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Montana's Black Communities
Dedicated to my son, Avery, a true Montanan!
For over two hundred years, African Americans have played a role in our great state’s history. They came as explorers, trappers, miners, railroad workers, soldiers, homesteaders, and printers. Some, as former enslaved and newly freed, were lured to the state as their white counterparts; Manifest Destiny and the chance to carve their own future. Some were brought out as enslaved property of another, and others to serve their country. Their experiences and hard work played a role in the development of the state, and their impact lives on today.
Explorers and Trappers
The first documentation was that of York, an enslaved man belonging to the explorer William Clark. Clark had brought York along on the Lewis and Clark expedition. “York proved crucial to the expedition’s success. He became a skilled hunter, successfully negotiated with Native Americans, and cared for ill soldiers. He was also a naturalist and helped describe new plants and animals.”
At about the same time, trappers had discovered the rich drainages of Montana that contained fur-bearing animals. Among the trappers to arrive was a former slave, Jim Beckwourth, born in Virginia. When he was a young boy, the family moved to St. Louis, where, in addition to English, he learned to speak French and understand Spanish. This aptitude for languages would benefit him in 1822 when he answered an advertisement by William Ashley for trappers willing to travel out west. Beckwourth’s travels around Montana and, later in life, his adoption by the Apsalooke become the stuff of legend.
Another trapper in this era was Edward Rose. Not much is known about Rose, but it is said he was in Montana with Manuel Lisa and William Ashley in the early 1800’s. Later, he lived with the Crows, who called him Nez Coup or “Cut Nose.”
The Rush is On
Photo: Virginia City Water Co. Office, Virginia City, Montana, aka, Vigilante Hangman's Building
View of the Virginia City Water Company Office, Virginia City, Montana, also known as the Vigilante Hangman's Building. This photo is an illustration on page 5 of 'Virgina City, Cradle of Montana's History, A Historical Sketch' by W. R. Rankin. Text under photo reads, 'On January 14, 1864 the log framework and rough lumber outside sheathing were all that were constructed of this building when the Vigilantes hung 'Clubfoot' George Lane, Frank Parish, Haze Lyons, Jack Gallagher, Boone Helm from the uncovered ridge log. Today this building is in possession of a part negro whose mother, a full black, had married a Virginia City official. Rope burns are discernable on the purlin which served as a gallows for the five desperados.'
In the 1860’s Montana entered a new era when gold was discovered in Southwest Montana. The timing of this gold rush coincided with the American Civil War raging in the east. Many African Americans, some newly freed, found their way to Montana. Among them were Sarah (Gammon-Blair) Bickford, Samuel Lewis, Millie Ringgold, and Mary Fields.
Born into slavery Sarah Bickford came west as a nanny for a white Civil War veteran. After some time in Virginia City, she married a white miner Stephen Bickford and went on to inherit the Virginia City Water Company following his death. When she took over the water company she became, reportedly, the first African American woman to own a utility in the United States which she ran until her death in 1931.
While Bickford was finding success in Virginia City other pioneers were arriving in the new territory. Samuel Lewis, who was born in Haiti, was a well-respected barber and real estate developer in Bozeman where he owned several rental properties. His home is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places today.
Photo: Millie Ringgold at Yogo, Montana
View of Millie Ringgold at Yogo, Montana. She is sitting and holding a walking stick with some milling equipment in the meadow behind her. Forest in the distant background.
Millie Ringgold was born as an enslaved person in either Maryland or Virginia in 1845 and arrived by steamboat to Fort Benton as a nurse and servant for a U.S Army general. When the general moved back east, Millie stayed, opening up a business in Fort Benton. When a stampede to Yogo Gulch occurred in 1879, Millie sold her business, bought a wagon, two condemned army mules, and a barrel of whiskey, and ran with the stampede of miners.
She opened a saloon where she regularly entertained miners with songs and improvised instruments. She remained in Utica and Yogo Gulch the remainder of her life. When Charlie Russell painted “A Quiet Day in Utica” in 1907, one year after Millie’s death, he reportedly added her to the painting, standing in front of Charles Lehman’s General Merchandise store, wearing a blue dress.
