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State of Montana
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Flag Of Montana
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Bitterroot
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Ponderosa Pine
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Map of USA MTsvg
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Treasure State, Big Sky Country
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Oro y plata (Gold and silver)
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Helena
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English
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Billings
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Brian Schweitzer (D)
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Max Baucus (D)<br /> Jon Tester (D)
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MT
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4<sup>th</sup>
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147,165
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381,156
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145,674
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377,295
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1,491
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3,862
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1
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44<sup>th</sup>
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902,195
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48<sup>th</sup>
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619
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239
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41<sup>st</sup>
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November 8 , 1889
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44°󈏽′ N to 49° N
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104°𔁦′ W to 116°𔁧′ W
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630
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Granite Peak 1
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12,799
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3,901
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3,396
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Kootenai River
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MT
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US-MT
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(/) is a
State in the
Pacific Northwest and
Great Plains regions of the
United States Of America . The central and western thirds of the state have numerous mountain ranges (approximately 77 named) of the northern
Rocky Mountains ; thus the state's name, derived from the
Spanish word ''montaña'' ("
Mountain "). The state nickname is the "Treasure State." Other nicknames include "Land of Shining Mountains," "Big Sky Country," and the slogan "the last best place." The state ranks fourth in area, but 44th in
Population , and therefore has the third lowest
Population Density in the United States. The economy is primarily based on
Agriculture and significant
Lumber and
Mineral extraction.
Tourism is also important to the economy, with millions of visitors a year to
Glacier National Park , the
Battle Of Little Bighorn site, and three of the five entrances to
Yellowstone National Park .
region in central Montana]]
With a land area of 145,552 mi&
2 (376,978 km&
2) the state of Montana is the fourth largest in the United States (after
Alaska ,
Texas , and
California ).
To the north, Montana and Canada share a 545-mile (877 km)
Border . The state borders the
Canadian Provinces of
British Columbia ,
Alberta , and
Saskatchewan , more provinces than any other state. To the east, the state borders
North Dakota and part of
South Dakota . To the south is
Wyoming and to the west and southwest is
Idaho .
The topography of the state is diverse, but roughly defined by the
Continental Divide , which runs on an approximate diagonal through the state from northwest to south-central, splitting it into two distinct eastern and western regions. Montana is well known for its mountainous western region, part of the northern
Rocky Mountains . However, about 60% of the state is actually prairie, part of the northern
Great Plains . Nonetheless, even east of the
Continental Divide and the
Rocky Mountain Front , there are a number of isolated "Island Ranges" that dot the prairie landscape.
The
Bitterroot Mountains divide the state from Idaho to the west with the southern third of the range blending into the Continental Divide. Mountain ranges between the Bitterroots and the top of the Continental Divide include the Cabinet Mountains, the Missions, the Garnet, Sapphire, Flint Creek, and Pintlar ranges.
The northern section of the Divide, where the mountains give way rapidly to prairie, is known collectively as the
Rocky Mountain Front and is most pronounced in the
Lewis Range located primarily in
Glacier National Park . Due to the configuration of mountain ranges in Glacier National Park, the
Northern Divide (which begins in Alaska's
Seward Peninsula ) crosses this region and turns east in Montana at
Triple Divide Peak . Thus, the Waterton, Belly, and Saint Mary rivers flow north into Alberta, Canada, joining the
Saskatchewan River and ultimately emptying into
Hudson Bay .
East of the Divide, several parallel ranges march across the southern half of the state, including the Gravelly Range, the Tobacco Roots, the Madison Range,
Gallatin Range , Big Belt Mountains,
Bridger Mountains ,
Absaroka Mountains , and the
Beartooth Mountains . The Beartooth Plateau is the largest continuous land mass over 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in the lower 48 states and contains the highest point in the state,
Granite Peak , 12,799 feet (3,901 m) high.
Between the mountain ranges are many scenic valleys, rich in agricultural resources and rivers, and possessing multiple opportunities for tourism and recreation. Among the best-known areas are the
Flathead Valley ,
Bitterroot Valley , Big Hole Valley, and
Gallatin Valley .
East and north of this transition zone are expansive sparsely populated
Northern Plains , with rolling tableland prairies, "island" mountain ranges, and scenic
Badlands extending into the Dakotas, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Wyoming. The isolated island ranges east of the Divide include the Castle Mountains,
Crazy Mountains , Little Belt Mountains, Snowy Mountains,
Sweet Grass Hills , Bull Mountains. The Pryor Mountains South of Billings and, in the southeastern corner of the state near Ekalaka, the Long Pines and Short Pines.
