Montana,
A northwestern frontier State of the
United States, is included almost wholly between lat. 45° and 49° N., and long.
104° and 116° W. It is bounded on the north by
British America, east by
North Dakota and
South Dakota, south by
Wyoming, the
Yellowstone National Park, and
Idaho, and west by
Idaho.
Originally part of New France, ceded to
Spain, 1763; receded to
France, 1801; ceded to the
United States, 1805; successively part of the
Territory of Louisiana, 1805;
Missouri, 1812;
Missouri and
Oregon, 1848;
Washington, 1853;
Nebraska, 1854;
Dakota and
Washington, 1861;
Idaho, 1863.
Area 146,080 square miles in twenty-six counties.
Population, 1890, 132,159; in 1900, 243,329.
Capital,
Helena.
Sieur de la Verendrye and his sons, with a party of explorers, leave the
Lake of the Woods, April 29, 1742; they reach the
upper Missouri and Yellowstone rivers and arrive at the
Rocky Mountains......January, 1743
Lewis and
Clarke's expedition cross
Montana to the
Pacific Ocean.
Returning,
Captain Lewis descends the
Missouri from the
Great Falls, and
Captain Clarke the
Yellowstone from
Livingstone, and meet at the mouth of the
Yellowstone......1805
Emanuel Lisa builds a trading-post on the
Yellowstone......1809
Gen. William H. Ashley, of
St. Louis, builds a trading-post on the
Yellowstone......1822
American Fur Company builds Fort Union on the
Missouri, 3 miles above the mouth of the
Yellowstone......1829
Steamboat
Assiniboine, built by the American Fur Company, ascends the
Missouri to Fort Union in 1833; winters near the mouth of
Popular Creek......1835
Father Peter John de Smet visits the
Flathead Indians in Gallatin Valley......1840
De Smet establishes a mission on the
St. Mary's River in the
Bitter Root Valley......September, 1842
De Smet establishes St. Ignatius mission in the
Flathead Lake Valley......1845
American Fur Company builds
Fort Benton......1846
Steamboat
El Paso reaches the mouth of
Milk River......1850
Francis Finlay, alias “Benetsee,” a half-breed Scotch-and-Indian trader, settled in what is now
Deer Lodge county on
Gold Creek, discovers gold......1852
Gov. Isaac I. Stevens explores a route for a Pacific Railroad from
St. Paul across
Montana to the
Pacific Ocean......1853
Sir George Gore leaves
St. Louis with forty men, explores the headwaters of
Powder River, and builds a fort on
Tongue River, 8 miles from its junction with the
Yellowstone......1855
John Silverthorn trades tobacco, etc., with “Benetsee” for gold-dust......1858
Stern-wheel steamboat the
Chippewa reaches Fort Brule, 12 miles below
Fort Benton......July 17, 1859
Chippewa reaches
Fort Benton, the first steamboat to arrive there, but is followed the same day by the
Key West......July 2, 1860
Capt. James Fisk's first expedition, consisting of 100 men and thirty women and
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children from
Minnesota, arrives at
Gold Creek,
Deer Lodge county......Sept. 26, 1862
Discovery of gold in the
Alder Gulch near present site of
Virginia City,
Madison county, by a party of prospectors consisting of
William Fairweather and others......May 22, 1863
Twenty-four outlaws, including the sheriff and two deputies, hanged by a vigilance committee, and eight banished.
