My Valentine

by Jennifer Bottomly-O'Looney, MHS Museum Senior Curator

Charles M. Russell and Nancy Cooper were married on September 9, 1896, in a ceremony at the home of their good friends Ben and Lela Roberts. The bride wore a blue wedding dress that Lela Roberts made for her.[i]

Charlie Russell and wife Nancy, 1896, Elite Studio
[MHS Photo Archives # 944-674

The event was newsworthy. As the Anaconda Standard reported, “Wednesday evening at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. B. R. Roberts, Miss Mamie Mann and Charles M. Russell were united in marriage by Rev. B. W. Pierce. A large number of guests were present and after the ceremony the party sat down to an elaborate collation. The occasion was one of the most pleasant social events ever held in Cascade where the couple have many friends.” The Standard noted that “Charley Russell, the happy groom, is known all over the west as the ‘Cowboy Artist’ . . .  [and] now more than ever before [he] will confine himself to his profession. In the classic language of Charley, he’s ‘done settled down to business and can’t trot with the gang anymore…’” [ii] They honeymooned in the small twelve by twenty-four-foot shack behind the Robert’s house, where they would make their home.

My Valentine

Watercolor and gouache, ca. 1896-1897, 18” H x 15½” W

Gift of Mrs. Charles L. Sheridan in memory of Lela V. Roberts

[MHS Museum Accession X1954.03.03]

Charlie was persuaded to paint the very atypical, and romantic watercolor, My Valentine, for his friend Lela, who used it as a sign for a candy booth set up as a fund-raiser for a church social. It was given to the Montana Historical Society in memory of the donor’s mother, Lela V. Roberts. Both Lela and her husband, Ben Roberts, were close friends of Russell’s. The Roberts’s home is where Russell first met Nancy and where they married. [iii]

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[i] Brian Dippie, Shaping of Russell’s Art, 6

[ii] Anaconda Standard, September 13, 1896, 13

[iii] MHS Curatorial Records.

Montana's Last Best Nicknames

This year marks the 130^th Anniversary of Montana’s Statehood. Montana has had many nicknames through the years, and we often wonder how each came into being. Below is a brief look at some of the more popular ones. 

Treasure State

In 1895 "Treasure State" became the first nickname to gain wide appeal.  It appeared on the cover of a promotional booklet published by the Montana Bureau of Agriculture, Labor, and Industry.  "Treasure State" was chosen because of Montana's status as the country's foremost producer of metallic treasures - gold, silver, and copper.

Land of Shining Mountains

"Land of Shining Mountains" also appeared in 1895 in the same promotional booklet published by the Montana Breau of Agriculture, Labor, and Industry that introduced "Treasure State."  This motto had its origins with brothers Pierre and Chevalier Verendrye, French Canadian fur traders and explorers, who gazed upon the northern Rockies and upped them the "Shining Mountains."  According to Joaquin Miller's 1894 history Montana, Native tribes also referred to the Rockies as "the Shining" because of their snow caps.

Last Best Place

Originally the title of a compilation of essays, poems, stories by Montanans, The Last Best Place: A Montana Anthology, it developed into the ‘last best’ descriptor of the state of Montana. William Kittredge, co-editor of the anthology, coined the phrase through an ‘epiphany’ of sorts:

“In an interview, they recalled being "in a tizzy" at an editorial meeting in 1987. They could not come up with a title for the book. Then Kittredge had an epiphany, which may or may not have been helped by the gin-and-tonic he was drinking at the time. He melded a line from a Richard Hugo poem about "the last good kiss" with Abraham Lincoln's definition of the United States as "the last best hope of mankind."*

Stubbed-Toe State

First seen in the 1922 edition of the World Almanac, the only explanation for Montana as the "Stubbed-Toe State" comes from the Dictionary of Americanisms, which asserts that the nickname refers to the mountainous region of western Montana where the multitude of rocks might pose a hazard to the novice hiker.

