Butte

9780738571980

$7.99

Butte boasts a rich history.

Cover image for Butte, isbn: 9780738571980

Little Bighorn

9780738570082

$7.99

Little Bighorn boasts a rich history.

Origins of Crow Agencies in Montana

9781467156905

$24.99

“We do not know how to commence farming, but we are all willing to try.”—Crow leader Iron Bull

On May 7, 1868, the Treaty of Fort Laramie forever altered the Crow way of life, defining reservation boundaries and establishing a federal agency. Initially stationed at Fort Parker in 1869, the agency headquarters was later moved to Absaroka in 1875. These early agencies faced numerous challenges including the rapid westward expansion, violations of the treaty, land negotiations, railroad construction, educational obstacles, and a dwindling buffalo population. This situation necessitated the Crows to adopt farming, thought idyllic for transitioning them into American society. Faced with hunger and new struggles of subsistence, Crow leaders chose to adapt the skills necessary to sustain their tribe. Author Patty Molinaro recounts the shifting boundaries and historic pivotal period for the Crow nation.

Cover image for Origins of Crow Agencies in Montana, isbn: 9781467156905

Glacier National Park

9780738580968

$7.99

Glacier National Park boasts a rich history.

Historic Tales of Fort Benton

9781467154871

$23.99

"…more romance, tragedy and vigorous life than many a city a hundred times its size and ten times its age." - Historian Hiram M. Chittenden

Deep in the heart of Blackfoot country on the Upper Missouri River, trade relations opened cautiously in 1831. A series of trading posts and clashes followed. By 1846, Fort Benton had become the center of commerce with Indigenous tribes, including the Blackfoot who dubbed it "many houses to the South." Drawing settlers from eastern states, the head of steamboat navigation became known as "the world's innermost port." As a result, the fort became a multicultural melting pot and home to the "Bloodiest Block in the West." Award-winning historian Ken Robison brings to life dramatic sagas of a rapidly developing frontier, from vigilante X. Beidler to the Marias and Ophir Massacres.

Mining in Butte

9780738575476

$24.99

The story of Butte is the story of underground mining. In the early part of the 1900s, Butte had more than 100,000 people and 400 mines in operation. Open-pit surface mining has replaced underground operations, and only a handful of the iconic gallus or head frames are standing today. This collection of vintage imagery showcases the people, machinery, processes, and technology in the mines that comprised Butte Hill.

Fire Lookouts of Glacier National Park

9781467131148

$24.99

The first fire lookouts in the Glacier National Park region were simply high points atop mountain peaks with unimpeded views of the surrounding terrain. Widespread fires in the 1910s and 1920s led to the construction of more permanent lookouts, first as wooden pole structures and subsequently as a variety of one- and two-story cabin designs. Cooperating lookouts in Glacier Park, the Flathead National Forest, and the Blackfeet Indian Reservation provided coverage of forests throughout Glacier National Park. Beginning in the 1950s, many of the lookouts were decommissioned and eventually destroyed. This volume tells the story of the rise and fall of the extensive fire lookout network that protected Glacier National Park during times of high fire danger, including lookouts still operating today.

Big Timber

9780738569949

$24.99

Big Timber, watched over by the Crazy Mountains of Southwest Montana, has always been named for its natural surroundings. Big Timber was originally founded in the late 1800s. An Irish immigrant named the settlement Dornix, from the Gaelic word "durnog," which when translated means "a rock that fits in the hand and is handy for throwing," and there are indeed many such rocks around the region. In 1883, however, when complications with the railroad forced the town to move to its present-day location, it was renamed Big Timber, for the grand and plentiful cottonwood trees along the banks of the nearby Boulder and Yellowstone Rivers. Pioneers began arriving in earnest around 1890, bringing with them sheep, and by 1892, Big Timber was among the world's largest exporters of wool. Later, when a fire devastated the town, the community stood together to rebuild.

Switchback

9781467142731

$21.99

His half-century career took him from the Idaho panhandle to the Grand Canyon, but William J. Yenne is best remembered for his decades in Montana's Glacier National Park. Widely recognized as the most accomplished and knowledgeable outdoorsman to ride the Glacier backcountry, Yenne knew each mile of the park's trails intimately and could identify every mountain peak at a glance. He was also a renowned storyteller. Many recall his amusing and fascinating yarns, spun around campfires or from his saddle on long trail rides. Those iconic tales and more are preserved in this expanded edition, updated with previously unpublished photos and stories transcribed from conversations and letters to friends.

