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Montana History Portal Digital Exhibits
People
The Abstract Art of Artist Henry Meloy
Henry Meloy (1902- 1951) was an American artist who grew up in Townsend, Montana. This digital exhibit discusses Meloy’s abstract works, one of the many art styles that he perfected during his career. It discusses what abstraction in art is, its historical context and importance, and how it relates to Henry Meloy. The article presents Meloy’s experiments with five varieties of abstraction across his career.
Bicycles for the Army: The 25th Infantry in Montana
The military has long served as a testbed for new technologies. Late 19th century Montana was the site of one of these technology demonstrations, as the United States Army ran a series of lengthy excursions utilizing the world's latest technological darling - the bicycle. Operating out of Fort Missoula, the men of the 25th Infantry Regiment covered several thousand miles of mud, mountains, and open plains. These men - African-American Buffalo Soldiers - were celebrated by parades, and mobbed by fascinated onlookers. They were led by a young white officer who sought to redeem himself from graduating last in his class at West Point. Together, they rode seemingly impossible distances, carrying backbreaking loads on heavy bikes, navigating primitive roads, and enduring brutal weather.
Evelyn Cameron
Born as Evelyn Jephson Flower on August 26, 1868, Evelyn was the fifth of six children of the wealthy, well-off Flower family. She grew up in sophisticated English society, spoke French and Italian, and rode side-saddle. In 1889 she married Ewen Cameron, an eccentric Scotsman with a deep love of ornithology and the outdoors who had accompanied her older brothers on hunting trips years prior. Evelyn herself loved the outdoors, and for their honeymoon the Camerons made a trip west to Montana where they spent their time exploring and hunting in the eastern badlands on a guided expedition. Falling in love with the landscape, the wildlife, and the rugged way of pioneer life, the Camerons returned to Montana in late 1891 to establish their own lives in the newly formed state. Evelyn and Ewen established their first of what would eventually be a series of “Eve” Ranches, all located within range of the town of Terry, Montana along the Yellowstone River. They set out to breed and raise polo ponies that would eventually be sold back to those in British society. When their pony endeavor ended poorly, the Camerons suffered a great financial loss and ended up losing their ranch and returning to England.
Fraternal Orders in Montana
This exhibit will show the many fraternal orders active throughout Montana's history, a sampling of some of their members, some of their noteworthy events, and the impressive buildings they constructed.
F. Jay Haynes
Famed Western photographer Frank Jay Haynes, known more commonly as F. Jay Haynes, was born in 1853 in Michigan. His early work centered on the expansion of the American railroad into the West. In 1881 he became the official photographer of Yellowstone National Park.
L.A. Huffman
Late 19th century photographer L.A. Huffman was known for his stirring action shots of the West. These included views of cowboys in action and scenes of the ranching way of life. He captured noteworthy images of Native Americans, both dignified portraiture and important images of the Native lifestyle. Of particular significance is his visual documentation of the hunt and slaughter of the bison on the plains, before their near extermination.
The Life and Mysterious Death of Thomas Meagher: Rebel, Fugitive, War Hero, Political Activist, and Territorial Governor
Thomas Meagher was born in Ireland in 1823. Convicted as a rebel in Ireland, he was banished to Tasmania, and eventually escaped to the United States. He rose to fame leading the Irish Brigade during the Civil War, and later resettled in Montana. His brief tenure as Acting Governor of the Territory ended in controversial tragedy.
Henry Meloy
Henry Meloy was a multi-talented working man's artist through the first half of the twentieth century, he experimented and honed his skills in a wide array of artistic styles, and studied techniques in several artistic movements. Born in Townsend Montana in 1902, over the course of his life he had witnessed two World Wars, the Spanish Flu pandemic, and the American Great Depression which he recorded in his artwork. The body of his life's work is a window into the history of the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s in both Montana and in New York City.