Montana: High, Wide and Handsome

Montana: High, Wide and Handsome first appeared in the 1940s on the cover of a Montana Highway Department publicity brochure. This phrase was also the title of Joseph Kinsey Howard's acclaimed book. Although the original source of the phrase is unknown, evidence points to C. B. Glasscock, who stated in War of the Copper Kings published in 1935 that "Life in Butte was high, wide, and occasionally handsome."

Big Sky Country

Big Sky Country was adopted as a Montana nickname in 1961 and is based on the book by A. B. "Bud" Guthrie.  In the summer of 1961 Jack Hallowell hosted writer John Weaver of Holiday magazine, who asked to meet Guthrie.  During their meeting Hallowell casually asked if Guthrie would object to the state advertising department using "Big Sky" to promote tourism.  Guthrie granted his permission on the spot.  Ironically, the title of the classic novel of the American fur trade originated with Guthrie's editor, Bill Sloane, because Guthrie submitted his manuscript without a title.  Guthrie had sent biographical notes, including the exclamation--"standing under the big sky I feel free"--that his father made during his first day in Montana."

Montana - Naturally Inviting

In 1985 state promoters developed "Montana - Naturally Inviting" as a replacement to "Big Sky Country," as they feared that state advertising using that slogan would be confused with advertising for Chet Huntley's Big Sky Resort south of Bozeman.

______________________________________________________________

*[From the August 26, 2005 Washington Post https://wapo.st/2RNb3vY]

[Content borrowed and updated from the MHS Montana History Compass, which contains so much more information about Montana’s history. https://bit.ly/2F93E8y]

Revisiting Montana 1889: A Book Group

Join “Revisiting Montana 1889: A Book Group” Facebook Group during 2019

Join us in celebrating the 130th anniversary of Montana's statehood, and become a member of the Revisiting Montana 1889: A Book Group on Facebook throughout 2019. The Montana Historical Society will host this monthly conversation based on Ken Egan’s Montana 1889: Indians, Cowboys, and Miners in the Year of Statehood. Montana is a small town with long streets and we can have a lively exchange of views through social media.

We will revisit important figures out of Montana’s past such as Little Wolf, Granville Stuart, Nannie Alderson, Louis Riel, Mary Gleim, Deaf Bull, and Charlo. We will consider changes to the land and peoples that led up to and followed from Montana statehood.

Starting in January, and continuing each month throughout 2019 following the chapters of his book, Ken Egan, the author, will post prompting questions (such as the ones below) to the group and respond to readers’ comments.

Montana’s original Constitution was approved by voters on Oct. 1, 1889

To begin our journey through 1889, Ken will host an on-site presentation to introduce himself, his book and the Facebook reading club. The event will be held in the auditorium at the Montana Historical Society on January 15, 2019, 3:30-5:00 p.m. We will have livestreaming of it on YouTube and on Facebook Live, in case you are unable to attend the presentation on-site.

Going along on this journey will be MHS Photo Archives Manager Jeff Malcomson as our public-historian-in-residence.  He’ll be suggesting further reading in related areas of Montana and Western history and helping to answer any history-related questions readers may have.

No need to read anything in preparation for this first kick-off presentation; however, if you want to get a jump-start on the reading club, below are some questions to inspire you to consider the overall book. We will discuss these thought-provoking questions one week after the January 15^th presentation. 

Getting to Know the Book

a.       Scan the layout and contents of the book. Why would the writer organize the stories by month? Do you find that format appealing? What are the possible pros and cons of this approach?

b.      Sample a few of the epigraphs (quotations) at the start of each month. Where do those excerpts come from? Why has the writer included those passages? (Note that in his previous book, Montana 1864, Egan used excerpts from the Blackfeet calendar to lead each chapter.)

c.       How do the photographs contribute to (or detract from) the stories?

d.      Scan the reference list (bibliography) at the end of book—do any titles call to you?

The January 15^th presentation will be filmed on YouTube and Facebook Live and will be available for viewing during the entire year and beyond. The Tuesday following the presentation, on January 22, our Facebook Group will have a Watch Party in our Facebook Group from 1:30 to 2:30 pm to view and react to the presentation. It will be our first official virtual meeting and will give us a chance to get to know one another and begin discussing the book’s themes, figures, events and Ken’s questions in more depth.

