Disasters

DISASTERS IN MONTANA

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1910 Fire

The Northwest’s Great Forest Fire of 1910 consisted of 1,736 fires that ravaged three million acres and killed 85 (possibly 87) people, particularly during August 20 and 21. The fires were fueled by abnormally low amounts of precipitation and soaring high temperatures. Clarence B. Swim of the Forest Service declared: "the late summer of 1910 approached with ominous, sinster, and threatening portents. Dire catastrophe seemed to permeate the very atmosphere. Through the first weeks of August, the sun rose a coppery red ball and passed overhead red and threatening as if announcing an impending disaster. The firey red sun continued day after day. The air felt close, oppressive and explosive. Drift smoke clouded the sky day after day." (Miller, Don and Cohen, Stan The Big Burn The Northwest's Great Forest Fire of 1910.

Speculator Mine Disaster, Butte

On June 8, 1917, at about 11:30 p.m., a fire began in the 2,400 foot level of the Granite Mountain Shaft of the Speculator Mine. The fire was touched off by a shift boss when his carbide lamp ignited some oil-soaked electrical cable. Flames roared up the shaft to the surface and into the night sky. Of the 410 men who went to work on the night shift, 165 died. It was the worst catastrophe in the history of Butte mining.(Butte Miner, June 9, 1917)

1935 Helena Earthquakes

During the month of October, Montana's capital city was rocked by 710 quakes. The biggest jolt of the series that shook Helena rumbled in at 9:47 p.m. October 18 with a Richter Scale magnitude 6.25. It, and a second violent quake on October 31 took four lives. (Earthquakes; Vertical Files)

1938 flood and train wreck

On June 19, 1938 47 persons died and 75 were injured when a westbound Milwaukee fast train carrying 155 passengers and a crew of 10 derailed after a cloudburst washed out the Custer Creek bridge near Saugus, Montana. The 11-car train was traveling approximately 50 miles per hour when the trestle gave way at 12:35 a.m. swallowing seven of the cars. (Terry, Montana; Vertical Files)

Smith Mine Disaster, Bearcreek

The explosion at Smith No. 3 mine changed the lives of many. "Seventy-seven men descended into the shaft at the Smith Mine on Saturday morning, February 27, 1943. Three men returned alive."(Carbon County News, February 27, 1943) According to investigators thirty of the miners probably died instantly in the explosion, while the other forty-four were killed shortly after by carbon monoxide gas and lack of oxygen. (Montana The Magazine of Western History 38(2)2-13)

Hebgen Lake Quake

At 11:37 pm on Monday, August 17, 1959, southwest Montana experienced one of the severest earthquakes recorded on the North American continent. The quake shook Madison Canyon causing millions of tons of rock to slide down the mountainside damming up the Madison River. The earthquake and subsequent aftershocks buried Rock Creek campground, trapped hundreds of tourists, and killed 28 people. The Montana-Yellowstone Earthquake also damaged Hebgen dam, created a new lake, and destroyed 20 miles of new road.(Hebgen Lake Earthquake, 1959; Vertical Files)

1964 Flood

In the second week of June of 1964, the worst natural disaster in Montana's recorded history turned once picturesque creeks into raging, mile-wide rivers. For the first time since Gibson Dam was built on th Sun River, water came pouring over its top. The huge reservior, swollen by heavy snow melt and pounding rains, spilled its overflow down the face of the 200-foot-high barrier into the Sun. Dams, and railroads washed out, homes and ranches were swept away, and thirty people died. The area affected by the flooding amouted to "nearly thirty thousand square miles, or roughly 20 percent of the state." (Montana The Magazine of Western History 54(2)20-31)

1989 Helena Train Wreck

A square-mile area of Helena was evacuated on the morning of February 2, 1989 after a runaway freight train slammed into a work train causing an explosion that knocked out power to much of Helena, shattered windows a mile away, threw debris for blocks, and raised concerns about toxic gases spreading through the community. It couldnâ€™t have happened on a worse day. The temperature at the time of the accident was about 32 degrees below zero, and the resulting power outage cut heat all over town.(Helena Independent Record February 2, 1989)

2000 Fires

The summer of 2000 is a fire season marked by miracles and loss, heroism and heartache, smoky skies and blackened backyards, of evacuations, waiting, and planning. By late September of 2000 Montana reported 2,379 fires that were responsible for the destruction of 947,044 acres.(Forest Fires 2000; Vertical Files) aLL DISASTERS FROM MONTANA WIKI

WEATHER IN MONTANA

Weather has always been a critical factor in the lives of Montanans, as well as a continual source for discussion,
speculation, and tall tales.