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View of Millie Ringold, also known as 'Aunt Milly', was an African American mining prospector in Yogo, Montana. Note on front: 'Aunt Milly Ringold once a slave. R.I.P.'
View of 'Stagecoach' Mary Fields seated with hands crossed. African-American woman who was a stagecoach driver, Cascade, Montana.
Mary Fields, also known as Stagecoach Mary and Black Mary, arrived in the late 1800’s. Born as an enslaved person, Mary found work on a steamship following the Civil War. There she met a white gentleman who hired her to take care of his children. He then sent her to Montana to care for his ailing sister, who worked at St. Peter’s Catholic boarding school outside Cascade.
She was hired as the groundskeeper and maintenance worker. A job she kept only a short time, reportedly because of her coarse foul language. She then opened a saloon but failed as she gave away food and beverages to those in need and who could not pay her back. Eventually, she obtained a contract with the postal service to deliver mail. Her extreme work ethic became legendary. When the snow became too deep for her team, she reportedly lugged the mail over her shoulder with snowshoes. In one instance, she became stranded and walked laps to keep from getting frostbite. Many local families also sought her services as a babysitter, and she became beloved by many of the families in the area. In fact, it is said that schools closed on her birthday so that the kids could celebrate with her.
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View of Mary Fields (1832-1914), African American woman who was a stagecoach driver, Cascade, Montana.
Black and white photo of St. Peter's Mission near the Bird Tail. From back of photo: The old Church at St. Peter's, built in 1878.
Buffalo Soldier, In the Heart of America
Photo: Infantry at Fort Shaw, Montana
Group portrait of 20 African American soldiers standing at attention in a single line wearing dress uniforms with Prussian style headwear, white gloves, and arms. A portion of the barracks is visible in the background, a clapboard, gable-roofed single-story building.
As more and more pioneers arrived in Montana from all over the globe, more problems arose and conflicts with Indigenous people increased. In response, the United States government constructed forts along immigrant trails to protect settlers. Among the soldiers dispatched were several African American units. These black soldiers would become known as Buffalo Soldiers. "According to popular lore, Native Americans coined the term “Buffalo Soldiers” either because the soldiers’ dark curly hair resembled a buffalo mane or because the soldiers fought like the fierce Great Plains buffalo.”
In the territory of Montana, the 10th Cavalry and 25th Infantry divisions had an impact on its development. The Buffalo Soldiers were stationed throughout the territory: Fort Assiniboine, (near Havre), Fort Keogh, (Miles City), Fort Custer, (near Hardin), Fort Shaw (west of Great Falls), Fort Harrison (Helena), and Fort Missoula, in which the famed 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps became widely known.
Photo: Custer Battlefield National Cemetery with Weir Point
Custer Battlefield National Cemetery with Weir Point in the center of the photograph. See Bloodshed at Little Bighorn: Sitting Bull, Custer, and the Destinies of Nations (Witness to History) by Tim Lehman. To See Roahen's photographs see Heroes of Many Wars Are Buried In Custer Battlefield Cemetery At Site of Little Big Horn Battle, Billings Gazette, December 11, 1955.
The soldiers had a duty to serve, and serve they did, including Isaiah Dorman. Dorman was a scout for Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and fell by his other brothers in blue at Little Big Horn on June 25, 1876.
Photo: Wallace, Idaho after the fire of 1910
Burned homes in Wallace, Idaho, where the fire was the fiercest. On this terrace every house was burned, about 200 in all. Coeur d'Alene National Forest, Idaho. Fire Control; Burned Over Area. WO# 43823. Library note: Just beyond the railyard the Shoshone County Courthouse can be seen.
When Theophilus Gould Steward, African Methodist Episcopal minister, U.S. Army chaplain, and historian, was stationed in the West with the 25th Infantry division his wife, Dr. Susan Smith McKinney Steward, travelled with him. She was the first black woman to earn a medical doctorate from New York state and was the first African American doctor in Montana and Wyoming while her husband was stationed in the west.
