Ellen Baumler's Blog, page 45
November 21, 2012
Mining Camp Thanksgiving
Abraham Lincoln set a precedent during his presidency proclaiming the national observance of Thanksgiving the last Thursday in November. In 1863 Harriet and Wilbur Sanders, the soon to be famous vigilante prosecutor, spent their first Montana Thanksgiving at Bannack.
Wilbur Fisk Sanders. R.A. Lewis, photographer
Montana Historical Society Photograph ArchivesGoods were scarce, freight was slow arriving, and no one even thought about serving a turkey. Near neighbors invited Harriet and Wilbur al...
Wilbur Fisk Sanders. R.A. Lewis, photographerMontana Historical Society Photograph ArchivesGoods were scarce, freight was slow arriving, and no one even thought about serving a turkey. Near neighbors invited Harriet and Wilbur al...
November 19, 2012
Thanksgiving Day Murder at Elkhorn
The silver mines at Elkhorn yielded $14 million and the mining camp once had more than 2,500 residents. Three passenger trains arrived weekly on the Northern Pacific’s branch line.
Montana Historical Society Photograph ArchivesIn 1893, the Fraternity Hall Association built the town’s architectural and social centerpiece. Fraternity Hall was aptly named: the town’s various fraternal organizations, including the Masons, Oddfellows, and Knights of Pythias, shared its upstairs lodge room. Danc...
Montana Historical Society Photograph ArchivesIn 1893, the Fraternity Hall Association built the town’s architectural and social centerpiece. Fraternity Hall was aptly named: the town’s various fraternal organizations, including the Masons, Oddfellows, and Knights of Pythias, shared its upstairs lodge room. Danc...
November 16, 2012
Friday Photo: Pet Turkey
Have you started preparing for a big Thanksgiving dinner? This boy looks like he'd rather not eat any turkey.
Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, 950-354
The caption of this c. 1920-1924 Montana Department of Agriculture photo reads: "Two prize winners from the turkey country. The bird eats grasshoppers and the boys eat the birds. The new turkey industry ships a half-million dollars worth in addition to home consumption."
P.S. Remember these turkeys that...
Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, 950-354The caption of this c. 1920-1924 Montana Department of Agriculture photo reads: "Two prize winners from the turkey country. The bird eats grasshoppers and the boys eat the birds. The new turkey industry ships a half-million dollars worth in addition to home consumption."
P.S. Remember these turkeys that...
November 14, 2012
Pete Zortman Comes Home
Oliver Peter Zortman came west in 1888, lured by gold discovered in eastern Montana’s Little Rocky Mountains. He struck it rich several times, ran a cyanide mill, and left his name on the town of Zortman. He was part of an elite group—one of very few to leave the Little Rockies with a small fortune in gold.
Zortman, Montana, 1908. Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, 951-885He joined the Masons in Chinook and eventually ended up in Big Timber where he died of cancer in 1933, pennil...
Zortman, Montana, 1908. Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, 951-885He joined the Masons in Chinook and eventually ended up in Big Timber where he died of cancer in 1933, pennil...
November 12, 2012
Civil War Vets
In honor of our veterans...
Montana’s earliest African American population carried the very real memories of slavery and its associated implications. Most of the first black Montanans were born into slavery or had parents or ancestors who were slaves. Many of them saw service during the Civil War. Upon President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, the Union stepped up its recruitment of black volunteers. By the end of the Civil War, roughly 179,000 black men, or 10 percent of...
Montana’s earliest African American population carried the very real memories of slavery and its associated implications. Most of the first black Montanans were born into slavery or had parents or ancestors who were slaves. Many of them saw service during the Civil War. Upon President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, the Union stepped up its recruitment of black volunteers. By the end of the Civil War, roughly 179,000 black men, or 10 percent of...
November 9, 2012
Friday Photo: Bundled Up
Winter is here! Are you ready?
Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, PAc 75-17 f9Two-year-old Duncan George McDonald looks ready for the elements, but he must have been sweltering when he posed for this studio portrait taken on April 15, 1890.
P.S. Remember when girls were forbidden to go sledding?
Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, PAc 75-17 f9Two-year-old Duncan George McDonald looks ready for the elements, but he must have been sweltering when he posed for this studio portrait taken on April 15, 1890.P.S. Remember when girls were forbidden to go sledding?
November 7, 2012
Bryan for President 1896
Did your candidate win yesterday's election? Here's a look back at the 1896 presidential election, which disappointed four out of five Montana voters.
The Populist Party was one of the most significant third political parties in the history of the United States. In the 1890s, Populism grew among Midwestern and southern farmers who believed that the free coinage of silver would cause inflation, which would raise farm prices and thus benefit the depressed agricultural economy. The...
The Populist Party was one of the most significant third political parties in the history of the United States. In the 1890s, Populism grew among Midwestern and southern farmers who believed that the free coinage of silver would cause inflation, which would raise farm prices and thus benefit the depressed agricultural economy. The...
November 6, 2012
Election Day Special: Woman Suffrage
Women voters have been assiduously courted in this election, and they're likely to sway the outcome. Here's a look back at the history of women's right to vote in Montana.
When miners discovered gold at Grasshopper Creek in 1862, women in the United States could not vote, could not work in most professions, and could not attend most colleges. The road to woman suffrage was very long. Between 1869 and 1871, seven western legislatures considered giving women the vote. Montana was not o...
When miners discovered gold at Grasshopper Creek in 1862, women in the United States could not vote, could not work in most professions, and could not attend most colleges. The road to woman suffrage was very long. Between 1869 and 1871, seven western legislatures considered giving women the vote. Montana was not o...
November 5, 2012
Walter Marshall Remembers John F. Kennedy’s Montana Visits
With the election tomorrow, politics are on everyone's minds. The candidates are wrapping up their full travel schedules. Here's a look back at another president's memorable Montana travels:
Walter Marshall was a great showman, promoter, Democratic supporter, and founder of Helena’s famous Brewery Theater. His book, I’ve Met Them All, describes the dignitaries and politicians he knew personally. Marshall first met John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie as newlyweds in the mid-1950s when Senator K...
Walter Marshall was a great showman, promoter, Democratic supporter, and founder of Helena’s famous Brewery Theater. His book, I’ve Met Them All, describes the dignitaries and politicians he knew personally. Marshall first met John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie as newlyweds in the mid-1950s when Senator K...
November 2, 2012
Friday Photo: Hunting Season
I hope you all enjoyed October's haunted history series as much as I did. For this week's photo, let's switch gears to another seasonal topic that has Montanans buzzing. And no, not the election.
Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, 948-563Except for the vintage car, this 1913 photo looks pretty similar to what you might see on a Montana road today. Some things never change.
Bonus: These hunters might have used Mrs. J.W. Arthur's recipe for broiled venison steaks...
Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, 948-563Except for the vintage car, this 1913 photo looks pretty similar to what you might see on a Montana road today. Some things never change. Bonus: These hunters might have used Mrs. J.W. Arthur's recipe for broiled venison steaks...
