“The most extensive fire that has visited Butte in more than a year,” reported the Anaconda Standard newspaper in January 1898, “destroyed about $25,000 worth of property.” Lodgers in rooms above the store “narrowly escaped from suffocation,” and a packed house at McGuire’s opera house next door had to be evacuated.  The big loser was “George S. Hoaglin, proprietor of the … [Read more...] about Harmon’s Histories: Who was the mysterious George … er, Archie … Hoaglin?

Art, libel and beautiful snow – all are topics of interest as I page through an 1887 copy of the Philipsburg Mail newspaper. I see that Mr. E.E. Kinney is becoming quite an artist. According to the article, he started out quite crudely, but with time began turning out beautiful work: “Washington’s portrait, the Farmer Boy, and some drawings of still life.” Mr. Kinney is … [Read more...] about Harmon’s Histories: From 1887 Philipsburg came tales of libel lawsuit, fake snow

Memorial Day, 1890. Soldiers from Fort Missoula’s 25th U. S. Infantry marched in a parade and the 25th’s band provided “excellent music.” At about the same time, a 24-year-old man by the name of Edwin S. Newton, accompanied by his mother, was boarding a train in Medina, Ohio, headed for the Garden City to join Edwin’s dad and brother in search of new opportunities. Ed … [Read more...] about Harmon’s Histories: On Memorial Day 1890, a young man left Ohio to make his mark in Missoula

Editor Mark Gibbons has released the first collection of poetry from FootHills Publishings’ 2021 Montana Poet Series highlighting work from local poets based in Montana. Founded by Michael Czarnecki, FootHills Publishing began as a grassroots operation run out of the Czarnecki home in Amish country using a hand-stitched book press that relied upon battery and generator … [Read more...] about After fire, FootHills Publishing set for new poetry series with Montana authors