The heroics of these soldiers were not only on the battlefields but also in times of catastrophe. Nearly 4,000 Buffalo Soldiers were dispatched to Idaho and Western Montana to help evacuate citizens during the great fires of 1910. “Despite their professionalism and effectiveness, the Buffalo Soldiers faced racial prejudice from some residents.
Nevertheless, the soldiers’ decisive actions—including setting backfires to protect the towns—led to a change in perception, and many residents came to appreciate their efforts.”
Photo: School children, Fort Keogh, Montana ca. 1891
View of two men posed near open doorway and twenty-five students in front of school with other unidentified buildings in background at Fort Keogh, Montana.
As the Buffalo Soldiers were assigned to different forts, many families accompanied them, and a small enclave of African American communities developed around the forts. These families found jobs to help supplement their income and joined or created civic organizations.
Photo: Bicycle Corps crossing a creek
25th Infantry Bicycle Corps crossing a creek at an unknown location.
Collection: Buffalo Soldiers (primarily 10th and 25th Infantry) by Jim Martin
A collection of photographs from around the state that primarily feature the 10th Cavalry and 25th Infantry.
Settling into Communities
By the 1890s, two transcontinental railroads had cut through Montana, bringing with them a large number of immigrants from all over the world.
Many African Americans worked on the railroads in the construction and maintenance crews, and once again their families accompanied them to places such as Havre, which boasted a small community. The rich resources of Butte and Helena provided a more cosmopolitan atmosphere than that of a dusty mining camp.
Other bustling communities of Missoula, Great Falls and Billings were growing and as with Helena and Butte, a sizable black population grew as well.
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Among the military families was Alice Pleasant, who accompanied her husband to Fort Assiniboine. Later, she opened the Home Cafe, better known as “Ma Plas.” She was also known to give a nickel to every young child in Havre.
Charles 'Smoky' Wilson, an elderly African American man, stands outdoors next to a young girl. He is wearing a jacket, vest, and cap. The girl wears a short dress. Behind them is a house with a large porch. Note: Smoky Wilson was a government interpreter and Indian agency policeman at Crow Agency. He lived on the Crow Indian Reservation and was adopted into the Crow Indian tribe.
Charles “Smokey” Robinson worked with the Crow Tribe. Smokey Wilson between 1910-1930. Smoky Wilson was a government interpreter and Indian agency policeman at Crow Agency. He lived on the Crow Indian Reservation and was adopted into the Crow tribe.
Photo: Old Smokey Wilson at Crow Fair
View of Smoky Wilson, an African American man adopted by the Crow tribe, riding a horse at Crow Fair in 1907. He wears a headdress of eagle feathers.
Born a slave in Charleston, South Carolina on May 14, 1848. Came to Coulson and Billings, Montana in 1882. One of four Americans of African descent in Billings in 1882. Steward at the Midland Club and then the Billings Commercial Club. Lived next door to Horace Bivens family at 106 South 25th. Member of Wayman Chapel. Unmarried. Presented with a $500 bonus to visit Charleston again - A young upcoming dancer, Ginger Rogers, performed at the Babcock Theater as part of the event - See Clubmen Honor Aged Steward, Billings Gazette, May 16, 1926, p.1. Died in 1928 and is buried at Mountview Cemetery - See Pioneer Negro Resident Dies, Billings Gazette, October 26, 1928.
View of bearded Captain John Smith (or Augustus Titus?) wearing hat, coat, kerchief, and glasses standing on a boardwalk in Helena, Montana, with right hand resting on picket fence and left-hand holding cane near fire hydrant with brick building in background. Note on back of print: 'Capt. John Smith, About 80 years old, Familiar Carachter [sic.] in Helena, Montana.'
Photo: Montana Avenue between 27th and 28th streets, early 1900s.
A crew of workers are seen removing wood plank paving in preparation for the laying of brick paving blocks.
Photo: Man and baby in buggy, Billings, Montana
View of man standing with left hand resting on a buggy holding a baby with dog nearby in Billings, Montana. In background are trees and picket fence.