The early miners needed to understand the weather to know when the ground would be unfrozen enough to dig,
when the creeks would have enough water for panning gold, when the snow would be too deep to get to their claims. A sudden cloudburst could wash away weeks of work. Homesteaders and ranchers needed to understand the weather
to know when to plant crops, when to calve or lamb, when to cut the hay or harvest the wheat. A sudden afternoon
hail storm could destroy an entire year's work. Roadbuilders also had to understand the weather, to know
which locations would be prone to avalanches, and which could be flooded during spring runoff. The list goes on.

(Editors note: I remember so vividly my fathers description of the winter of 1930’s when the cattle froze
while standing upright.)

AFRICAN AMERICANS a-b in Montana, (last edited by Roberta, more to come Montana History Wiki

Abbott‚ Edmond D.

Abbott‚ Mary

Abby, Allyne

Adair, C.C.

Adams, Albert

Adams, B.B.? Benjamin B.

Adams, Eliza

Adams, John

Adams, Leetta

Adams, Maria

Adams, Mary

Adams, Myrtle P.

Adderson, Elsie

Alberts, Lucy

Aldridge, James W.

Aldridge, Mary E.

Alexander, Crockett

Alexander, Emma

Alexander, George L.

Alexander, George W.

Alexander, Gertie?

Alexander, Joseph A.

Alexander, Rachael

Alexander, William

Alford, Oletha

Alford, William

Alici, Lloyd

Allen, Belle

Allen, Bette Lou

Allen, Elmer

Allen, G.

Allen, Herman

Allen, J.C.

Allen, Joan

Allen, John

Allen, Logan

Allen, Lois

Allen, Lucy

Allen, Mamie

Allen, Mary

Allen, Ruth

Allis, Charles

Allsup, Bertha

Allsup, Elena

Allsup, Mary M.

Allsup, Mia?

Allsup, Robert

Allsup, Sadie H.

Allsup, Thomas H. (Sr.)

Allsup, Thomas H. (Jr.)

Allsup, William

Allsup, Wm D

Alves, Louis

Alves, Mamie

Amos, Henry

Amos, J.W.

Amos, Josie

Amos, Lilly

Amos, William

Anderson, Amelia

Anderson, Arthur

Anderson, Becky

Anderson, Elenorah B.

Anderson, Florence

Anderson, Frances H.

Anderson, Francis H.

Anderson, G.F.

Anderson, Gladys J.

Anderson, Harry

Anderson, Hattie

Anderson, Helen

Anderson, Hughlie

Anderson, Jesse

Anderson, John

Anderson, Joseph J.

Anderson, Joseph W.

Anderson, Julia

Anderson, Julian (Sr.)

Anderson, Julian (Jr.)

Anderson, Lee

Anderson, Lizzie

Anderson, Lucy

Anderson, Margaret

Anderson, Mary

Anderson, Mattie

Anderson, Page Thomas

Angard, Henry E.

Antlaw, J.

Arias, Bertha L.

Arias, David B.

Arklow?, Stark

Armstead, Robert

Armstrong, Frank

Armstrong, George

Armstrong, George A.

Armstrong, Hun

Arnett, M.O.J.

Arnett, O. (Mrs.)

Arnold, Angie Mills

Arnold, James

Arnold, S. Mack

Arroyo, Julia

Artillo, Frank

Artillo, Sarah C.

Ashley, Jno.

Atherton, William

Atkins, Annie

Atkinson, E.G. (Mrs.)

