Most of Montana first came under Americansovereignty with theLouisiana Purchase fromFrance in 1803 and was explored by theLewis and Clark Expedition shortly thereafter. Fur trappers followed and were the main economic activity in the area until gold was discovered in 1852. The ensuing gold rush, along with the passage of theHomestead Acts in 1862, brought large numbers of American settlers to Montana. Rapid population growth and development culminated in statehood on November 8, 1889. Mining, particularly aroundButte and Helena, would remain the state's main economic engine through the mid-20th century.
Montana has no officialnickname but several unofficial ones, most notably "Big Sky Country", "The Treasure State", "Land of the Shining Mountains", and "The Last Best Place". Its economy is primarily based onagriculture, includingranching andcereal grain farming. Other significant economic resources includeoil,gas,coal,mining, andlumber. The health care, service, defense, and government sectors are also significant to the state's economy. Montana's fastest-growing sector is tourism, with 12.6 million tourists visiting the state each year (as of 2019). (Full article...)
InMontana, municipalities are divided into four classes by statestatute based on their population. Members of the three largest classes are deemedcities, while the members of the fourth class are calledtowns. Cities and towns are classified at the time of their organization, and are reorganized when they change classification due to an increase or decrease in population. A place may incorporate as a town with the support of 300 electors or two-thirds of the registered electors. A municipality with a population between 1,000 and 5,000 people is a Third Class city. A municipality with a population between 5,000 and 10,000 people is a Second Class city. And a municipality with a population over 10,000 people is a First Class city. Under certain exceptions municipalities with a population of between 9,000 and 10,000 may elect by resolution to be either a First or Second Class city. Under similar exceptions municipalities with a population of between 5,000 and 7,500 may elect by resolution to be either a Second or Third Class city. Municipalities with a population of between 1,000 and 2,500 may by resolution be classified as either a town or Third Class city. Unincorporated places such ascensus-designated places fall outside this scheme, and are subject to county governance, and thus are neither cities nor towns. (Full article...)
Montana has had 24 governors, consisting of 9 Republicans and 15 Democrats. The longest-serving governor wasJoseph Toole, who served from 1889 to 1893 and again from 1901 until his resignation in 1908 with 11 years in office. He is the only governor to serve nonconsecutive terms. The shortest-serving governor wasElmer Holt, who served less than 13 months when the previous governor died. The current governor is RepublicanGreg Gianforte, who took office on January 4, 2021. (Full article...)
Image 15Treemap of the popular vote by county in the2016 presidential election. Areas are in proportion to the number of votes cast in each county. (fromMontana)
Image 16Map of counties in Montana by racial plurality, per the 2020 U.S. census
Image 52Chief Joseph and Col. John Gibbon met again on the Big Hole Battlefield site in 1889. (fromMontana)
Image 53Buffalo Soldiers, Ft. Keogh, Montana, 1890. The nickname was given to the "Black Cavalry" by the Native American tribes they fought. (fromMontana)
Image 54Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, Deer Lodge, MT, date unknown (fromHistory of Montana)
Image 55100 pound native Montana wolf taken in 1928 (fromMontana)
Image 56Main Street in Red Lodge, 2000, showing iron facades on buildings (fromHistory of Montana)
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