Photo: William C. Irvin, policeman
Studio portrait (full body) of William C. Irvin, a black man with a mustache, wearing a uniform. Irvin became a policeman in Helena, Montana, in 1888. He wears what may be his uniform, including a hat, and a ribbon for the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows in America, the largest African American fraternal group in the country.
Photo: Montana Plaindealer Article, May 04, 1906
Example heading of the Montana Plaindealer newspaper article.
African American-owned newspapers The Colored Citizen (1894) and the Montana Plaindealer (1906-1911) opened in Helena along with The New Age in Butte (1902-1903).
The Montana Plaindealer had a regular column entitled “Race News,” which documented incidents of racial discrimination across the nation.
Photo: James Crump Residence, Helena, Montana.
View of a two-story clapboard Queen Anne style house with picket fence. Two women visible on the front porch and a dog is off to the left. The Crump-Howard House, built by James and Clarissa Crump, 1003 9th Avenue, Helena, Montana. Eventually, the home of Norman Crump Howard (grandson of James and Clarissa Crump), born 1903.
James Wesley Crump was born as a free man in Missouri. He served in the military during the Civil War and came to Montana in 1865. He married Clarissa, who had been enslaved, in 1869 and settled in Helena. They built a home, known as the Crump/Howard home, in 1889. Crump wore his Civil War uniform as he held the American flag during the Cornerstone Ceremony in the construction of the Montana State Capitol building in 1899.
Photo: Portrait of an unidentified African American man
Studio portrait (full body) of an unidentified man with receding hairline and mustache, his right hand rests on a rustic fence. He wears a suit with a fraternal organization yoke and apron, likely from the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows. The yoke has a curved profile with 6-pointed stars above and below 'N.F.' (Noble Father) on the left and on the right the stars again and an eye with sunrays, the apron depicts classically draped women, both the yoke and apron are heavily fringed. Man is tentatively identified as James Wesley Crump of Helena, Montana.
James Presley Ball opened up a photography business in Helena, documenting not only black citizens of the area but also events, including at least two public hangings and the laying of the cornerstone of the state capitol on July 4, 1899.
Photo: W.R. Dorsey's grocery store, Helena, Montana
View of Walter Dorsey, an African American, with his two daughters and a young man in front of the doorway of his grocery store at 900 8th Ave., Helena, Montana.
Walter Dorsey opened a store in Helena. The Dorsey family operated their grocery business at several different locations in town for almost 40 years. This building still stands today.
Professional portrait of young Taylor Gordon.
In 1893, in the small town of White Sulphur Springs, Taylor Gordon was born. He would later become a noted entertainer in New York during the Harlem Renaissance. In 1929, he wrote his autobiography, which recounted his life in rural Montana and New York. He retired to White Sulphur Springs with his sister.
It was in 1893 in the small town of White Sulphur Springs that Taylor Gordon was born. He would later become a noted entertainer in New York during the Harlem Renaissance. In 1929 he wrote his autobiography which recounted his life in rural Montana and of New York. He retired to White Sulphur Springs with his sister.
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Photo: Gordon Taylor home, near White Sulphur Springs, May 18, 1932
Elizabeth Abbott Garber (Mrs. Henry Ernest) took the photo of Goron Taylor's childhood home. Gordon, a singer and stage performer, wrote an autobiography, Born to Be, in 1929, which recounts his youth as an African American in small-town Montana, and his experiences as a singer in 1920s Harlem, New York. He retired in White Sulphur Springs in 1971.
Montana Federation of Negro Women's Clubs
Photo: Montana Federation of Colored Women's Clubs, Helena, Montana
Members of the Montana Federation of Colored Women's Clubs in front of the St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church at 5th and Hoback in Helena, Montana. Group of African American women, men, and children gathered in front of the open doors of a church, sign above the door reads 'A.M.E. Church.' Negative of this photo found in L. H. Jorud Photo Collection (Lot 037) though photo probably not taken by Jorud.