Once you are a member of the Group, we will keep you posted about the meetings that will be held throughout the year. We plan to have one each in March, June, September and a wrap-up in December. During each meeting, we hope to include guests who will expound on certain topics in their areas of expertise.

Anaconda's Montana Hotel, built by Marcus Daly with the hope that
our State's seat of government would be in Anaconda.

To explore the chapter topics in more depth, Ken, our host for the entire year, will suggest additional readings, as will Jeff Malcomson. And, please share with us any ideas you may have for further readings!

If you need a copy of Montana 1889, you can purchase it through Riverbend Publishing http://www.riverbendpublishing.com/montana-1889.html 

You can also purchase a copy through the Montana Historical Society’s bookstore here:

https://bit.ly/2zC63n3

Royalties from all book sales support the programs and grants of Humanities Montana.

We look forward to joining you on an adventure through time, that of Montana in 1889!

Helena's "High School on Wheels"

Kelly Burton, Film Archivist
Montana Historical Society

In the fall of 1935 and winter of 1936, the Helena Valley experienced an earthquake swarm that took the life of four area citizens and caused a great deal of property damage. An October 1936 report on the event by seismologist Franklin P. Ulrich describes a series of quakes that began with two small shocks on October 3, 1935: “There was a quiet spell until October 12, when a hard shock occurred which was followed by 30 smaller ones. Shocks were felt daily until October 18, with two hard ones on the 15^th. The shock of October 18 was the first destructive shock. It was followed by a second destructive shock on October 31, which was of nearly the same intensity. Between these two shocks, 506 smaller shocks were felt, and up to the end of March, 1936, 1974 shocks had been felt in the swarm. The personnel of the City Engineer’s office in Helena has made a survey and finds that more than half the buildings in Helena were damaged, and that the total damage would be between $3,000,000 and $4,000,000.” (“Helena Earthquakes” by Franklin P. Ulrich, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, October 1936, vol. 26 no. 4)

PAc 2003-48 EQ# 261

One of the more notable structures to suffer serious damage was Helena High School, a building which had just been completed in August of 1935. Jean MacNeill Stock, a member of the graduating class of 1937, recalls the upheaval: “Damage to the new $500,000 high school was estimated at $250,000. The north end, which housed the auditorium, chemistry rooms, commercial drawing and auto mechanics departments, showed great gaps in the wall. Cracks in the earth paralleled the west wall. In the center of the building, plaster, books and personal belongings were scattered all over. Outside were piles of bricks. It was decided school could reopen in two weeks by walling off the damaged sections, but on Oct. 31 another large tremor hit and wrote finis to the new high school.” (Great Falls Tribune, June 21, 1964, p. 10)

H.H.S. "Chemistry" (PAc 200348 EQ# 74)

H.H.S. Principal W.W. Wahl (PAc 2003-48 EQ# 71)

Unable to find a suitable structure in which to hold high school classes that fall, the city of Helena ultimately arranged to rehouse students in a series of train cars furnished by two railroad companies. The Helena Daily Independent from December 3, 1935 explains the unorthodox arrangement in detail: “School on wheels will be inaugurated by the Helena high students within the next 10 days, when 18 coaches, furnished free of charge by the Great Northern and Northern Pacific Railway companies, will be placed on the tracks to be laid on Lyndale avenue between the 800 and 1000 blocks. Rails and ties for the tracks are to be furnished free of charge by the railway companies, the school board paying only for the labor to lay the tracks. Supervisors for the track-laying will also be furnished by the railway companies. The school board shall be responsible for any damage done to the cars, or any injury done to the students while attending school in them.” (Helena Daily Independent, December 3, 1935)

Helena's "high school on wheels" (PAc 90-50)

Students posing for a photo (PAc 90-50)

Though far from ideal, the 18 railway coaches parked in downtown Helena would ultimately serve as the town’s high school for a full 18 months. Again, Jean MacNeill Stock from the Class of 1937 recalls the experience: “Dec. 12, high school students went to the damaged building to get their books and on Dec. 16 classes opened in the rail cars. Classes were 100 minutes’ duration instead of the usual 60. School was in session Monday through Saturday, from 8:15 a.m. until 5 p.m. High school on wheels was quite a comedown from the beautiful well-equipped building we had been so rudely shaken out of. The cars were of ancient vintage even for those days. We missed our laboratories, drawing tables and convenient desks. Each car was to have had its own heating system but something went wrong and a central system was installed. It proved unsatisfactory. In the winter we kept on our coats and overshoes, and still were cold. Then, when it warmed up in the spring, we nearly suffocated – the windows couldn’t be opened. Nevertheless, the high school on wheels was most welcome to us; we were able to finish the classes we feared might be delayed for a long time. It wasn’t until the fall of 1937 that the high school building was ready for use again.” (Great Falls Tribune, June 21, 1964, p. 10)

Attending class in winter (PAc 98-26)

Icicles between train coaches (PAc 98-26)

In addition to still photographs of the converted train cars taken by professional Helena photographer Les Jorud, the Montana Historical Society also has two 16mm reels shot by Jorud, as well as two 8mm reels from other home movie collections. The Scott Family home movie (PAc 85-58) shows the students and faculty engaged in a snowball fight, the exterior of the coaches themselves, and people gathered in front of the improvised administration building with its hand-painted “Helena High School” sign. Winter plays a central role in the Schafer Family home movie (PAc 98-26) of the school, and we see long icicles hanging from the sides of rail cars, students and faculty coming and going in a snowstorm from steaming coaches, and people socializing outdoors despite the weather. As well as capturing the social life between classes, Jorud also shows students posing on bleachers for a group photo in front of the administration building, and railway men moving both tracks and trains on the day the “high school on wheels” is finally decommissioned. The event is commemorated with signs that run the length of each coach: “High School on Wheels – Helena, Montana. 9 of these coaches were loaned by Great Northern Railway after the earthquakes in 1935 till June 4^th, 1937.” Rail cars loaned by Northern Pacific Railway carried a similar sign.

Students outside the administration office (PAc 85-58)

Workers laying new rails to remove train cars (PAc 90-50)

Joe Scheuerle and His Remarkable Indian Gallery

by Jennifer Bottomly-O'Looney, MHS Museum Senior Curator

Joe Scheuerle and His Remarkable Indian Gallery—which opened in the Montana Historical Society’s Lobby Gallery on September 6—features the remarkable work of portraitist Joseph G. Scheuerle (1873–1948). Helena’s Magpie Drummers and Dancers provided entertainment for this special opening, which was generously sponsored by the Montana Bankers Association Education Foundation.

Image by Tom Ferris, MHS Photographer

 Born in Austria to German parents, Scheuerle, at ten years of age, moved with his family to Ohio, where he eventually studied at the Cincinnati Art Academy. Beginning in 1909, he made many visits to Indian reservations in Montana and across the West, where he produced exceptional portraits that were, in his own words, “all finished and done honestly and carefully from life and on the spot.” Throughout his career he created more than two hundred portraits, and established close friendships and rapport with his models. 

Image by Tom Ferris, MHS Photographer

In addition to the carefully finished portraits, Scheuerle often provided fascinating, whimsical sketches and commentary on the back of the canvases. Today, these provide invaluable insight into the lives of the people he was painting. Through the master craftsmanship of MHS preparator Todd Saarinen, many of the works in the exhibit are displayed so that both sides can be seen. Joe Scheuerle and His Remarkable Indian Gallery is scheduled to run through December 2019. 

Image by Tom Ferris, MHS Photographer

Joe Scheuerle and His Remarkable Indian Gallery is made possible through generous donations of the artist’s work from Joe Scheuerle’s grandson Bill Grierson and his wife Pat, and from collectors Alfred K. Nippert Jr. and Kathye H. Nippert,, who traveled from Ohio to attend the opening.

Image by Tom Ferris, MHS Photographer