Bud Moore
William Robert 'Bud' Moore was a well-known Montana forester, trapper, conservationist, and author of 'The Lochsa Story: Land Ethics in the Bitterroot Mountains.
Charlie Russell
Charles Marion Russell was born in St. Louis in 1864. He grew up on a large farm, and developed an early fascination with art and the West. He merged these two interests into a life in Montana and a career that earned him the nickname "The Cowboy Artist." His paintings, drawings, and sculpture capture the essence of the cowboys, Native Americans, and wildlife that populated the West.
Places
Arteries of Montana History
The creation of roads reflects mankind’s attempt at changing and alternating the landscape to suit their own essential purposes. Roads assume various forms: trails, carriage roads, and automobile roads. Therefore, roads mirror the history of the state of Montana while at the same time transforming it.
Construction of the Hungry Horse Dam
The Hungry Horse Dam, constructed between 1948-1953, releases water from Hungry Horse Reservoir generating power values at $57.7 million a year. Some other benefits include reduction of flood damage and support streamflow for fishery. Hungry Horse is located in Flathead County, Montana.
Construction of the Montana State Capitol
Located in Helena, Montana, the state capitol building was dedicated on July 4, 1902. It underwent a major expansion a decade later, and continues to serve as the home of Montana state government. The story of its construction is full of controversy and rivalry between Montana towns.
Crossing the Missouri on the Fort Peck Reservation
The Lewis and Clark Bridge located near Wolf Point, MT is one of the largest, if not the largest, structure on the Fort Peck Reservation. Although it is known by all local residents, its history and prehistory is not as widely known. This bridge stands unused as a remnant of both.
Early Schools in Montana
The first schools in Montana were tiny, one-room buildings supporting small groups of families in remote locations. Children balanced homestead duties with schoolwork, under the supervision of lone teachers.
Fort Missoula Alien Detention Camp During World War II
In 1941, the facilities at Fort Missoula were turned over for a period of 5 yrs from the Army to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). It was established to hold foreign nationals and resident aliens. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese communities were raided and men were taken into custody to be tried in “Loyalty Hearings.” Fort Missoula Alien Detention Camp held 2200 Italian and Japanese detainees throughout the time it was opened.
Glacier National Park History
Majestic Glacier National Park soars high up in the Rocky Mountains, on Montana's border with Canada. The tireless efforts and advocacy of leaders such as George Bird Grinnell were rewarded in 1910 when Glacier was formally established as the nation's 10th national park. Browse our extensive collections on Glacier, including images, documents, books, and audio interviews.
Historic Buildings of Butte: A Walking Tour
Visitors to Butte today are struck by the massive open copper pit dominating the skyline - the Berkeley Pit, one of the nation's largest Superfund sites. But visitors who choose to explore the streets of Butte are rewarded by the sight of many historic buildings, little changed from their original construction a century ago.
Historic Buildings of Virginia City: A Walking Tour
This digital exhibit combines historic photography of Virginia City dating back to the 1860s, with historic architectural surveys performed in 1990 and updated in 2022. In this way, you can see the buildings as they were long ago, read about their history and construction, and take a look at how they appear today.
Missoula and the Railroad: A History in Photos
Did you know…that the Milwaukee and Northern Pacific Train Depots and lines near Missoula were used for such diverse activities as those photographed below? This exhibit contains photos of the railroad in and around Missoula in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Native American Boarding Schools in Montana
Towards the end of the 19th century, Native American tribes had been mostly confined to reservations. Their nomadic lifestyle had been curtailed, and they found themselves living a difficult existence. Food was scarce, and poverty was rampant. To further erode the Native lifestyle, the government, in conjunction with religious organizations, developed the concept of Indian boarding schools. The first of these opened in Carlisle, PA in 1879. The concept was the brainchild of Brigadier General Richard Pratt. The essence of the Indian boarding school was cultural assimilation, boiled down in a phrase Pratt coined: "Kill the Indian, Save the Man." To accomplish this, children were taken from their parents and often moved hundreds of miles from their home to live and attend school at a boarding school. Government funding enabled religious schools to function. Every essence of Native culture was stripped from these small children, and they lived difficult lives full of school, prayer, work, punishment, and hunger.