A number of community and civic organizations formed including the Montana State Federation of Negro Women’s Clubs and religious organizations such as the St. James African Methodist Church built in 1889 at 114 north Hoback St. in Helena. As was common across the United States, “churches typically became the central institution of African American communities. Black churches ‘sponsored or fostered other activities such as social clubs, literary societies, and fraternal orders. Often the church building was used as a meeting place for these organizations and for political gatherings.’”
“When the Montana Federation of Negro Women's Clubs first met in Butte on August 3, 1921, at least nine African American women's clubs were active in communities throughout the state. In 1902, Butte residents founded the short-lived Afro-American Women’s Club. Women living in Kalispell formed the Mutual Improvement Club in 1913.
Three years later, twelve Helena women met as the Pleasant Hour Club. The Pearl Club was formed in Butte in 1918, and two groups, the Phyllis Wheatley Club in Billings and the Dunbar Art and Study Club in Great Falls, were organized in 1920. Four local clubs formed in 1921: the Bozeman Sweet Pea Study Club, Helena’s Mary B. Talbert Art Club, the Clover Leaf Club in Butte, and the Anaconda Good Word Literary Club.
In addition to offering social activities for black women, the local clubs and the state federation supported scholarships, lobbied for civil rights legislation, and worked to improve racial relations at the state and local level.”
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Photo: Montana Federation of Negro Women's Clubs Cookbook
Cover title.; Contains advertisements from local area businesses.
Collection: Montana Federation of Negro Women's Club by Jim Martin
Collection of photographs of Montana Federation of Negro Women's gatherings between 1921-1971 and photographs of people associated with the organization.
Browning/Bivins Family: Pioneers of Billings and a Buffalo Soldier Story
Photo: Old Deadwood Stage Coach - Miles City, Mont.
View of old Deadwood stagecoach at Miles City, Montana, parked near a fence and horse wearing a harness, with trees and unidentified structures in the background.
Walker Browning moved out west after the death of his parents. His father was killed in the Civil War while serving in an all-black unit, and his mother died the next year. As the oldest child, Walker soon left his native Missouri and brought his four younger siblings which included his two-year-old brother George with him.
He fell in love while in Omaha, Nebraska, and brought his new bride, Ruth (Merryweather), out west, where they quickly added to their large family and moved to Laramie, Wyoming. For work, he did a variety of jobs, including as a cook on an expedition to map and survey Yellowstone Park.
In Deadwood Walker worked as a prospector during the gold rush to the Black Hills. When the gold had run out, he then found his way to Miles City.
Eventually, Walker saved enough money to send for his family in Deadwood to join him in Billings. To get there Ruth and the children; Lulu, Charles and the youngest Claudia travelled by stage.
Ruth Browning, wife of Walker Browning. Ruth Merryweather married Walker Browning about 1872. Arrived in Montana in 1883. Walker Browning died in 1925. See his story in Walker Browning, Billings Pioneer, Billings Gazette, February 8, 1925, p. 3. Members of First Methodist Church and First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Billings. Lived at 106 South Twenty-fifth street. She died before 1910.
Finally, the Brownings had saved their money to build a home and were the first to construct on the south side of the railroad tracks, at 121 South 26th Street which would become the Billings Southside Neighborhood.
Brother George would eventually build nearby. “It is not clear whether he was forced to live on the Southside per some segregation-era ordinance, or whether he chose that location, and the subsequent decades saw African Americans only taking up residence in that part of town. The latter seems rather unlikely, especially since another Montana city, Great Falls, had already passed just such a housing ordinance.”
In any case, Ruth and Walker would become leaders in the civic community and the nucleus of the Billings black community. They would stay in Billings the remainder of their lives.
Daughter of Walker Browning. Claudia was President of the local Phyllis Wheatley Club, an African American organization. Wife of Capt. Horace Bivens. Capt. Bivens retired from the U.S. Army on July 19, 1913 and settled in Billings, Montana. See Under the Fire with the Tenth Cavalry by Cashin. See Billings A to Z by Stevens & Redman. Interred at Mountview Cemetery, August, 1944.
