Big Sky Blog

August 17, 1940

Just before midnight, a massive earthquake, measuring 7.5 on the Richter Scale, strikes the area north and west of Yellowstone National Park. A mountain slide wipes out a campground, killing twenty-nine people. The great rock slide blocks the Madison River, forming what is now called Quake Lake.
There is also extensive damage in the Hebgen Lake area.

From Montana Dateline by Ellis Roberts Parry.

August 16, 1940

The Bob Marshall Wilderness Area is established by an act of the United States Congress. This pristine wilderness area comprised of over one million acres in northwestern Montana is named in honor of Bob Marshall, a major advocate for wilderness preservation. Marshall, noted for his hiking exploits where he sometimes walks up to forty miles a day, dies of a heart condition in 1939 at the age of thirty-eight.

August 16, 1963

Lones Wigger Jr., a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, wins the first of his fifty-eight national championships in competitive shooting when he wins the small-bore rifle competition at Camp Perry, Ohio. Wigger, a native of Carter, northeast of Great Falls, is the greatest competitive marksman in American history. He wins Olympic gold medals at Tokyo in 1964 and Munich in 1972.

From Montana Dateline by Ellis Roberts Parry.

August 15, 1865

Conrad Kohrs purchases John Grant’s ranch in the Deer Lodge Valley. The Grant-Kohrs Ranch is now a popular tourist attraction in Deer Lodge, where it serves as a national working-ranch museum.

From Montana Dateline by Ellis Roberts Parry.

August 1, 1867
The first issue of Montana’s first daily newspaper, the Helena Daily Herald, is published.

August 1, 1868
Utilizing newly enacted homestead laws, David Carpenter files for the first homestead entry in Montana Territory at the Helena office.

August 1, 1903
[Former Billings native] Calamity Jane dies from the effects of years of hard living and alcoholism at Camp Terry, South Dakota. She is about fifty-two years old, give or take a year or two. She is buried next to Wild Bill Hickok in Deadwood according to her wishes.

August 1, 1928
The first commercial air flight in Montana begins with service between Great Falls and Salt Lake City.

August 1, 1994
Billings Mustangs right hander Jason Robbins pitches the first perfect game in Pioneer League history as the Mustangs defeat the Medicine Hat Blue Jays 5-0 before three thousand fans at Cobb Field in Billings.

From Montana Dateline by Ellis Roberts Parry.

July 31, 1860 - (1911)

Ella Knowles, attorney and Populist political candidate, is born in Northwood, New Hampshire.

Knowles has the distinction of being the first woman lawyer in Montana, having passed the Montana bar in late 1889. At this time, there are probably fewer than a hundred women attorneys in the entire country. Knowles practices law in Butte, where she becomes influential in the promotion of women’s rights and suffrage. In 1892, Knowles is the first woman candidate in Montana for a public office other than county superintendent of schools when she runs unsuccessfully for attorney general as a Populist. Even with her defeat by the voters, Knowles is appointed to an assistant attorney general position. Knowles, an outstanding public speaker, is also regarded as an expert in mining law.

From Montana Dateline by Ellis Roberts Parry.

In 1892, Ella was surprised when the grass-roots Populist Party nominated her for state attorney general. She lost by a narrow margin despite a “remarkably plucky fight,” and the winning candidate, Henri J. Haskell, demonstrated his respect for her abilities by appointing her assistant attorney general in 1893. On May 23, 1895, he expressed his admiration even further by marrying her. The couple divorced a few years later.

More than Petticoats: Remarkable Montana Women by Gayle C. Shirley.

July 30, 1969

[Billings native] Dave McNally, ace southpaw for the Baltimore Orioles, wins his seventeenth consecutive game by defeating the Kansas City Royals 4-2 in Kansas City. McNally ties the American League record set by Johnny Allen of the Cleveland Indians during the 1937 season. The streak ends on August 3, largely due to Twins pinch hitter Rich Reese’s grand slam home run. McNally’s record will last until the 1999 season, when Roger Clemons establishes a new American League record of twenty consecutive wins.

From Montana Dateline by Ellis Roberts Parry.

Today’s edition of The Billings Gazette has some good stories today which are worth reading.

The first is a story about the Japanese community in 20th century Harlowton and the second is of the last Japanese native in Harlowton. The story of Henry Muneta is especially poignant since he is the father-in-law of a Big Sky blogger.

I’ll let you figure out who the blogger is.

The next story is a nice one about the Billings Bluegrass music club which has weekly jam sessions at a local Hardee’s. The Gazette also has a nice photo album to go with the story.

I wonder if the Long Time Lonesome Dogs ever play at Hardee’s?

July 27, 1849-(1928)

Luther “Yellowstone” Kelly, scout for the military, is born in Geneva, New York. Following service late in the Civil War, Kelly comes west, eventually becoming chief of scouts for Colonel Nelson Miles. As chief scout, Kelly’s extensive knowledge about the Yellowstone and upper Missouri River basins proves to be invaluable to the military which is bringing the Sioux and Cheyenne under control. Following his service in Montana, Kelly spends time in western Colorado, Alaska, the Philippine Islands, and Arizona. Upon his death in California in 1928, Kelly’s remains are returned to Montana, where he is buried atop of the rimrocks above Billings.

July 27, 1941-

Chan Romero, rock-and-roll recording artist, is born in Billings. Romero is the author of “The Hippy Hippy Shake.” Romero originally records his song in 1959, hitting the national charts in the early part of 1960. A group called the Swinging Blue Jeans has a hit with the song during the British Invasion Year of 1964. The Beatles also record Romero’s song on two different occasions. In 1988, “The Hippy Hippy Shake,” performed by the Georgia Satellites, is featured in the Tom Cruise motion picture, Cocktail. Chan Romero is still active with his singing family, recording gospel music in the Billings area.

July 27, 1987

The Billings Mustangs of the Pioneer League defeat the Salt Lake Trappers 7 to 5 at Cobb Field in Billings. The Mustang victory ends the Trappers’ twenty-nine game winning streak, the longest streak in professional baseball history.

From Montana Dateline by Ellis Roberts Parry.

July 26, 1840

The first Catholic Mass in Montana is conducted by Father DeSmet near the Red Rock Lake area west of what is now the Yellowstone Park area.

July 26, 1979

Actress Raquel Welch arrives in Billings for on-location shooting of the television movie The Legend of Walks Far Woman. Portions of the film are also shot in the Red Lodge area.

From Montana Dateline by Ellis Roberts Parry.

- The 90th Annual Hill Climb will be held on Saturday. Sponsored by the Billings Motorcycle Club, these guys are either very brave, just plain crazy, or probably a little bit of both.

- Evel Knievel Days in Butte, America continue in the Mining Town; this year is bittersweet for lots of folks, as it is the first Days event since the passing of one of Montanan’s favorite sons.

- Clark Days celebrates not a famous candy bar but rather the arrival of Capt Clark at what is now known as Pompey’s Pillar.

- And the weekend’s big attraction: the Montana State Fair in Great Falls! Shameless plug: if you’re looking for stuff to do in Great Falls besides the fair, be sure to check out the Greater Falls blog.