A Brief History of Cooke City

9781467142892

$21.99

With claims staked, 1870s prospectors at Cooke City patiently waited for adequate transportation to get their ore to market. Eager enough, they named the town in honor of Northern Pacific tycoon Jay Cooke. Ironically, Cooke's influence in creating Yellowstone National Park stunted the growth of the town, as the park blocked any efforts to support a railroad through its borders. For more than sixty years, residents waited for rail until a new economy took hold--tourism. The dreams of the miners still live on in tumble-down shacks and rusty old mining equipment. And the successful vision of entrepreneurs offering rustic relaxation at the doorstep of Yellowstone continues to lure visitors. Historian Kelly Hartman recounts the saga that left hundreds battling for a railroad that never came.

Butte

9780738581828

$24.99

Nicknamed "The Richest Hill on Earth," Butte was once among the world's largest copper producers and a thriving industrial metropolis in the undeveloped west.

Irish Butte

9780738581781

$24.99

Summoned by the call of the copper mines in Butte, Montana, Irish immigrants left a struggling Ireland at the beginning of the 20th century in search of a better life. Around the mines peppering the hills of the mining city, these determined sons and daughters of Eire built strong Irish neighborhoods that engendered the best of Irish culture and influence. Faith, family, a strong work ethic, and a sense of humor would see these immigrants through the decades. Celebrations like St. Patrick's Day and An Ri Ra, Irish language workshops, and a new generation of Irish artisans acknowledge the contributions of this influential group.

Tobacco Valley

9780738570884

$24.99

The Tobacco Valley, in Montana's far northwest corner, was so named by explorer David Thompson in 1808 upon finding the resident natives using a form of wild tobacco. The Kutenai Indians were the primary inhabitants until late in the 19th century when cattlemen found the isolated valley. By 1890, several ranching families moved cattle overland to fatten on pasture that heretofore knew only the track of a Kutenai Indian pony. Eureka came into being when the Great Northern Railroad was built through in 1904. With what seemed like limitless timber, a lumber mill was operating by 1906. The railroad brought in workers and entrepreneurs, hauling lumber out. Early on it was thought that farming might supplement the timber-based economy, but hopeful homesteaders soon learned that the Tobacco Valley would never deliver on the promise of fruits and vegetables. Harvesting timber would define the Tobacco Valley for decades to come.

Ursuline Sisters of Great Falls

9780738595214

$24.99

Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the richly patterned six-story brick and terra-cotta Ursuline Academy has graced the city of Great Falls for over a century. A grand marble entryway and a beautiful two-story chapel inside the building remind us of post-frontier educational opportunities provided by the Ursuline Sisters. The former academy was renamed Ursuline Centre in the 1970s and continues to be a quintessential symbol of education and community. Today, the building serves as a meeting and retreat center and features exhibit rooms, a museum, an auditorium, and a gymnasium. Images of America: Ursuline Sisters of Great Falls draws on photographs and research from Ursuline Archives. It explores a continuing voyage in central Montana, where the Ursuline Sisters have impacted many lives.

Helena

9780738518985

$24.99

From its origins as a dusty mining camp, Helena quickly grew into a bustling cosmopolitan city, eventually to become the capital of pioneer Montana. At the heart of this growth and development was the vision of Colonel Charles A. Broadwater. Featured here in over 200 vintage photographs is the history of this pioneer town, its involvement in the settlement of the West, and the towering achievement and mysterious decline of the Colonel's tribute to the Queen City of the Rockies, the Broadwater Hotel and Natatorium.

The community of Helena was established in 1864 shortly after gold was discovered in Last Chance Gulch, today's main street area. It quickly grew as a supply center for area mining camps. Colonel Broadwater, a self-made man, announced the construction of a grand resort in honor of Helena's prominence as the Queen City of the Rockies: The Broadwater Hotel and Natatorium. The story of the Broadwater, inextricably linked to the story of the development of Helena, is captured here in vintage photography, including turn-of-the-19th-century Helena, its growth from a mining camp into a financial center, its fires, earthquakes, and magnificent rebuilding.

Missoula

9780738558882

$24.99

Missoula began in 1860 as Hellgate Village, a trading post located about 4 miles west of what is now downtown. In 1864, the construction of a mill powered by water diverted from Rattlesnake Creek drew residents of Hellgate to the new town, and the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1883 assured Missoula's future. The establishment of the University of Montana led to growth on the south side of the Clark Fork River, and the timber industry drove the economy. Missoula has evolved into a trade, medical, educational, and governmental center of western Montana.