Horace Bivins was born in Virginia in 1866. His first military assignment as a Private took him to Arizona where he fought against Geronimo and the Apache. The government then assigned him to Fort Custer and then Fort Assiniboine, Montana.
During his time, he was the first soldier to earn Double Marksmen awards for both rifle and pistol. In 1886 William “Buffalo Bill” Cody heard about his shooting abilities and offered him a position in his Wild West shows to stage fights with another sharpshooter, Annie Oakley. By then known as, Corporal Bivins, who was expecting a promotion to ordinance Sergeant, declined. During the Spanish-American War, Bivins, assigned to the 10th Cavalry, saw firsthand the fighting on San Juan Hill, Cuba where he was wounded.
While wounded, Bivins singlehandedly manned a cannon and continued firing round after round at enemy positions allowing American forces to take the hill. For his bravery he was later awarded the Silver Star. Teddy Roosevelt stated, “But for the timely aid of the 10th Cavalry, the Rough Riders would have been annihilated.” Bivins later served in the military in the Philippines.
While stationed at Fort Keogh in 1903, he met and married Claudia Browning, daughter of Walker and Ruth Browning of Billings.
She was born June 26, 1876, in Laramie, Wyoming. Came to Billings in 1883. Walker Browning and Ruth Merryweather Browning were the father and mother of Mrs. Lulu McCabe and Mrs. Claudia Bivins - See Walker Browning, Billings Pioneer, Billings Gazette, February 8, 1925. She married In New York In 1909 to William McCabe who died In 1945. Mrs. Lulu B. McCabe, 73, of 417 South Twenty sixth died in early June, 1949 - See Nerve Ailment Fatal, Billings Gazette, June 4, 1949. Two children, Horace Wesley Smith of Billings and Roy A. Smith of New York City, from a former marriage. Buried at Mountview Cemetery.
Sisters Claudia Bivins and Lulu (Bivins) McCabe kept busy in the Billings community. They were members of the Phyllis Wheatley Club, in which their mother, Ruth, was President. The Phyllis Wheatly Club was a local branch of the greater organization, the Montana Federation of Negro Women, in which Lulu also played piano.
Photo: Parmly Billings Library
The original Parmly Billings Memorial Library, named after Frederick and Julia Billings' eldest child, was dedicated in October, 1901.
In 1907 Sergeant Horace Bivins made a large donation of animal specimens he had collected during his military service in the Philippines to the newly completed Parmly Billings Public Library. This gift formed the core of other donated items the library kept for years.
Then in 1913, Horace Bivins and his wife, Claudia (Browning) Bivins, retired to her longtime community of Billings to raise their family.
This was short-lived as World War I erupted, and he rejoined the service training troops at Fort Dix, New Jersey. During the war he had achieved the rank of Captain.
One of the very few African Americans to earn that rank during the war. He returned to Billings and in 1919, retired a second time.
The South Park pool opened in early July 1914. - See 'Is Largest Open Air Pool Whole Country', Billings Evening Journal, July 3, 1914. You can see the Yegen brothers advertising on the rimrocks in the background
When the South Park Pool opened in 1914 it was seen as a Progressive and innovative endeavor. Men and women could swim together, and it was rare to see public pools west of the Mississippi. Yet, public outcry led the board to declare that African Americans could only use the pool on Sundays.
Both the Brownings, Bivins, and other African American families had established a community in Billings when The South Park Pool opened. Walker Browning wrote a letter to the Billings Gazette, in the “Communication” section of the paper. In his letter to the editor he states, “I cannot help but think that the discrimination against the colored people of Billings in not permitting them to use the new municipal pool and the criticism that arose incident to the setting aside of a day for them is extremely unjust to the law abiding colored people of this community.
I have been a resident of Billings for 32 years and have lived on the water from the Yellowstone River, and I do not think it would be seriously contaminated by a few of your people — human beings — whose chief desire would be a pleasant dip on a hot summer’s day.”
Despite Horace Bivin’s service to his country in four United States wars or conflicts, his family would hardly get to use the new pool.