Yellowstone National Park History
Yellowstone National Park, the nation's first, spans three states: Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. The diverse terrain of the park features lakes, mountains, forests, and plains, but the park is best known for its thousands of geothermal features. Browse our extensive collections on Yellowstone, including images, documents, books, and audio interviews.
Events
1972 Montana Constitutional Convention
Montana joined the United States as the 41st state in 1889. The original state constitution, ratified in 1889, reflected the needs and values of a sparsely populated frontier state. The political turmoil of the 1960s, and a series of Montana environmental crises, made it clear that new governance was needed to manage a growing state in a new century. In 1972, the Montana Constitutional Convention met to take on the challenge. They authored a new constitution, and successfully steered it through to ratification, despite strong opposition. It was a landmark achievement, one that transformed state governance.
The Decline of the Bison Population and the Role of the Plains Chippewa in the 19th Century
The Chippewa-Cree peoples, also known as the Métis, left the eastern woodlands of the United States for the Great Plains during the 1700s through the 1800s. The primary reason for this migration was due to their quest for the bison and its great potential as a food source and its use in the production of tools, leather, and craft items. They eventually played a key role in the near-extermination of the bison in the West.
Hell or High Water: Floods in Montana
Montana, while beautiful, can be a harsh, unforgiving place to live. Browse this collection of photos, audio files, and documents that focus on floods that have occurred in Montana.
The Huntley Project
Congress authorized the Huntley Project on April 18, 1905. It was the fifth project to be approved under the Reclamation Act of 1902. The goal of the project was to divert water from the Yellowstone River, by way of a sophisticated irrigation system, to dry farmland in order to increase the value of the land, increase crop production, and entice homesteaders to claim the land.
Research Guides and Teacher Resources
Homesteading in Montana: History Collections
The Homestead Act of 1862 changed the course of United States history, opening up the West to millions of settlers. 270 million acres, about 10% of the total land area of the United States, was claimed through homesteading. People from all walks of life were eligible, as long as they could improve the land, build a home, and use the land. We are pleased to share a guide to searching the MMP website for content on homesteading.
Logging History in Montana
This photographic research guide illustrates the loggers’ work environment and some of the methods they employed during the early days of logging. Most of these photos were taken in Montana or north Idaho and most were taken during the days of the Logging Camp, before the advent of the chainsaw.
The Military in Montana: History Collections
The Montana Memory Project, in collaboration with nearly 100 institutions around the state, is pleased to present a wide variety of historical resources on the military in Montana. Some of these collections are narrowly focused on military topics. Others cover a broader range of topics in Montana history, with selected items related to the military.
Montana Genealogy Resources
Genealogy is a popular and important activity for millions of Americans. The Montana Memory Project has tens of thousands of items from dozens of institutions around the state which can be used for genealogical research. In order to make searching easier, we have compiled this helpful starter guide for those wishing to use the MMP site.
Montana History Books
The Montana Memory Project, in collaboration with museums and libraries around the state of Montana, are pleased to present this collection of free-to-read digital history books. These books were published from the 18th all the way through the 21st centuries. The topics range from homesteading, to mining, to in-depth family histories. There are a number of autobiographies of early Montanans, as well as more modern looks back at the early days of the state. In particular, the books in this listing comprise an unparalleled collection of histories of Montana counties and localities.
Ranching in Montana: History Collections
Ranching in Montana began in the middle of the 19th century. The first ranchers settled in the mountain valleys of the western part of the state. Sheep and cattle arrived in Montana during this period. Over time cattle emerged as the focus for most ranchers. We are pleased to share a guide to searching the MMP website for content on ranching.
