Montana History

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Montana

History

Online Resources

• History of Montana, by Joaquim Miller, 1894
• History of Montana, by Helen F. Sanders, 1913 Includes an alphabetical index to names.
• Montana Its Story and Biography... Includes an alphabetical index to names.
• County and Town Histories, includes biographies
• Montana Historical Society
• Montana Travel Site
• County Histories of Montana.
• Montana, History and Biography ($)
• Montana, its story and biography: a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood ($)
• Montana: the land and the people ($)
• A history of Montana ($)
• Montana in the making ($)
• Society of Montana Pioneers: constitution, members and officers, with portraits and maps ($)
• Montana, Illustrated History, 1894($), index
• Montana Pioneers Society ($)
• Livestock Brands 1873-1980
  
  

Brief History

The following important events in the history of Montana affected political boundaries, record keeping, and family movements.

Dates	Events
1803-1850s	The United States acquired from France the area of Montana east of the mountains. Britain relinquished its claims to the western section in 1846. Until the 1850s, Montana was the domain of Indians, explorers, fur traders, trappers, and missionaries.
1841	Jesuit priests founded St. Mary's mission. In the 1850's this mission became the center of ranching activity in the Bitterroot Valley of western Montana.
1846	Fort Benton, the only Montana trading post to become a permanent settlement, was established on the Missouri River.
1855	July 16 - Through the Treaty of Hell Gate the Salish and Kutenai (Kootnai) Indians ceded their lands to the United States.
1859	Steamboats first reached Fort Benton.
1860s	Montana west of the continental divide was designated Missoula County, Washington Territory, in 1860. In 1861 the unsettled eastern portion was attached to Dakota Territory. In 1863 and 1864 all of Montana was included in Idaho Territory.
1862-1864	The discovery of gold in western Montana brought an influx of miners to Bannack, Virginia City, and Helena. Many of the miners began farming and set up supply centers—such as Missoula, Deer Lodge, and Bozeman.
1864	March 26 - Montana Territory was established with nine counties.
1870	January 22 - Piegan Indian village was attacked by troops of the U.S. Cavalry under command of Col. E. M. Baker, 174 Indians killed, 140 taken prisoner.
1867-1877	Indian Wars
1876	June 25 - Sioux Wars General George Armstrong Custer and 265 men of the 7th Cavalry slaughtered by Cheyenne and Sioux Indians at the Battle of Little Big Horn.
1879	Cheyenne
1880s	Railroads first crossed Montana. The population of the territory was about 40,000.
1889	November 8 - Montana became a state.
1892	October 15 - Crow Indian Reservation opened to settlers by Presidential proclamation. The territory covered 1,800,000 acres.
1898	Over 300,000 men were involved in the Spanish-American War which was fought mainly in Cuba and the Philippines.
1910-1925	The number of counties doubled from 28 to the present 56 as homesteaders moved into eastern Montana. By 1930 a cycle of drought years had driven many of the settlers from the state.
1917–1918	More than 26 million men from the United States ages 18 through 45 registered with the Selective Service. World War I over 4.7 million American men and women served during the war.
1930's	The Great Depression closed many factories and mills. Many small farms were abandoned, and many families moved to cities.
1940–1945	Over 50.6 million men ages 18 to 65 registered with the Selective Service. Over 16.3 million American men and women served in the armed forces during World War II.
1950–1953	Over 5.7 million American men and women served in the Korean War.
1950's–1960's	The building of interstate highways made it easier for people to move long distances.
1964–1972	Over 8.7 million American men and women served in the Vietnam War.

Historical Content

Histories are great sources of genealogical information. Many contain biographical information about individuals who lived in the area, including:

Parents' names Maiden names of women Place of birth, death, or marriage

Occupation Migration Military service

Descendants

Local Histories

Some of the most valuable sources for family history research are local histories. Published histories of towns, counties, and states usually contain accounts of families. They describe the settlement of the area and the founding of churches, schools, and businesses. You can also find lists of pioneers, soldiers, and civil officials. Even if your ancestor is not listed, information on other relatives may be included that will provide important clues for locating your ancestor. A local history may also suggest other records to search. Local histories are extensively collected by the FamilySearch Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies. The "United States History" page cites nationwide bibliographies of local histories which include histories of Montana. An excellent Montana resource is:

• Richards, Dennis Lee. Montana's Genealogical and Local History Records... Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1981. FS Catalog book 978.6 A3r; FS Library fiche 6019973.

State Histories Useful to Genealogists

Good genealogists strive to understand the life and times of their ancestors. In this sense, any history can be useful. But certain kinds of state, county, and local histories, especially older histories published between 1845 and 1945, often include biographical sketches of prominent individuals. The sketches usually tend toward the laudatory, but may include some genealogical details. If these histories are indexed or alphabetized, check for an ancestor's name. An example for the State of Montana is:

• Burlingame, Merrill G. and K. Ross Toole. Editors. A History of Montana. Three Volumes. New York, NY: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1957. FS Catalog book 978.6 H2b. Volume 3.

United States History

The following are only a few of the many U.S. history sources that are available:

• Schlesinger, Jr., Arthur M. The Almanac of American History. Greenwich, Conn.: Bison Books, 1983. FS Catalog book 973 H2alm. At various libraries (WorldCat). This provides brief historical essays and chronological descriptions of thousands of key events in United States history.

• Dictionary of American History, Revised ed., 8 vols. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1976. FS Catalog book 973 H2ad. At various libraries (WorldCat). This includes historical sketches on various topics in U.S. history, such as wars, people, laws, and organizations. A snippet view is available at Google books.

• Webster's Guide to American History: A Chronological, Geographical, and Biographical Survey and Compendium. Springfield, Mass.: G&C Merriam, 1971. FS Catalog book 973 H2v. Limited view at Google Books. At various libraries (WorldCat). This includes a history, some maps, tables, and other historical information.

• Writings on American History. By American Historical Association, Library of Congress, United States National Historical Publications Commission. Published by KTO Press, 1921. FS Catalog book 973 H23w. At various libraries (WorldCat). Full text available at Google Books.

To find more books and articles about Montana 's history try a Google search. Search for phrases like "Montana history." The FamilySearch Catalog "Place-names" search lists many more histories under topics like:

MONTANA - HISTORY

MONTANA, [COUNTY] - HISTORY

MONTANA, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - HISTORY

MONTANA - BIBLIOGRAPHY

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