Ellen Baumler's Blog, page 41
February 18, 2013
Sarah Bickford Revisited
Historians have long told the story of Sarah Gammon Bickford. From slave to Virginia City businesswoman, her life was remarkable. She was born in North Carolina, and when Sarah was young, her parents were sold and she never saw them again. After the Civil War, she traveled to Virginia City in 1871 as governess to the children of the John L. Murphy family. She soon married John Brown, a white miner, and they had three children. As the story goes, by 1881 two young sons and her...
February 15, 2013
Friday Photo: Doctor Huie Pock
Happy Friday, history buffs! I'll be speaking next week about Montana's Chinese pioneers. It will be a free program at the Montana Historical Society on Wednesday at 10:45. Hope you can make it!
Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, Lot 025 M1Huie Pock, second from left, was an herbal physician who also operated a store selling Chinese goods in Butte. Pock appears in Butte city directories listed as a physician from 1895 through 1927. His son, Quong Pock Hui, is seated on the stool....
Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, Lot 025 M1Huie Pock, second from left, was an herbal physician who also operated a store selling Chinese goods in Butte. Pock appears in Butte city directories listed as a physician from 1895 through 1927. His son, Quong Pock Hui, is seated on the stool....
February 14, 2013
Romance on Mount Helena
Happy Valentine's Day! Here's a sweet story in honor of the day.
Many a romance blossomed on historic Mount Helena where generations of Helena residents hiked, picnicked, and enjoyed the views. The engagement of Essie Morris and Moz Silverman was one of those rare, spur-of-the-moment events that capture our imaginations even today. It was the summer of 1903 and a group of six young people had climbed to Mount Helena’s summit for the novelty and adventure of it all. The young ladies promi...
Many a romance blossomed on historic Mount Helena where generations of Helena residents hiked, picnicked, and enjoyed the views. The engagement of Essie Morris and Moz Silverman was one of those rare, spur-of-the-moment events that capture our imaginations even today. It was the summer of 1903 and a group of six young people had climbed to Mount Helena’s summit for the novelty and adventure of it all. The young ladies promi...
February 13, 2013
African Americans in Great Falls
Great Falls’ African American community and its prominent black citizens have amply contributed to the state’s history. African Americans established the Union Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1890. The small 40-member congregation raised funds door to door to build the current church in 1917. It became the religious and social heart of Great Falls’ black community. The church offered institutional support for those who took leading roles in the fight against segregation.
Union Be...
Union Be...
February 11, 2013
J. P. Ball and Son
In honor of Black History Month, today's post features a father-son team of photographers and their bold and unique statement of equality. Warning! The photos after the jump are shocking. I'd rate this post PG-13 for violence.
James Presley Ball was a professional photographer who came from Cincinnati to Montana in 1887 with his son, J.P. Ball, Jr. They set up a studio in Helena. They were talented and influential African Americans who left an interesting legacy. The younger Bal...
James Presley Ball was a professional photographer who came from Cincinnati to Montana in 1887 with his son, J.P. Ball, Jr. They set up a studio in Helena. They were talented and influential African Americans who left an interesting legacy. The younger Bal...
February 8, 2013
Friday Photo: Dogsledding
Race to the Sky starts this weekend at Camp Rimini. Will you attend any of the events?
Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, PAc 2000-54.7Dogsledder Celey Baum and his team race, possibly in Red Lodge, in 1939. Just look how excited those dogs are!
P.S. Are you a dog person? Here's a story to touch your heart.
Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, PAc 2000-54.7Dogsledder Celey Baum and his team race, possibly in Red Lodge, in 1939. Just look how excited those dogs are!P.S. Are you a dog person? Here's a story to touch your heart.
February 6, 2013
Marysville Road
Have you ever driven the road out to Marysville? Here's the history of this scenic route.
The road began as a railroad grade for the Montana Central. In 1887, the Northern Pacific and Montana Central railroads raced to complete branch lines to the Drumlummon Mine and Marysville up the narrow canyon. The Northern Pacific’s line ran along one side of Silver Creek while the Montana Central ran on the other side, in the valley. The Northern Pacific won the race and successfully blocked the Mo...
The road began as a railroad grade for the Montana Central. In 1887, the Northern Pacific and Montana Central railroads raced to complete branch lines to the Drumlummon Mine and Marysville up the narrow canyon. The Northern Pacific’s line ran along one side of Silver Creek while the Montana Central ran on the other side, in the valley. The Northern Pacific won the race and successfully blocked the Mo...
February 4, 2013
Missouri Breaks Homestead
Twenty miles north of Winifred is a remote, hostile, yet beautiful area in the Missouri Breaks National Monument called the Devil’s Pocket. Myrtle Hagadone Hledik, who died in 2006, was one of the last surviving homesteaders who had lived in that that wild area. The Devil’s Pocket was not a place of fond memories for Myrtle. Her parents married in 1913 and the couple had three daughters. Myrtle was the youngest. The family moved to the homestead about three miles upriver from the McCelland Fe...
February 1, 2013
Friday Photo: Growing Up in Butte
A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of hearing UM professor Janet Finn speak about children in Butte in the early 1900s, and she inspired me to share this photo.
N.A. Forsyth, photographer. Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, ST 001.108The "Young Prospectors" in this c. 1909 photo are digging their own mine. Janet argues that grown-ups braved the dangers of Butte's copper mines so that their children could have a better life. In her words, "Children were, quite simply, Butt...
N.A. Forsyth, photographer. Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, ST 001.108The "Young Prospectors" in this c. 1909 photo are digging their own mine. Janet argues that grown-ups braved the dangers of Butte's copper mines so that their children could have a better life. In her words, "Children were, quite simply, Butt...
January 30, 2013
Ringing Rocks
The Whitetail-Pipestone Recreation Area eighteen miles east of Butte and north of I-90 hides a natural wonder that is one of Montana’s best kept secrets. The jumbled pile of rust-colored boulders, probably dumped there as debris from an ice-age glacier as it moved and receded eons ago, chime harmoniously when struck with a wrench or hammer. Rocks have been known to be used as musical instruments for several thousand years. So-called lithophone stones have been found among various culture...