Big Sky

9780738595146

$24.99

Newsman Chet Huntley and his consortium developed Big Sky Resort in the early 1970s. Since then, it has grown to become a year-round, world-class recreation area with "the Biggest Skiing in America," four ski resorts, and a vibrant community around them. Located on the meadows of the West Fork in the Gallatin Canyon, this area was, early on, a microcosm of pioneer hardiness and activity characteristic of the Northern Rocky Mountains. Throughout its early history, one finds Native Americans, trappers, miners, loggers, cowboys, and ranchers. Some of their ventures failed and some succeeded as the land and weather allowed. The most successful ventures were the dude ranches that introduced the pleasures that remain today--hunting, fishing, trail rides, touring Yellowstone Park, and even skiing. Outdoor adventure in an authentic American Western setting was, and is, Big Sky.

Laurel

9781467133111

$24.99

Early Laurel, like many Montana frontier towns, was shaped by tenacious settlers who struggled to carve a living from a harsh, often unforgiving landscape in the wake of the Indian Wars. Laurel started as little more than a railway station and a handful of businesses serving railroad workers, farmers, and ranchers in the early 1880s. Irrigation projects soon transformed the dry, dusty prairies along the Yellowstone River near Laurel into productive farmlands. Homesteaders flocked to the valley. By 1908, Laurel had grown into a bustling shipping and servicing center for three major railroads and boasted the largest rail yard and roundhouse between Seattle and St. Paul. In the 1920s, it became a jumping-off point for tourists destined for Yellowstone Park. A decade later, Laurel staked its claim in the region's emerging oil industry when the Laurel Leaf refinery was built. This small, unassuming town has played a vital role in the development of the Yellowstone River Valley and beyond.

Emigrant Gulch

9780738520780

$24.99

In 1864, an Oregon Trail wagon train of pioneers from Pennsylvania and Iowa found their way to Emigrant Gulch and Park County in search of gold. The first settlers staked 200-foot claims at the mouth of the Gulch, in what had been called the Curry District. One of the oldest mining districts in Park County, the history of the area is reproduced here in almost 200 vintage photographs, and captures America's fascination with the development of the Wild West.

Park County, so named due to its proximity to Yellowstone Park, was established in 1887. Placer gold was discovered in the Gulch in 1864, and with this discovery came miners and prospectors from all over the country, ultimately resulting in the development of Yellowstone City and other communities. While open hostilities with the native Crow Indians in the region would eventually dissuade continual mining in the region, many stayed to populate the area. Pictured here are the miners, residents, businesses, street scenes, and social activities that made Park County what it is today.

Cooke City

9780738575841

$24.99

Northeast of Yellowstone National Park, between precipitous mountains along Soda Butte Creek, lies the old mining town of Cooke City. Ramshackle buildings of yesteryear and scars of exploitation still remain, quietly telling stories about this quaint community. When Adam "Horn" Miller picked up a piece of rich galena ore in the vicinity of the Clark's Fork drainage, it was destined to play an important part in the mining and development of the area. Early explorers, prospectors, and settlers were thwarted by Indians, rugged mountains without roads, and winters in the high country. Until 1877, most of the work was prospecting, then smelters were built. A railroad was expected but never materialized, so only marginal profits were made in mining. The area's scenic wonders, however, are Cooke City's true wealth.

Bear Creek Valley

9780738570419

$24.99

Memories of Montana's Bear Creek Valley flicker briefly to life each February on the anniversary of its darkest day. It is remembered as the site of Montana's worst coal mining accident, which claimed the lives of 75 miners, but the valley was so much more. For decades it was Montana's "coal basket," housing two towns, dozens of coal mines, and a population equaling that of neighboring Red Lodge. Businesses included a movie theater, dry goods store, grocery stores, hotels, hospitals, butchers, banks, bars, and union halls, all serving residents with pan-European origins. Its schools produced championship sports teams and community leaders. Gone, but not forgotten, Bear Creek Valley lives on in this book.

Clark's Fork Valley

9780738581675

$24.99

Many of the great icons of western American history left their mark on Carbon County while living in or traveling through the natural byway that is Montana's Clark's Fork Valley. The Apsáalooke, or Crow, people called the valley home for centuries. The Lewis and Clark expedition recorded and named the valley's river in 1806. In 1807-1808, John Colter, the discoverer of Yellowstone Park, explored the southern end of the valley. The Rocky Mountain Fur Company and adventurers like Jedediah Smith, Joe Meek, and Thomas Fitzpatrick soon followed. In 1864, Jim Bridger blazed the Bridger Trail through the valley. Chief Joseph and his band of Nez Perce followed the valley north from Yellowstone Park during their 1877 flight toward Canada. Calamity Jane and Caroline Lockhart, a noted author and literary rival of Zane Grey, once called the valley home, and Buffalo Bill Cody and John "Liver-Eating" Johnston visited it frequently.

Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Montana

9780738548272

$24.99

For generations, the Native American people have been a society of great mystery. The Assiniboine and Sioux Indians of the Fort Peck Reservation in northeastern Montana are no exception. Although
centuries old, their culture is only now being rediscovered and explored. The idea to reveal some of their fascinating story stemmed from the desire,
devotion, and dedication of a few individuals to embrace the opportunity to explore this wondrous race of people. In 1851 at Fort Laramie, Wyoming, the tribes of Montana and Dakota territories signed a treaty with the U.S. Government, which led to the
beginnings of many congressional hearings concerning Native American reservations. In 1886 at Fort Peck Agency, the Sioux and Assiniboine exerted their sovereign powers and agreed with the government to create the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. After much negotiation over the two million acres of land, U.S. Congress ratified the agreement in 1888. This colorful heritage and legacy of Fort Peck is commemorated by the 200 images in this photographic collection. Featured are scenes of tribal leaders, schoolchildren, families, and celebrations from the late 1880s to the 1920s. All of the images were provided by Native American families living on the Fort Peck Reservation, the Fort Peck Tribal Archives, and the Montana Historical Society.

Montana Americana Music

9781467135146

$21.99

Montana's relationship to Americana music is as wide and deep as the famed Missouri River that inspired countless musicians seated at its shores. From the fiddling of Pierre Cruzatte and George Gibson in the Corps of Discovery to the modern-day loner folk of Joey Running Crane and Cameron Boster, the Treasure State inspires the production of top-notch country music. In the 1950s, bands like the Snake River Outlaws fostered a long-standing love of hillbilly honky-tonk, and in the 1970s, the Mission Mountain Wood Band added a homegrown flavor of its own. Contemporary acts like the Lil' Smokies and songwriter Martha Scanlan promise a vibrant future for the local sound. Author and musician Aaron Parrett explores this history to show what it means to boot stomp in Big Sky Country.

Havre

9781467133043

$24.99

Tucked in a valley on the banks of the Milk River, Havre's history is incredibly diverse. It was populated first by American Indian tribes, who lived here for centuries and successfully lived off what the land, waters, and skies could provide. White settlers and other ethnic groups came later, bringing with them their own ways of life. Ladies and gentlemen arrived, looking for opportunities to build a new life and working to smooth out the rough reputation Havre had earned during its early days. Vice and virtue worked and lived alongside each other to create the largest community on Montana's Hi-Line.

The Little Bighorn, Tiospaye

9780738508283

$24.99

In June of 1876, members of various northern Plains tribes gathered at the Little Bighorn River to form the largest Indian encampment in recorded American history. The huge gathering, called Tiospaye, encompassed over 1,000 lodges housing approximately 7,000 men, women, and children. The over 200 vintage photographs portrayed here represent the weeks just before the infamous Battle of Little Bighorn and the creation of legends. Two major events occurred in June 1876 that would forever alter the course of Native American history. The defeat of Custer and the Seventh Cavalry was the most infamous event, but only the ending to a greater celebration. Offering a portrait of a people at the renaissance of their culture, this new book showcases images of the lifestyle of the encampment and the many brave leaders who fought at Little Bighorn, including Sitting Bull and the author's grandfather, Feather Earring.

Captain Charles Rawn and the Frontier Infantry in Montana

9781626199866

$21.99

Stationed in Montana during the height of the Indian Wars, Captain Charles Rawn proved an unlikely hero and an indispensable leader in numerous battles. He took command from a drunken Major Baker at the Battle of Pryor's Creek, saving the 400 soldiers from possible annihilation at the hands of 1,000 Sioux. As commander of Fort Missoula, he led 35 soldiers and 200 volunteers in an attempt to halt 850 Nez Perce warriors. When Colonel Gibbon suffered an injury at the Battle of the Big Hole, Rawn's experience and leadership of the 7th Infantry helped prevent another Custer debacle. Author Robert M. Brown catalogues the career of this outstanding officer and the transformation of the frontier army from a Civil War legacy into an elite fighting force.

Captain Charles Rawn and the Frontier Infantry in Montana

Paradise Valley on the Yellowstone

9780738508054

$24.99

Paradise Valley, located midway between Gardiner and Livingston, Montana, is aptly named. The area is surrounded by spectacular national parks and forests, follows the curves of the scenic Yellowstone River, and is hemmed with snow-capped mountains. But the stark beauty of the territory belies the often difficult way of life encountered by the area's early inhabitants.