The area east of the divide in the north-central portion of the state is known for the dramatic
Missouri Breaks and other significant rock formations. Three stately
Butte s south of
Great Falls are familiar landmarks. These buttes, Square Butte, Shaw Butte, and Crown Butte, are made of
Igneous Rock , which is dense and has withstood weathering for many years. The underlying surface consists of
Shale . Many areas around these buttes are covered with clay surface soils. These soils have been derived from the weathering of the
Colorado Formation . Farther east, areas such as
Makoshika State Park near Glendive, and
Medicine Rocks State Park near Ekalaka also highlight some of the most scenic badlands regions in the state.
Montana also contains a number of rivers, many of which are known for "blue-ribbon" trout fishing, but which also provide most of the water needed by residents of the state, as well as being a source of , the
Gulf Of Mexico , and
Hudson Bay which are divided atop
Triple Divide Peak in Glacier National Park.
West of the divide, the
Clark Fork of the Columbia (not to be confused with the
Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River) rises in the Rocky Mountains near Butte and flows northwest to
Missoula . There it is joined by the
Blackfoot River and
Bitterroot River and further downstream by the
Flathead River before entering
Idaho near
Lake Pend Oreille , becoming part of the
Columbia River , which flows to the
Pacific Ocean . The Clark Fork discharges the greatest volume of water of any river exiting the state. The
Flathead River and Kootenai River also drain major portions of the western half of the state.
East of the divide, the
Missouri River , formed by the confluence of the
Jefferson ,
Madison , and
Gallatin rivers, crosses the central part of the state, flows through the
Missouri Breaks and enters
North Dakota . The
Yellowstone River rises in Yellowstone Park in
Wyoming , flows north to Livingston, Montana, where it then turns east and flows across the state until it joins the Missouri River a few miles east of the North Dakota boundary. The Yellowstone River is the longest undammed, free-flowing river in North America. Other major Montana tributaries of the Missouri include the
Milk ,
Marias , Tongue, and Musselshell Rivers. Montana also claims the disputed title of possessing the "world's shortest river," the
Roe River , just outside
Great Falls, Montana . These rivers ultimately join the
Mississippi River and flow into the
Gulf Of Mexico .
Water is of critical importance to the state for both agriculture and hydropower. In addition to its rivers, the state is home to
Flathead Lake , the largest natural fresh-water lake west of the
Great Lakes . Man-made
Reservoir s dot Montana's rivers, the largest of which is
Fort Peck Reservoir, on the Missouri river, contained by the largest earth-filled dam in the world.
Vegetation of the state includes
Ponderosa Pine ,
Lodgepole Pine ,
Larch ,
Fir ,
Spruce ,
Aspen ,
Birch ,
Red Cedar ,
Ash ,
Alder , rocky mountain
Maple and
Cottonwood trees. Forests cover approximately 25% of the state. Flowers native to Montana include
Asters ,
Bitterroot s,
Daisies ,
Lupin s,
Poppies ,
Primroses ,
Columbine ,
Lilies ,
Orchid s and
Dryads . Several species of
Sagebrush and
Cactus and many species of
Grass es are common. Many species of
Mushroom s and
Lichen s are also found in the state.
Montana contains
Glacier National Park and portions of
Yellowstone National Park , including three of the Park's five entrances. Other federally recognized sites include the
Little Bighorn National Monument ,
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area ,
Big Hole National Battlefield ,
Lewis And Clark Caverns , and the
National Bison Range . Montana has eight
National Forest s and over 20
National Wildlife Refuge s. The Federal government administers 36,000,000 acres (146,000 km&
2). 275,000 acres (1,100 km&
2) are administered as
State Park s and forests.
Areas managed by the
National Park Service include:
Several Indian reservations are located in Montana:
Fort Peck Indian Reservation ,
Fort Belknap Indian Reservation ,
Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation ,
Crow Indian Reservation ,
Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation ,
Blackfeet Indian Reservation , and the
Flathead Indian Reservation .
''See also:
List Of Montana Counties ,
List Of Montana Rivers ''
See Also: History of Montana
family, Montana, 1890-91]]
Native Americans were the first of many inhabitants of the state of Montana. Groups included the
Crow in the south-central area, the
Cheyenne in the southeast, the
Blackfeet ,
Assiniboine and
Gros Ventres in the central and north-central area and the
Kootenai and
Salish in the west. The smaller
Pend D'Oreille and
Kalispel tribes were found around
Flathead Lake and the western mountains, respectively.
