Anonymous
Daily US States Thread #26: Mo(...) 08/03/26(Mon)12:11:00 No.18614604

File: Montana.jpg (320 KB, 1280x854)

320 KB JPG

Daily US States Thread #26: Montana Anonymous 08/03/26(Mon)12:11:00 No.18614604

We're now on Day #26 of my daily US states threads in honor of the 250th anniversary of the country.

Montana joined as the 41st state on 11/8/1889. Its name is Spanish for mountain/mountain country. Its capital is Helena and its largest city is Billings. It has a population of 1.1 Million and is 147k square miles in size.
Montana was a stronghold of the Lakota, Cheyenne, Crow, Blackfeet, and other Native American groups. Although the fur trade brought some interaction with Europeans, they seldom stayed. The first permanent settlement was Ft. Raymond in 1807. Settlers began to truly arrive in the 1850's, leading to immediate conflict with the Natives.
Many famous wars and battles were fought here, especially after gold was found in 1852. Examples include Red Cloud's War, the 1876 Great Sioux War, the Nez Perce War, and the Battles of Big Hole, Bear Paw, Crow Agency, and of course, Little Bighorn where Custer and his men were annihilated. The Bison, which numbered 13 Million by 1870, were reduced to less than 350 in the entire country by 1884.
Gold and silver output became core to the state's economy, with silver eventually outpacing gold. Almost $150 Million in gold alone was extracted between 1862 and 72. Mining remains important to this day, as does cattle and wheat. Anaconda Copper, powerful in the state, faced significant pushback after the Speculator Mine Disaster and the lynching of Frank Little, a labor leader, resulting in the deployment of the national guard.
Unlike other states, settlers did not emigrate as much to Montana as the land was arid and difficult to farm. Railroads tried to promote settlers to come to the state with rewards and pushed-for laws, which by WW1 finally began to attract more settlers. These later settlers were known as "honyockers." Montana remains defined by its arid and mountainous terrain, large forests, and abundant wilderness.

What do you think of The Last Best Place?