Avery, Richard

B - Bin

Baggleman, William

Baines, Mary

Baines, William

Bairpaugh, Alberta M

Bairpaugh, Mary C

Bairpaugh, Rose

Bairpaugh, William Albert

Bairpaugh, William B.

Baker, Edith

Baker, Eugene (Mrs.)

Baker, Frances F.

Baker, G.W.

Baker, Harrison

Baker, Henry J., (Sr.)

Baker, Jack W.

Baker, James C.

Baker, Linnie?

Baker, Marie E.

Baker, Mary E.?

Baker, Mildred

Baker, Mrs. H.P.

Baker, Olga E.

Baker, Reuben

Baldridge, Hugh

Baldwin, Fred

Baldwin, Herbert D.

Ball, Arthur J.

Ball, Hartzell

Ball, Ida

Ball, J.P. (Jr.)

Ball, J.P. (Sr.)

Ballinger, E.J.

Balt, Benjamin

Baltimore, James

Baltimore, Lulu (Harriet)

Banker, Charles

Banks, ?? Miss

Banks, Ad E.

Banks, Annie

Banks, Earl

Banks, Elenorah B.

Banks, Helen

Bardaman, Alice

Barker, Bryant (Sr.)

Barker, Bryant (Jr.)

Barker, Leola

Barltell, Simon

Barnes, Jennie A.

Barnes, Lucy E.

Barnes, Phil.

Barnes, William H.

Barnes, Wm. H.

Barrus, Wm E.

Barry, Anna E.

Barry, William

Barthly, Simon

Bass, Alma

Bass, James E.

Bass, Jessie E.

Bass, Joseph B.

Bassett, A

Bassett, Lem

Batchelor, Samuel B.

Baxter, Arron or Aaron?

Baxter, Sadie

Baxter, Shack

Beasley, Cleo

Beasley, Sallie

Beckwourth, Jim

Bedula, Bedal

Beel, James

Belden (Bolden), James

Bell, Charles H.

Bell, Earnest

Benia? Reuia?, Felicitas

Benson, Frank

Benson, Belle

Berry, James

Berry, Maria

Berry, Mary

Berry, R.W.

Berry?, Spencer

Best, Eugene R.

Best, Evelyn G.

Best, Hazel V.

Best, James R.

Best, Montana F.

Best, Nellie

Best, William

Best, William H.

Bickford, Elizabeth M.

Bickford, Elmer E.

Bickford, H. Virginia

Bickford, Helena

Bickford, Sallie E. [Sarah]

Bigbee, Charles E.

Bigbee, Edward

Bigbee, Elizabeth

Bigbee, John

Bigbee, John H

Bigbee, Virgie

Bigbee, Virginia

Bigby (Bigbee?), Mary

Bigby, Cora

Biggerstaff, William

Biggs, W.M.

Binga, Jordan

Binga, Mary

Bingham, Henry

Bir - Broo

Bird, Fanny

Bird, George

Birthwright, Addie

Birthwright, William M.

Bivins, Claudia

Bivins, George W.

Bivins, Horace (Jr.)

Bivins, Horace W.

Bivins, Ruth

Black, Charles W.

Black, Georgie L?

Blackburn, G.M.

Blair, Charles

Blakemore, Alonzo

Blakemore, Emma

Blakemore, Fred

Bland?, Birdie

Blanks, Elizabeth

Blanks, Emma

Blanks, Luella

Blanks, Naomi

Blanks, Ruth

Blanks, William (Sr.)

Blanks, William (Jr.).

Blevins, Emily

Blevins, Frank

Blevins, Georgina

Blevins, Hiram

Blevins, William

Blossom, Chas

Blue, B.

Bohanon, Moses

Boid, Lewis

Boisa/Boice, James J

Boldin, Irvin

Bond, Joseph

Bonner, Moses

Bonney, John

Boone, Birdie

Boone, Ernest

Boone, F. May

Boone, Jane W.

Boone, Sam

Booth, Ada

Bosley, Guy M.

Bostic, Cleo

Bougard (Beauregard), Joe

Bowan, