Long before European explorers traversed the
plains and mountains of Montana, over a dozen American Indian tribes thrived in
the region, including the Arapaho, Blackfeet, Cheyenne, Nez Perce, Shoshone and
Sioux. First explored for France by Francois and Louis-Joseph Verendrye in the early
1740s, much of the region was acquired by the U.S. from France as part of the Louisiana
Purchase in 1803. Before western Montana was obtained from Great Britain in the
Oregon Treaty of 1846, American trading posts and forts had been established in
the territory. By 1807, Manuel Lisa set up Montana's first fur-trading post.
In 1841 missionaries built St. Mary's Mission,
the first attempt at a permanent settlement. In 1847, 
the American Fur Company built
Fort Benton on the Missouri River. This town is now Montana's oldest continuously
populated town.
Gold was discovered in Grasshopper Creek in
1862. Thousands of prospectors built mining camps throughout Montana as gold strikes
were discovered. Some of these include Bannock, Diamond City, and Virginia City.
The major Indian Wars (1867-1877) included
the famous 1876 Battle of the Little Big Horn, better known as "Custer's Last Stand,"
in which Cheyenne and Sioux defeated George A. Custer and more than 200 of his men
in southeast Montana.
With 2000 U.S. soldiers in pursuit, Chief Joseph
led 800 Nez Perce toward freedom at the Canadian border. For over three months,
the Nez Perce outmaneuvered and battled their pursuers traveling 1,700 miles across
Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. Eventually Nez Perce surrendered on October
5, 1877.
Near the end of the 19th century (because of
its successful mining industries) the population of Montana almost tripled, and
the 150,000 or so residents petitioned the U.S. Congress for statehood. Therefore,
Montana became the 41st state on Nov. 8, 1889. In the years that followed, dams
were built that provided water for irrigation and electricity for industrial use.
Food processing plants opened and railroads were extended.
During World War I, drought hit Montana. The
Great Depression (1929-1939) also hit the nation. Many lost their farms and their
jobs. The U.S. government continued to develop natural resources in Montana. More
than 10,000 workers were paid to build the Fort Peck Dam. Others helped with irrigation,
soil conservation, and construction of parks and public roads. This program was
called The New Deal.
Montana's economy flourished during World War
II (1941-1945). Flour, meat and metals were all in demand. After the war, prices
for grain dropped and many farms were abandoned in search for work in the cities.
Oil was discovered in Williston Basin and the Anaconda Aluminum Company opened a
large plant in northwestern Montana.
In the 1980's the economy of Montana suffered
as thousands of jobs were lost by a significant drop in farm and lumber revenues
due to governmental restrictions and shrinking markets, and by the total shut down
of the Anaconda Company's copper mining operations.
Much of Montana's early history was concerned
with mining, with copper, lead, zinc, silver, coal, and oil as principal products.
Butte is the center of the area that once supplied half of the U.S. copper.
Fields of grain cover much of Montana's plains.
It ranks high among the states in wheat and barley, with rye, oats, flaxseed, sugar
beets, and potatoes as other important crops. Sheep and cattle raising make significant
contributions to the economy.
Montana Famous People
- Dorothy Baker (1907 - 1968) Author; born in Missoula.
- Dirk Benedict (1945 - ) Actor; born in Helena
- Gary Cooper (1901
- 1961) Became a famous actor in the 1930s; born in Helena.
- Marcus Daly
(1841-1900) Founded the city of Anaconda.
- Alfred Bertram Guthrie(1901 - 1981) Pulitzer Prize-winning author; lived
in Choteau.
- Will James (1892 -
1942) Artist/Writer; lived in Billings.
- Evel Knievel
(1938 - ) Daredevil motorcyclist; born in Butte.
- Jerry Kramer (1936 - ) Football player; born in Jordan.
- Chet Huntley(1911 - 1974) TV newscaster; born in Cardwell.
- David Lynch (1946 - ) Filmmaker; born in Missoula.
- Myrnal
Loy - (1905 - 1993) Legendary actress; born in Radersburg.
- Dave McNally (1942- 2002) The only baseball pitcher to hit a grand slam home
run in a World Series; born in Billings.
- George
Montgomery (1916 - 2000) Actor; born in Brady.
- Jeannette
Rankin (1880 - 1973) A Montana Republican, became the first woman to serve
in Congress in 1917; born in Missoula.
- Charles Marion Russell
(1864-1926) Charles Marion Russell was many things: consummate Westerner, historian,
advocate of the Northern Plains Indians, cowboy, outdoorsman, writer, philosopher,
environmentalist and conservationist, and not least, artist. Moved to the Judith
Basin of Montana in 1880.