Photo: Horace P. Bivens WWII enlistment card
This digital collection is comprised of State of Montana enlistment cards for all branches in World War II, arranged alphabetically by surname.
When World War II began, Captain Horace W. Bivins, now in his 70’s, attempted to rejoin the service. The army rejected his offer, but his son Horace (Paul) served in the Pacific.
Claudia Bivins died in 1943 and was buried in Billings. When Horace and Claudia’s son, Paul, moved to Philadelphia in 1949; Horace moved with him. Captain Horace W. Bivins died in 1960 at the age of 94. He was buried in Baltimore National Cemetery.
Changes
Photo: Knights of the Ku Klux Klan - Notice to the Public
Full page add in the Billings Gazette, September 30, 1923 with the list of the 'Cardinal Principles' of this racist organization. They claim they are 'not an ANTI-ORGANIZATION in any sense, just PRO-AMERICAN, that is all.' They are not 'Anti-Negro, but we believe in White Supremacy and in keeping the blood of the white race untainted.' The KKK was resurgent during the 1920s - see Boston Educator Finds Ku Klux Active All Over Country, The Boston Sunday Globe, June 18, 1922. The KKK held rallies throughout Montana (Laurel in September, 1925) and Mayor Lewis Terwilliger of Livingston was the Grand Dragon for Montana
As time ticked away many changes would occur in Montana. Forts were no longer needed to protect settlers and thus many were disbanded. A severe drought began in 1917 that eroded the dreams of homesteaders and the United States also entered into the Great War. Montana sent many of their finest men and women to assist in the war effort. Mines in Butte saw an increase of production until an explosion in June at the Granite Mountain led to a major strike and civil unrest in that community. The war divided the state of immigrants as well. People of German descent were left with the awful choice of family and heritage or new nation patriotism. The unrest led to Sedition Acts.
With better economic prospects in other cities and rising discrimination, many African Americans left Montana.
Photo: Stag Party, Havre, Montana
View of twelve men standing near table, some with cigars at a stag party in Havre, Montana.
Montana remains a small but diverse population of people. This exhibit is only a small representation of a larger population and collection at the Montana State Library.
The Montana Federation of Negro Women’s Clubs celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 1971. Black Americans left the state, but a handful remained and are buried in our cemeteries. They may have come to serve congregations, open businesses, and escape economic hardships. What they found and created was a community and a lasting presence.
So, cheers to all who came before us and left a legacy to learn from and remember!
Author: James Martin
Associated Collections and Resources
African American Photographs Collection of photographs from the Montana State Library Archives
Audio Collection: A collection of interviews:
Dr. Howard Crump, who grew up in Helena and tells his experiences growing up.
Eugene G. Cox of Black Eagle, who briefly discusses the hiring practices of African Americans at the Anaconda Company smelter.
Walter Duncan, Perdita Duncan, Elmo Fortune, and William Fenter of Butte who discuss their experiences living in Butte.
Historic Properties: Collection of historic African American properties arranged alphabetically by owner's last name from around the state of Montana. Compiled by the State Historic Preservation Office.
Black Montana Heritage, Prepared by Montana State Historic Preservation Office. The document maps the lives and places of African Americans in Montana from the early explorer period to the present day.
References
Arata, L. J. 2014. “Race and the Wild West: Sarah Bickford and the Construction of Historical Memory in Virginia City, Montana 1870-1930.” [Washington State University]. https://rex.libraries.wsu.edu/esploro/outputs/doctoral/Race-and-the-Wild-West-Sarah/99900581534101842#file-0.
Billings Gazette. 1904. “Local and Personal.” March 16, 1904. https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn84036008/1904-03-18/ed-1/?sp=5&q=Bivins&r=-0.292,0.729,0.915,0.336,0.
Billings Gazette. 1909. “Captures Many Queer Reptiles.” Billings Gazette (Billings), May 21, 1909. https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn84036008/1909-05-21/ed-1/?sp=6&q=Bivins&r=0.222,-0.021,0.776,0.285,0.
