We all remember where we were and what we were doing on certain notorious dates in history we’ve lived through, like 9/11. But if you were born and raised in Montana, you have a whole separate list of moments to remember that helped define our local history. We may not have been around for all of these occurrences, but as Montanans, we’ll certainly never forget their significance. These are a few examples:
- The discovery of gold in Western Montana.
Jasperdo / Flickr Montana’s gold rush hit in the 1860s. And if it hadn’t, our state, many of its towns, and its economic past would look drastically different. We won’t forget how vital those first gold discoveries were.
- The Smith Mine Disaster.
Greg Smith / Flickr In 1943, an explosion in the Smith mine killed a whopping 70 coal miners. Thankfully we’ve never had a disaster that bad since, but we’ll never forget that sad day in history.
- The 1959 earthquake that resulted in Quake Lake.
Chuck Grimmett / Flickr On August 17, 1959, an earthquake near West Yellowstone created a massive landslide of about 80 million tons of rock. It was so intense, it created a new lake! Unfortunately, it also claimed the lives of 28 people and caused millions of dollars worth of damages.
- The Mount Saint Helens eruption.
Brian Romans / Flickr Mount Saint Helens may be in Washington State, but when it erupted in 1980, it blanketed most of Montana in ash. If you were old enough to remember, you know that Montanans had never seen anything quite like it.
- The 1991 riot at State Prison in Deer Lodge.
Jimmy Emerson, DVM / Flickr On September 22, 1991, a riot at the Montana State Prison left five inmates dead and the guards shaken. The four-hour riot led to dozens of lawsuits and new guidelines for Montana prisons.
- The day the Unabomber was arrested in Lincoln.
Laser Burners / Flickr It isn’t often Montana makes national news for something that isn’t weather-related. And having a domestic terrorist arrested in our state was certainly not an everyday occurrence. But on April 3, 1996, FBI agents arrested Ted Kaczynski in his rural cabin.
- The time period when A River Runs Through It hit theaters.
Frank Fujimoto / Flickr Montana has always been a popular summer tourist destination. But Robert Redford’s film adaptation sparked a huge increase in tourism that has never really died down.
Do you remember learning about these moments in our history? How many of them did you experience firsthand?
Jasperdo / Flickr
Montana’s gold rush hit in the 1860s. And if it hadn’t, our state, many of its towns, and its economic past would look drastically different. We won’t forget how vital those first gold discoveries were.
Greg Smith / Flickr
In 1943, an explosion in the Smith mine killed a whopping 70 coal miners. Thankfully we’ve never had a disaster that bad since, but we’ll never forget that sad day in history.
Chuck Grimmett / Flickr
On August 17, 1959, an earthquake near West Yellowstone created a massive landslide of about 80 million tons of rock. It was so intense, it created a new lake! Unfortunately, it also claimed the lives of 28 people and caused millions of dollars worth of damages.
Brian Romans / Flickr
Mount Saint Helens may be in Washington State, but when it erupted in 1980, it blanketed most of Montana in ash. If you were old enough to remember, you know that Montanans had never seen anything quite like it.
Jimmy Emerson, DVM / Flickr
On September 22, 1991, a riot at the Montana State Prison left five inmates dead and the guards shaken. The four-hour riot led to dozens of lawsuits and new guidelines for Montana prisons.
Laser Burners / Flickr
It isn’t often Montana makes national news for something that isn’t weather-related. And having a domestic terrorist arrested in our state was certainly not an everyday occurrence. But on April 3, 1996, FBI agents arrested Ted Kaczynski in his rural cabin.
Frank Fujimoto / Flickr
Montana has always been a popular summer tourist destination. But Robert Redford’s film adaptation sparked a huge increase in tourism that has never really died down.
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Address: Earthquake Lake, Montana, USAAddress: Deer Lodge, MT 59722, USA