Theodore Roosevelt & Bison Restoration on the Great Plains

9781467135696

$21.99

Rapidly disappearing bison in the late 1800s prompted progressive thinkers to call for the preservation of wild lands and wildlife in North America. Following a legendary hunt for the last wild bison in central Montana, Dr. William Hornady sought to immortalize the West's most iconic species. Activists like Theodore Roosevelt rose to the call, initiating a restoration plan that seemed almost incomprehensible in that era. Follow the journey from the first animals bred at the Bronx Zoo to today's National Bison Range. Glenn Plumb, retired National Park Service chief wildlife biologist, and Keith Aune, retired Wildlife Conservation Society director of bison programs, detail Roosevelt's conservation legacy and the landmark efforts of many others.

Theodore Roosevelt & Bison Restoration on the Great Plains

Montana Women From the Ground Up

9781467137232

$21.99

Growing up on the family ranch, Linda Finley fought hard to gain the acceptance and respect as a ranch hand that her brothers took for granted. Arlene Pile barely remembers learning to ride a horse and run machinery—she was so young. She learned to drive on an 8N Ford tractor with a buck rake. Lee Jacobsen became the first woman in the state licensed to artificially inseminate cattle. Meet these and other Montana women passionate about caring for their land and determined to make the lifestyle their own. Many never doubted for a moment that they would spend their lives in agriculture, while others speak of their surprise and delight to find themselves living on the land. All agree that they wouldn't be happy doing anything else.

Cover image for Montana Women From the Ground Up, isbn: 9781467137232

Haunted Southwest Montana

9781467153683

$21.99

Phantoms in Paradise!
Southwestern Montana boasts a bloody past that produces a persistent paranormal presence. In 1899, drunken Charles Sheppard murdered John Benson with a fence post in Deer Lodge and threw his body into the river. Some still witness the bloody apparition of a man on the water's edge. The spirit of Doctor John Singleton Meade still roams his Hotel Meade in the renowned Ghost Town of Bannack. The old Montana State Prison, now a museum, is tormented with residual energy from multiple executions, riots and violent deaths. Beset by an unsolved murder, a famous ghost town and a haunted bed & breakfast, Gunslinger Gulch attracts thousands each year to Anaconda. Author Deborah Cuyle collects tales of haunted hotels, ghostly residents and gruesome events from Dillion, Philipsburg, Garnet and more.

Sheridan County

9780738596051

$24.99

Named in honor of Gen. Philip Sheridan of Civil War fame, Sheridan County was carved out of the much larger Valley County in 1913. Originally the hunting grounds for Assiniboine, Sioux, and members of other Native American tribes, the county boomed during the homesteading era from 1900 to 1920. Sheridan County's storied past includes being a hideout for horse thieves and outlaws and, later, home to a renowned Communist movement that reached its apex in the 1920s. Since that bygone era, Sheridan County has enjoyed an often-thriving agricultural economy, oil booms, and the type of community spirit that knits people together, whether they are newcomers or the descendants of its first inhabitants.

Missoula

9780738580784

$24.99

In this survey of how Missoula has changed since the late 1800s, important historic sites in the city and environs are showcased in vintage and modern imagery.

Glasgow and Valley County

9780738580630

$24.99

Once known only as "Siding 45," Glasgow, Montana, was named by a railroad clerk's random finger poke on a spinning globe in 1887. Resourceful land speculators lured its first homesteaders with the promise, "Pin your faith in Glasgow and you shall wear diamonds." Successful farmers and cowboys initially made the community an agricultural center and the seat of Valley County. The 1930s drought and depression eras brought hard times, however, before the construction of the New Deal Fort Peck Dam helped reinvigorate Valley County communities. Faithful to their pioneer legacy, the people of the "Hi-Line" have more recently successfully refocused on long-established agriculture and developing tourism to continue the historic saga of northeast Montana.

Glacier National Park

9780738530116

$24.99

Glacier National Park is a majestic million acres of towering mountains, ancient glaciers, and amazing biodiversity. Located astride both the Continental Divide and Hudson Bay Divide, Glacier contains Triple Divide Peak, the only point in North America from which the waters drain into three oceans. The land that George Bird Grinnell called the "Crown of the Continent" and that John Muir described as "the best care-killing scenery on the continent" has been
delighting visitors since well before it was set aside as a park in 1910. Through the years, countless people have come to Glacier to hike its nearly thousand miles of trails, marvel at its unrivalled scenery, and drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road, America's most spectacular alpine highway. Glacier is also home to remote mountain chalets and magnificent grand lodges. While most national parks have a singular signature lodge, Glacier has three.