Montana east of the
Continental Divide was part of the
Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Subsequent to the
Lewis And Clark Expedition and after the finding of gold and copper (see the
Copper Kings ) in the state in the late 1850s, Montana became a
United States Territory (
Montana Territory ) on
May 26 ,
1864 , and the 41st state on
November 8 ,
1889 .
Fort Shaw (
Montana Territory ) was established in the spring of 1867. It is located west of
Great Falls in the Sun River Valley and was one of three posts authorized to be built by Congress in 1865. The other two posts in the
Montana Territory were Camp Cooke on the
Judith River and Fort C.F. Smith on the
Bozeman Trail in south central Montana Territory. Fort Shaw, named after Colonel
Robert Gould Shaw , who commanded the
54th Massachusetts , one of the first all
African-American regiments, during the
American Civil War , was built of adobe and lumber by the 13th Infantry. The fort had a parade ground that was 400 ft&
2 (120 m&
2), and consisted of barracks for officers, a
Hospital , and a trading post, and could house up to 450 soldiers. Completed in 1868, it was used by military personnel until 1891.
After the close of the military post, the government established Fort Shaw as a school to provide industrial training to young Native Americans. The Fort Shaw Indian Industrial School was opened on
April 30 ,
1892 . The school had at one time 17 faculty members, 11 Indian assistants and 300 students. The school made use of over 20 of the buildings built by the Army.
The revised
Homestead Act of the early 1900s greatly affected the settlement of Montana. This act expanded the land that was provided by the
Homestead Act Of 1862 from 160 acres to 320 acres (65-130
Ha ). When the latter act was signed by
President Taft , it also reduced the time necessary to prove up from five years to three years and permitted five months' absence from the claim each year.
In 1908, the Sun River Irrigation Project, west of
Great Falls was opened up for homesteading. Under this
Reclamation Act , a person could obtain 40 acres (16 ha). Most of the people who came to file on these
Homesteads were young couples who were eager to live near mountains where hunting and fishing were good. Many of these homesteaders came from the
Midwest and
Minnesota .
Montana was the scene of the Native Americans' last effort to keep their land, and the
Last Stand of
U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel
George Armstrong Custer was fought near the present day town of Hardin. Montana was also the location of the final battles of the
Nez Perce War s.
Cattle ranching has long been central to Montana's history and economy. The
Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site in Deer Lodge Valley is maintained as a link to the ranching style of the late 19th century. It is operated by the
National Park Service but is also a 1,900-acre (7.7 km&
2) working ranch.
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As of 2005, Montana has an estimated population of 935,670, which is an increase of 8,750, or 0.9%, from the prior year and an increase of 33,475, or 3.7%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 13,674 people (that is 58,001 births minus 44,327 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 21,074 people into the state.
Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 2,141 people, and
Migration within the country produced a net increase of 18,933 people. 16,500 of state residents are foreign-born, accounting for 1.8% of the total population.
According to the
2000 U.S. Census , 1.52% of the population aged 5 and over speak
Spanish at home, while 1.11% speak
German {Link without Title} .
The
Center Of Population of Montana is located in
Meagher County , in the city of
White Sulphur Springs {Link without Title} .
While
German ancestry is the largest reported
European-American ancestry in most of Montana, residents of
Scandinavia n ancestry are prevalent in some of the farming-dominated northern and eastern prairie regions. There are also several predominantly
Native American counties, mostly around each of the seven Indian reservations. The historically mining-oriented communities of western Montana such as
Butte have a wider range of ethnic groups, particularly people of
Eastern European and
Irish-American ancestry, as well as people who originally emigrated from
British mining regions such as
Cornwall . Montana is second only to
South Dakota in U.S.
Hutterite population with several colonies spread across the state. Many of Montana's historic logging communities originally attracted people of
Scandinavia n and
Scots-Irish descent. Montana's
Hispanic population is particularly concentrated around the
Billings area in south-central Montana, and the highest density of
African-Americans is located in
Great Falls .
The religious affiliations of the people of Montana
The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Montana's total state product in 2003 was $26 billion. Per capita personal income in 2003 was $25,406, 47th in the nation. However, this number is rapidly increasing. According to the ''Missoulian'', the economy has grown rapidly since 2003; in 2005, Montana ranked 39th in the nation with an average per capita personal income of $29,387.
The economy is primarily based on agriculture--
Wheat ,
Barley ,
Sugar Beet s,
Oats ,
Rye , seed
Potato es,
Honey ,
Cherries , cattle and sheep
Ranching -- and significant
Lumber and
Mineral extraction (
Gold ,
Coal ,
Silver ,
Talc , and
Vermiculite ).
Tourism is also important to the economy with millions of visitors a year to
Glacier National Park ,
Flathead Lake , the
Missouri River headwaters, the site of the
Battle Of Little Bighorn and three of the five entrances to
Yellowstone National Park .
Montana's personal
Income Tax contains 7 brackets, with rates ranging from 1% to 6.9%. Montana has no
Sales Tax . In Montana, household goods are exempt from
Property Tax es. However, property taxes are assessed on
Livestock , farm machinery, heavy equipment, automobiles, trucks, and business equipment. The amount of property tax owed is not determined solely by the property's value. The property's value is multiplied by a tax rate, set by the Montana Legislature, to determine its taxable value. The taxable value is then multiplied by the
Mill Levy established by various taxing jurisdictions -- city and county government, school districts and others.
Major highways include:
In addition, ,
Whitefish ,
West Glacier ,
Essex ,
East Glacier Park ,
Browning ,
Cut Bank ,
Shelby ,
Havre ,
Malta ,
Glasgow , and
Wolf Point .
See Also: List of Montana Governors
The current Governor is
Brian Schweitzer (Democrat) who was sworn in on
January 3 ,
2005 . Its two U.S. senators are
Max Baucus (Democrat) and
Jon Tester (Democrat). Montana's congressional representative is
Denny Rehberg (Republican).
The state was the first to elect a female member of states — nearly 90% of its residents are of
Europe an descent, with a large number of immigrants of
German ,
Irish ,
Norwegian ,
Welsh ,
Cornish ,
Italian ,
Slovak and
Scandinavia n heritage arriving in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A significant portion of Chinese (
Cantonese ) immigrants also came and left an indelible mark on the state, especially in the mining cities of
Helena ,
Butte , and
Anaconda .
Historically, Montana is a
Swing State of cross-ticket voters with a tradition of sending "conservatives to Helena (the state capital) and liberals to Washington." However, there have also been long-term shifts of party control. During the 1970s, the state was dominated by the
Democratic Party , with Democratic governors for a 20-year period, and a Democratic majority of both the national congressional delegation and during many sessions of the state legislature. This pattern shifted, beginning with the 1988 election, when Montana elected a
Republican governor and sent a Republican to the U.S. Senate for the first time since the 1940s. This shift continued with the
Reapportionment of the state's legislative districts that took effect in 1994, when the Republican Party took control of both houses of the state legislature, consolidating a party dominance that lasted until 2004. The state last supported a Democrat for president in 1992,
Bill Clinton 's first election.
In recent years, Montana has been classified as a Republican-leaning state, and the state supported President , easily won reelection in a landslide. The state Senate is (as of 2007) controlled by the Democrats and the State House of Representatives is controlled by the Republicans.
On April 17th, 2007, Montana became the first state to pass legislation against the federal government's
Real ID Act . Gov. Schweitzer signed a bill banning the Montana Motor Vehicle Division from enforcing the new regulations.
{Link without Title}
Montana is an
Alcoholic Beverage Control State .
Some of the cities in Montana are:
Some of the major towns in Montana are:
See Also: List of counties in Montana
The State of Montana has 56
Counties .
Montana is one of a select few states in America that lack a major sports team.
However, Montana does have these
Minor League Baseball Teams :
Rugby is also played in Montana, with teams such as the
Billings Bulls and the
Helena All-Blues playing under the jurisdiction of the
Montana Rugby Union .
Montana also has several junior
Hockey teams such as the
Billings Bulls (original use of Billings Bulls as a sports team name), the
Bozeman Icedogs , the
Butte Roughriders (Butte having been home to the Butte Irish previously in junior A hockey, now defunct) and the
Helena Bighorns (formerly know as both the Helena Gold Rush and Helena Ice Pirates in Junior A tier hockey and the Helena Cutthroats in Junior B tier hockey). These teams are currently members of the
NorPac Hockey League Rocky Mountain Division . For the 2007-2008 season an expansion team the
Missoula Maulers will join the league. The Rocky Mountain Division also includes the
Yellowstone Quake out of
Cody, Wyoming .
The state's name is derived from the
Spanish word ''montaña'' ("
Mountain "). The state nickname is the "Treasure State." Other nicknames include "Land of Shining Mountains," "Big Sky Country," and the slogan "the last best place."
The planned
Battleship s
USS ''Montana'' were named in honor of the state. However, neither battleship was completed, making Montana the only state of the 48 states during World War II not to have a battleship named after it. Additionally,
Alaska and
Hawaii have both had nuclear submarines named after them. As such Montana is the only state in the union with out a modern naval ship named in honor of it.
The
Hell Creek Formation is a major source of
Dinosaur Fossil s. Paleontologist
Jack Horner , of the
Museum Of The Rockies in
Bozeman, Montana , brought this formation to the world's attention with several major finds. For example,
Jane was discovered in 2001 in Hell Creek and is the world's most complete juvenile ''tyrannosaurus rex''.
In 1902, a group of female students from the Fort Shaw Indian Industrial School began playing
Basketball and traveled throughout Montana, defeating high school teams and some college teams. In 1904, the girls' basketball team traveled by train to the
St. Louis World's Fair . Over a period of five months, the team was challenged by numerous other basketball teams and won every contest, returning to Fort Shaw with the "world champion" trophy. On
May 1 ,
2004 , a monument in honor of the basketball team was unveiled at the entrance of the present-day Fort Shaw Elementary School.
In the movie '', Montana is the location of the fictitious first contact between humans and an alien race, the Vulcans. Star Trek producer
Brannon Braga is originally from
Bozeman, Montana .
Montana has the largest
Grizzly Bear population in the lower 48 states.
Montana's triple divide allows water to flow into three oceans: the
Pacific Ocean , the
Atlantic Ocean (
Gulf Of Mexico ), and the
Arctic Ocean (
Hudson Bay ). This phenomenon occurs at
Triple Divide Peak in Glacier National Park.
In 1888,
Helena (the current state capital) had more millionaires per capita than any other city in the world.
Montana is one of two states in the continental United States which, in addition to not having a major metropolitan area over 1,000,000 in population, also does not border a state that does have one (Maine is the other). However, it does border the Canadian Provinces
Alberta (population in 2005 of 3,237,000) and
British Columbia (population in 2006 of 4,292,000, which have a combined three cities with a metro population of over 1,000,000 each.
- ''(Lewisia rediviva)'', since 1895
- , since 1949
- ''(Ursus arctos horribilis)'', since 1862
- ''(Sturnella neglecta)'', since 1931
- , since 1977
- State Song: ''"Montana"'', since 1945
- State Ballad: ''"Montana Melody"'', since 1983
- State Gemstones: Yogo Sapphire & Agate
- peeblesorum)'', since 1985
- State Butterfly: Mourning Cloak ''(Nymphalis antiopa)'', since 2001
- State Grass: Bluebunch Wheatgrass , since 1973
- State Motto: "Oro y Plata" (Spanish: Gold and Silver)
Montana has several ski areas including:
- Bennion, Jon . ''Big Sky Politics''. Five Valleys Publishing, April 2004. ISBN 1-888550-13-9
- Lopach, James . ''We the People of Montana: The Workings of a Popular Government''. Falcon Press, 1983 ISBN 0-87842-159-9
- , Mary Clearman Blew , William Kittredge , William Lang , Richard Roeder , Annick Smith , and James Welch .") University of Washington: 1990. 1158 pages. ISBN 0-295-96974-1.
- Howard, Joseph Kinsey . ''Montana: High, Wide, and Handsome''. Bison Books: 2003. ISBN 0-8032-7339-8.
- Howard, Joseph Kinsey . ''Montana Margins: A State Anthology''. Yale University Press,: 1946. ISBN 0-8369-2652-8.
- Malone, Michael P. , Richard B. Roeder and William L. Lang. ''Montana: A History of Two Centuries''. University of Washington: 1991. ISBN 0-295-97129-0.
- Toole, K. Ross . ''Montana: An Uncommon Land''. University of Oklahoma: 1984. ISBN 0-8061-1890-3.
- Doig, Ivan , ''Dancing at the Rascal Fair''. Scribner: 1987. ISBN 0-689-11764-7.
- Doig, Ivan , ''English Creek''. Peter Smith Publisher Inc: 1992. ISBN 0-8446-6608-4.
- MacLean, Norman , ''A River Runs Through It''. University of Chicago Press: 1976. ISBN 0-226-50060-8.
- MacLean, Norman , ''Young Men and Fire''. University of Chicago Press: 1992. ISBN 0-226-50061-6.
- Walker, Mildred . ''Winter Wheat''. Harcourt: 1967. ISBN 0-15-197223-0.
- Walter, Dave , et al. ''Speaking Ill of the Dead: Jerks in Montana History.'' Falcon Press, 2000. ISBN 1-58592-032-0
- Axline, Jon , et al. ''Still Speaking Ill of the Dead: More Jerks in Montana History''. Falcon Press, 2005. ISBN 1-58592-032-0
