Rag Dolls & Air Rifles A Century of Cherished Gifts

Rachel Phillips

On December 6, 1956, the Gallatin County Tribune and Belgrade Journal announced the official beginning of the Christmas season. “Coincident with the drop in temperatures there was an appreciable rise in that intangible thing called Christmas…

For the Benefit of the Country

Rachel Phillips

Memories of Early Montana Politics

The Hole in the Wall

Rachel Phillips

Attempting to Solve a Historical Mystery

Honk For Service: Bozeman’s Full-Service Gas Stations

Rachel Phillips

As automobiles became popular and affordable for Bozeman’s middle class in the first half of the twentieth century, a new type of business emerged that changed the local cityscape. Automobile service stations sprouted up around Bozeman –…

Bavaria to Montana: Clara Lang’s Way to the West

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…

Sweeten to Taste: Ice Cream in Bozeman History

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…

My Trip to Montana: A Journal by Allan Charles Thurman

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…

What’s in a Name? Examining MSU Building Namesakes

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…

Gallatin Licks Polio Danger: The Local Crusade to Eradicate Polio

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…

The Huffman Women: Their Lives in Pictures

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…

Moonshine Tales: Art Lenehan, Jake Mast, Seth Bohart

Rachel Phillips

In December 1918, Prohibition went into effect in Montana. Interestingly, anti-liquor laws were introduced and ultimately revoked earlier in the Big Sky State than in the nation as a whole. In Montana, Prohibition lasted from the end of 1918 until…

Heart & Soul: The People of the Gallatin Historical Society

Rachel Phillips

Forty-six years ago, the Gallatin County Historical Society was founded to preserve and share the history of our corner of Montana. Known as the Gallatin History Museum today, and located in the former county jail building on Main Street, the…

Through the Lens | The Bozeman Camera Club and Gallatin County History

Rachel Phillips

The holiday season is the perfect time to capture festive photographs—family and friends, colored outdoor lights reflecting through snow and ice, and, of course, downtown Bozeman’s famous Christmas decorations. In the last one hundred and…

Binding Them in a United Organization | Strikes in Bozeman History

Rachel Phillips

Recent national labor and union strikes have stimulated some interest in what those actions mean for an industry or a community. Striking usually involves a group (often employees, but not always) halting normal operations in an attempt to gain a…

Atrocity Most Foul: An 1889 Murder Mystery

Rachel Phillips

On Sunday, March 3, 1889, a report of a most disturbing nature reached Bozeman authorities: a deceased woman was found at a homestead southwest of Bozeman. The Bozeman Courier reported on March 7, “... startling news was brought to the city…

Bozeman’s Best Friend: History Tails of Local Hounds

Rachel Phillips

Bozeman is, and was, a dog-loving community. For centuries before the town even existed, dogs were essential helpmates and companions to Native people living, hunting, and passing through the Gallatin Valley. More recently, when farms and ranches…

“I never intended to be a teacher.” Bessie Gee’s Story

Rachel Phillips

Occasionally, people embark on a rewarding, life-long career that was never part of their original plan. Educators like Margaret “Bessie” Gee fall into this category. Bessie was born in 1900 to Maude Morgan and Hugo John Gee on the family…

In Search of Popcorn Johnnie

Rachel Phillips

The Gallatin History Museum research library contains thousands of family history files, photographs, records, newspapers, and books that pertain to the history of Gallatin County and southwest Montana. One of these books, Gallatin Century of…

The Ground Squirrel Bounty Hunt of 1887

Rachel Phillips

“The following pages contain a list of all parties bringing squirrels to this office with the date, total number of squirrels and names of witnesses.” ~ Charles A. Carson, Probate Judge Among dozens of nineteenth and early twentieth…

An Emptiness No One Else Can Fill: The Stories Behind the Memorials

Rachel Phillips

May usually marks the changing of seasons and is a signal for us to begin summer activities and adventures after a long Montana winter. It is also a suitable time to stop and remember those we have lost as we celebrate Memorial Day. While cemeteries…