August 2024
Rachel Phillips
One day in August of 2023, a man wandered into the Gallatin History Museum research center and introduced himself as Raphael Lang. He was trying to find information on his great-great-grandmother and asked if we could help him. He explained that he…
July 2024
Rachel Phillips
As a kid, one of my favorite summertime activities was helping my parents make homemade ice cream on the Fourth of July. We had a bright blue slatted wooden bucket with a hand crank and interior metal canister with wooden paddles. After filling the…
July 2024
From Bozeman to Baker and What I Learned Along the Way
What comes to mind with when we hear “homestead”? You probably have a general idea of what they are and when they existed. Covered-wagon times. Settlers and Pioneers. Free land. You might even be thinking of Steinbeck’s The Grapes…
July 2024
Change is constantly with us. Even during the 1950s and 1960s, Bozeman grew by fifty percent, from a population of 12,000 to 18,000. Then, the northern limit of the city was Oak Street, two dirt ruts that ran along a deep irrigation ditch at the edge…
June 2024
Rachel Phillips
In June 1927, 13-year-old Allan Charles Thurman traveled to the Gallatin Valley by train to spend the summer with relatives. Allan was from North Carolina and had never visited Montana before. He stayed with extended family in Belgrade and enjoyed…
June 2024
The end of World War II presented strong economic growth, increased population, growing numbers of home ownership, new enrollment in higher education, and increased personal use of the automobile throughout the United States. Although a few shopping…
May 2024
Ken Walcheck
In its scope and achievement, the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-1806 stands as a giant among other major expeditions of the North American continent. The expedition carried a destiny as well as the flag of a young and vibrant nation. Travelling…
May 2024
Rachel Phillips
When traversing the MSU campus today, one passes by dozens of unique buildings from various eras. The names emblazoned on signs outside of most of these structures honor people who contributed in a variety of ways to the creation or growth of the…
April 2024
Rachel Phillips
Ernest Monforton, Mary Kay Lindvig, Harold Lindvig, and Joe Garry (left to right) stand with a Hereford heifer in the sale ring at the Montana Winter Fair. Monforton donated the heifer to a polio campaign, and the animal brought over $700.
April…
March 2024
Rachel Phillips
Huffman family, circa 1910s. Clockwise from left: Hugh, George R., Anna and Susan
A small collection of photograph postcards in the Gallatin History Museum archives paints a charming picture of the lives of several local women. In many ways, the…