At their trial and by confession it was found that these outlaws had murdered 102 people in
Montana......December, 1863–February, 1864
Law creating
Montana Territory out of a portion of
Idaho approved by
President Lincoln......May 26, 1864
Gold discovered in “Last chance Gulch,” in
Lewis and
Clarke county, on present site of
Helena......July 21, 1864
Montana
Post, first newspaper in the
Territory, started at
Virginia City......1864
First territorial legislature meets at
Bannock......Dec. 12, 1864
Historical Society of
Montana incorporated......Feb. 2, 1865
First National Bank of
Helena, the first in
Montana, organized......1866
Helena
Herald first issued......1866
Steamer
Key West leaves
Sioux City, April 14, 1869, reaches the
Yellowstone May 6, and ascends that river to
Powder River, a distance of 245 miles......1869
Congress sets apart a tract near the headwaters of the
Yellowstone as a public park; a small portion lies in
Montana, bordering on
Wyoming......March 1, 1872
Expedition under
Thomas P. Roberts explores the
upper Missouri from the three forks down to
Fort Benton......1872
Seat of government removed from
Virginia City to
Helena......1875
General Forsythe, under orders from
General Sheridan, explores the
Yellowstone, leaving
Bismarck in the steamer
Josephine, June 15, ascending to
Huntley, 418 miles......June, 1875
Sioux Indians under Sitting
Bull, near the
Little Big Horn River, massacre
Gen. George A. Custer, with five companies (276 men) of the 7th Cavalry, no man escaping......June 25, 1876
Fort Assiniboine, near the
Milk River, established......May 9, 1879
Uncalled territorial bonds, amounting to $45,000, redeemed and cancelled, thus extinguishing all registered indebtedness of the
Territory......March 1, 1883
Henry Villard, president of the
Northern Pacific Railroad, completes the work on that road, by driving the last spike opposite the entrance of
Gold Creek into
Deer Lodge River......Sept. 8, 1883
Settlement in
Deer Lodge and
Gallatin counties of monogamic Mormons ex pelled from
Utah for apostasy......1883
Constitutional convention meets Jan. 14, 1884, and adjourns Feb. 9; its constitution was ratified by the people Nov. 4, and submitted to Congress, asking admission into the
Union......1884
First steamboat to successfully navigate the
Missouri River above
Great Falls is launched at
Townsend......1886
Territorial legislature passes a localoption act, and provides for the observance of Arbor Day......1887
Coal-mining begun in
Cascade county......1888
Montana admitted to the
Union by act of Congress......Feb. 22, 1889
Legislature passes an Australian ballot act......1889
Laying of the corner-stone of the new capitol building on......July 4, 1889
Constitutional convention meets at
Helena, July 4, 1889; adopts a constitution and adjourns, Aug. 17.
Constitution ratified by the people, 24,676 for and 2,274 against......Oct. 1, 1889
Proclamation of
President Harrison, admitting
Montana into the
Union as a State......Nov. 8, 1889
United States penitentiary at
Deer Lodge becomes the property of the
State of Montana upon its admission......1889
Owing to a dispute concerning the election returns in
Silver Bow county, a Democratic and Republican House, each claiming a quorum of thirty members, including those from the disputed county, convene.
Governor Toole, Democrat, sends a message to the Senate, comprised of eight Republicans and eight Democrats, and a Republican
lieutenant-governor, and to the
Democratic House also.
The Republican Senate elects two
United States Senators, and the
House and Senate in joint session elect two Democratic
United States Senators......December, 1889
First legislature of State meets at
Helena......January, 1890
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To block legislation, the eight Democratic
Senators flee the
State, six going to the
Pacific coast and two to
St. Paul, until the session expires......Feb. 5, 1890
Three Indian chiefs of the Comanches, Cheyennes, and Arapahoes, meet near
Crow agency to behold the Great Spirit on the rocks (Messiah craze)......June 3, 1890
Rival houses of the legislature agree; the Republicans to have twenty-eight members, the Democrats twenty-seven and the speaker, subordinate offices, and control of committees......Jan. 29, 1891
Montana University opened at
Helena; first graduation......June, 1891
Sept. 1 made a legal holiday, as Labor Day......1891
Legislature failing to elect a
United States Senator, the governor appoints Lee Mantle, which appointee the Senate refuses to seat......Aug. 28, 1893
Helena selected as capital......November, 1894
State University at Missoula opened......September, 1895
Blackfeet and
Fort Belknap reservations opened to settlement......February, 1896
First National Bank of
Helena failed......Sept. 4, 1896
State capitol authorized; not to cost over $300,000......1898
Corner-stone of the new capitol laid by
Governor Toole......July 4, 1899
State board of horticulture created.
1899
State school of mines opened at
Butte......Sept. 11, 1900
Marcus Daly dies at New York......Nov. 12, 1900
Amendment to the constitution in reference to the Supreme Court carried......1900
Railroad accident killing about forty persons......Aug. 31, 1901
Nebraska 
