Vote for Maggie Hathaway! She’s for equal taxation and lower interest rates! I know. You’re tired of political advertising. So am I. Let’s just have the election, already! Well, in this case we’ve already had the election – 104 years ago. And, just like today, it was a historic one, albeit in a very different way. In 1916, Maggie Smith Hathaway from the Bitterroot … [Read more...] about Harmon’s Histories: Montana’s 1st female legislators were ‘colorful,’ ‘difficult to handle’

The Missoula Weekly Gazette called it, “One of the handsomest, most commodious and most elegantly furnished family hotels in the state of Montana or the Northwest.” The Mix House – or as it more was commonly known, the European hotel – was constructed in 1890 at the corner of Spruce and Woody streets by a man described as “one of the best known citizens of Missoula and … [Read more...] about Harmon’s Histories: Remembering The Mix, Missoula’s elegant, ill-fated European hotel

A “virtual” statewide meeting is planned for Thursday, September 17, called the Montana Passenger Rail Summit – another step in the attempt to resurrect the old North Coast Hiawatha Route operated by Amtrak until 1979. Missoula Current readers have reacted widely to the proposal, from “Never going to happen,” to “I would LUV this to happen.” Here’s some historical … [Read more...] about Harmon’s Histories: Are the times a-changin’ for rail service in Missoula?

There was a steady, heavy rain in Butte the morning of September 7, 1891. “At 8 o’clock representatives of the different labor assemblies gathered at the Miners’ Union” for the planned march to the Montana Union train station. But the parade “was not the imposing affair that had been anticipated,” with many of the participants opting to use “the shelter of street cars and … [Read more...] about Harmon’s Histories: On Labor Day 2020, remember Montana workers’ longtime struggle for equality

It’s back-to-school time! Thomas Bass, Missoula County Superintendent of Public Instruction, wrote his 1874 letter to parents and guardians in Missoula County (Ravalli County didn’t yet exist), to acknowledge the challenges they were facing and to admit “that some sacrifices will be necessary in order to accomplish” the task of fall school opening. But he was still upbeat … [Read more...] about Harmon’s Histories: Montana schools met Spanish flu challenges much as they’re navigating COVID-19