“Dangerous Days” – Fearless Little Louis Van Dorn Killed at Butte – Missoula River Drownings – Hezekiah Van Dorn and Mark Twain

Dangerous Days – Fearless Little Louis Van Dorn Killed in Butte – Missoula River Drownings. Tramped To Death. Louis Van Dorn Thrown From a Horse and Fatally Crushed Under His Feet. A sad accident occurred at the race track Sunday afternoon which resulted in the death of Louis Van Dorn Read More

Laura Violette – Last Born At Hell Gate? (Widow of Louis Rocheleau – 1901) wife of talented Missoula architect Eugene Morin

Laura Violette – Last Child Born At Hell Gate? A unique photograph of a young couple appeared in The Daily Missoulian on May 24, 1960. The headline of the caption for the photo read “Last Child Born in Hell Gate?” and was followed by a short paragraph which read the Read More

Keim Family- Missoula Pioneers

Missoula’s Pioneer Keim Family One of Missoula’s most fascinating pioneer family stories began with Levi Keim who arrived in Missoula in 1870’s. He had mined in California in the 1850’s, in Florence, Idaho in the early 1860’s, and later in Montana’s Beartown area. He then traveled back to California for Read More

Remember the Pioneers – Correctly – Missoulian Letter by Mrs. Parker – 1966

Right Person, Marker But Wrong Father Mrs. Rutledge Parker In your fine article concerning Granville Stuart you mention that his daughter, Mary Morony, erected the monument at Gold Creek. So she did, but she was the daughter of another prominent pioneer of Montana, Capt. James H. Mills of Deer Lodge, Read More

Last of Missoula’s Blacksmiths – John Doll & James West

Last of the Blacksmiths in Missoula Blacksmith of Many Years in Missoula Quits John Doll Says Days of the Trade Are Gone. Succeeded by Garage. After being engaged in the blacksmithing business in Missoula for nearly 50 years, John Doll has turned the key on his shop at 221 West Read More

“J. P. ‘Perry’ McClain” – Unique “Fort Fizzle” Volunteer, Friend of Whitebird, Refused Big Hole Battle, C. P. Higgins Partner in Big Cattle Ranch Near Choteau

J. P. “Perry” McClain – Lolo Pioneer (1846 – 1935) – Missoula – “wee village”   “Perry” M’Clain Lives Active Life, Although 82 Years Old Works Large Ranch in Lolo District. Came to Montana With Second Wave of Civilization, the Miners. When one thinks of 82, one thinks of senility Read More

Naughty David J. Maclay’s Lolo History Letter

How Naughty David J. Maclay Got In Trouble With A Letter Allen’s death sparks memories of old Lo Lo The recent death of William Allen, former president of Boeing’s Aircraft Co., calls to mind not only his superb accomplishments but opens a bit of history as well. Bill Allen, his Read More

Missoula’s 1st Music / 1st Piano – The Sound of Music by James Eversole

The Sound of Music by James Eversole The pioneers who first settled Missoula a hundred years ago were a hardy lot. They had to be for the type of life they elected to live was a rough one. But even they recognized that entertainment and relaxation were vitally important for Read More

Will Cave Finds Lost Father After 43 Years

Will Cave Finds Lost Father After 43 Years – 1912 Missoula Man Finds Lost Father Will Cave Discovers Parent Whom He Thought To Be Dead. Forty Years Separated George Harland, Pioneer of Bitter Root, Leaves Wife and Boy and Has Life of Adventure – Discovered at Last in Idaho Mining Read More

John and Olive Pickering Rankin – Missoula Pioneers

John Rankin Ends Notable Life – 1904 Succumbs To Fever After A Week’s Illness – A Missoula Pioneer. John Rankin, one of the honored citizens of Missoula county for 34 years, died at his home in this city last evening about 8 o’clock of fever. His illness dated from Wednesday, Read More