Billings Gazette 1914 “Communication” July 14, 1914 Billings Gazette (Billings) https://mthspublic.newspapers.com/image/410977135/?match=2&terms=Walker%20Browning
Billings Gazette. 1925. “Walker Browning, Billings Pioneer, Summoned by Death.” Billings Gazette (Billings), February 8, 1925. https://mthspublic.newspapers.com/image/409533035/?match=1&terms=Walker%20Browning.
Billings Public Library. n.d. “Captain Horace W. Bivins: A Soldier's Soldier.” https://billingslibrary.org/DocumentCenter/View/4172/BivinsHorace.
Chavis, Charles, and Travis Gallo. 2021. “York: The unacknowledged assistant to the Lewis and Clark Expedition.” jmjp.gmu.edu. Chavis, Charles, Jr. and Travis Gallo. “York: The unacknowledged assistant to the Lewis and Clark Expedition.” The Enslaved Naturalist. John Mitchell, Jr. Program for History, Justice, & Race: Digital Museum. November 1, 2021. [this-url].
Curry, Jim. 2002. “PARMLY BILLINGS LIBRARY: THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS.” Billings Public Library. https://billingslibrary.org/DocumentCenter/View/32/Complete-Centennial-History-PDF?bidId=.
Diaz, Sara. 2007. “Susan Smith McKinney Steward (1847-1918).” BlackPast.org. https://blackpast.org/african-american-history/steward-susan-smith-mckinney-1847-1918/.
Ege, Robert J. 1966. “Braves of all Colors: The Story of Isaiah Dorman.” Montana: the Magazine of Western History, (January), 35-40. https://mhs.mt.gov/Shpo/AfricanAmericans/AfAm_docs/CensusData/BravesOfAllColors.pdf.
Gallo, Travis, and Charles Chavis. 2021. “York – The Enslaved Naturalist.” John Mitchell, Jr. Program | GMU. https://jmjp.gmu.edu/the-enslaved-naturalist/york/.
Grinde Jr., Donald. 2007. “Edward Rose (c. 1780- c. 1833).” blackpast.org. https://blackpast.org/african-american-history/rose-edward-c-1780-c-1833/.
Montana Free Press. 2024. “With Billings’ South Side Pool failing, the city and community members look for solutions” Montana Free Press (Billings) February 12, 2024
Montana Historical Society. n.d. “Billings Historic Properties.” Montana Historical Society. Accessed May 31, 2026. https://mhs.mt.gov/Shpo/AfricanAmericans/Places/PropertyRecords/Billings.
Montana Historical Society. unknown. “African American Women in Montana.” mhs.mt.gov. https://mhs.mt.gov/Shpo/AfricanAmericans/History/Womens-History.
Montana Oil and Mining Journal. 1940. “Veteran Negro Reservist is Ready to Serve Country Again.” Montana Oil and Mining Journal (Great Falls), December 7, 1940. https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn86075103/1940-12-07/ed-1/?sp=2&q=Horace+Bivins&r=0.295,0.075,0.691,0.254,0.
Moss, Lori. 2024. “The Forgotten pioneers: Walker Browning and Billings' Black Community.” dailymontanan.com. https://dailymontanan.com/2024/06/19/the-forgotten-pioneers-walker-browning-and-billings-black-community/.
National Fallen Firefighter Foundation. 2025. “Military Assistance and the Buffalo Soldiers.” Memorial Monday—Remembering the Great Fire of 1910. https://www.firehero.org/2025/08/25/memorial-monday-great-fire-1910/.
National Museum of African American History and Culture. unknown. “Buffalo Soldiers | National Museum of African American History and Culture.” National Museum of African American History and Culture. https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/buffalo-soldiers.
National Park Service. 2015. “Jim Beckwourth - Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area (U.S.” National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/bica/learn/historyculture/jim-beckwourth.htm.
Taylor, Quintard. “The Emergence of Black Communities in The Pacific Northwest: 1865-1910.” The Journal of Negro History 64, no. 4 (1979): 342–54 (cited from: Hagen Montana State Historic Preservation Office, 2016)
