hundreds of historical photographs, unique artifacts, maps, and paintings largely drawn from the Society's extensive collections. Sidebar quotations bring the stories of ordinary people to life while providing diverse perspectives on important historical events. Published by the Montana Historical Society Press with production management by Farcountry Press. Features 463 photos, maps, and artifacts primarily drawn from the Montana Historical Society's collections Fully integrates the history of Montana's Indians into the state's story Uses quotations from everyday people to bring Montana's past to life
No one knew more about Montana’s history than the late, great Dave Walter, and no one told the state’s stories with more eloquence, humor, and accuracy. This new edition of the classic Montana Campfire Tales invites readers to gather around the campfire as Walter revisits the tragic Baker Massacre, recounts Truman Everts’s harrowing ordeal in Yellowstone, and sheds light on more forgotten but fascinating aspects of the Treasure State’s past. Evocative historical photos and maps further bring to life the rich details in this book. Visitors and residents alike will treasure Montana Campfire Tales for many years, whether in an armchair next to a fireplace or around a fire at a campground.
Montana history at its wildest and most intriguing. These 15 stories--illustrated with historical photographs--flash with humor, action, indignation, amazement, and admiration for what some Montanans (and visitors) added to the state's story.
A collection of original short stories created from writings in old newspapers dating back to the 1880s including the Choteau Acantha that will entertain and inform both Montana residents and visitors alike. Learn about the people, climate and landscape from the city of Choteau north to the Blackfeet Reservation and Glacier National Park, from true yarns spun about the region's memorable events, tragedies, crimes, businesses, government officials, veterans, heroes and villains.
During the 1930s in the United States, the Works Progress Administration developed the Federal Writers’ Project to support writers and artists while making a national effort to document the country’s shared history and culture. The American Guide series consists of individual guides to each of the states. Little-known authors—many of whom would later become celebrated literary figures—were commissioned to write these important books. John Steinbeck, Saul Bellow, Zora Neale Hurston, and Ralph Ellison are among the more than 6,000 writers, editors, historians, and researchers who documented this celebration of local histories. Photographs, drawings, driving tours, detailed descriptions of towns, and rich cultural details exhibit each state’s unique flavor. Montana, one of the Great Plains states, is finely portrayed in its WPA guide. Originally published in 1939, the spirit of the Wild West shines throughout this guide to the Treasure State. During this time period, the population of Montana was rural and cities small, with most of the economy tied to the land, mining, or cattle. With 10 hiking trails outlined for Glacier National Park alone and 18 driving tours throughout the state, this book is an excellent resource for history and nature buffs alike.
Moon Montana & Wyoming guides you to the best of the old west, revealing the untold adventures that await under the vast country sky. Inside you'll find: Strategic, flexible itineraries for visiting both states, including Yellowstone, Glacier, and Grand Teton National Parks, curated for outdoor adventurers, history buffs, and more The best road trips in Montana and Wyoming, from a 14-day Greater Yellowstone loop to a 7-day Glacier road trip Must-see highlights and outdoor adventures: Hit the road to see the stunning scenery of the national parks, and stop in towns where the Old West is alive and well. Spot wildlife like wolves, elk, moose, bison, and black bears, go whitewater rafting or kayaking, or drive the famed Going-to-the-Sun Road. Hike to roaring waterfalls, breathtaking vistas, and secluded lakes. Learn about the region's important Native American history, discover authentic cowboy culture, or sample the best of western cuisine in Jackson Hole Honest advice from former wilderness guide and longtime Montana local Carter G. Walker on where to stay, where to eat, and how to get around Full-color photos and detailed maps throughout Background information on the landscape, wildlife, history, and local culture With Moon Montana & Wyoming's practical advice and local insight, you can plan your trip your way. Focusing on the national parks? Try Moon Glacier National Park or Moon Yellowstone & Grand Teton. About Moon Travel Guides: Moon was founded in 1973 to empower independent, active, and conscious travel. We prioritize local businesses, outdoor recreation, and traveling strategically and sustainably. Moon Travel Guides are written by local, expert authors with great stories to tell—and they can't wait to share their favorite places with you. For more inspiration, follow @moonguides on social media.
This is the story of the Rankins, a family that embodied the risk and ambition that transformed America. John Rankin arrived in the West chasing the adventure of gold mining but soon turned to ranching and building in the new town of Missoula. There he met Olive Pickering, who had left New Hampshire in 1878 to become a teacher and seek a husband on the American frontier. John and Olive's children continued to demonstrate their parent's ambition and nerve. Their son became one of the biggest landowners in the country, one of the first personal injury lawyers, and a crusader against railroads and mining. Jeannette became the first woman in a national legislature, voted against two world wars and led marches protesting the Vietnam War. As a dean, Harriet helped develop the modern co-educational university. Edna traveled the world advocating for birth control. The Rankins faced both national adulation and condemnation for the choices they made. Their family story concerns independence and education, activism, the boundaries created by gender, religious choices, and the changing meaning of the West.
The Indians of the northwestern plains always laughed at the tales about Old-man, heard around the lodge fire in the wintertime after sunset. For a powerful character, he was comically flawed. Old-man made the world but sometimes forgot the names of things. Victim and victimizer, he seemed closer to common experience than the awesome god Manitou. Frank B. Linderman thought Old-man was, under different names, a god for many Indian communities. ø These stories?collected from Chippewa and Cree elders and first published in 1920?are full of wonder at the way things are. Why children lose their teeth, why eyesight fails with age, why dogs howl at night, why some animals wear camouflage?these and other mysteries, large and small, are made vividly sensible.
