‘Tom Maclay Bet the Ranch . . . ‘ by Matthew Frank

Below is a link to the article ‘Tom Maclay Bet the Ranch . . . ‘  by Matthew Frank in The Missoula Independent on 3/1/2012. http://missoulanews.bigskypress.com/missoula/why-is-this-man-smiling/Content?oid=1538834 Part of the Maclay ranch was originally settled by Jacob McClain – see biography for him below:     JACOB McCLAIN Jacob P. McClain, prominent pioneer Read More

Grand Master Hiram Knowles by Reid Gardiner

  MONTANA MASONIC NEWS – AUGUST 2011   Hands Of The Workmen Hiram Knowles, Grand Master 1879     Our 14th Grand Master was Hiram Knowles. Hiram Knowles was born in Hamden, Maine, in 1834, the son of Freeman Knowles, a ship’s captain and medical doctor. When he was four Read More

A Curious Character – A. B. Cook

Ever heard of Cook’s addition in Missoula? If you are not somehow employed in the real estate business, or with local government, you probably haven’t. It is tucked in between the Bitterroot Branch Rail Line and Russell Street, almost an afterthought in Missoula’s growth, until recently. Originally platted in 1890, Read More

Lost and Found: Lehsou’s Box of Gold

Lehsou’s Gold   Imagine their surprise when, out of the blue, two California women received word that they were heirs to the contents of a little cardboard box found in a bank vault in Missoula, Montana. The story of what was in that box harkens back all the way to the Read More

Ludicrous ‘Pork’ – “an odd specimen of humanity”

The ‘ludicrous’ Pork – “an odd specimen of humanity…” The following story is taken from “A Sketch by Judge Frank H. Woody” which appears in Contributions to the Historical Society of Montana, Volume 2, 1896.               In the fall of 1856, several parties who had been spending the summer Read More

Missoula Magnate A. B. Hammond Defends Himself / Discusses Unique Missoula History

In “Rugged Justice: The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the American West, 1891 – 1941,” author David C. Frederick has noted that although the government prosecuted A. B. Hammond successfully for timber fraud in 1913, the court “reversed and remanded for a new trial”, and the case was settled Read More

R. M. Cobban – Missoula Developer – 1902

The article below, written by R. M. Cobban, is from The Missoulian – special supplement Dec. 25th, 1902, held at the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library – The University of Montana. Mr. Cobban, along with Sam Dinsmore, was instrumental in platting the Orchard Homes subdivision in Missoula. The Orchard Homes Read More

Orchard Homes History – Orchard Homes Accents the Latter by John A Forssen – 1955

Orchard Homes Accents the Latter By John A. Forssen Orchard Homes is a Missoula suburb with few orchards and a lot of homes – more and more all the time. The area of rich soil and pleasant views west of the city is becoming more and more  attractive as a Read More

Missoula History – “Every one who can get a horse has gone.” – Missoula and The Cedar Creek Stampede

The Cedar Creek Stampede – Near modern day Superior, Montana   Did Montana’s gold rushes affect Missoula? They sure did. Miners and prospectors were everywhere in Montana not long after the fantastic discoveries at Bannack, Virginia City and Helena/Last Chance Gulch. Thousands of them. Beginning in 1862, Montana was on Read More

“His heart he left behind” – Chief Charlo’s removal from the Bitter Root by Washington J. McCormick

  “It was a solemn business… his heart he left behind” – Washington J. McCormick’s account of Chief Charlot’s removal from the Bitter Root Washington Jay McCormick II was one of Missoula’s most interesting chroniclers. While living the majority of his life in the Missoula area he wrote about some Read More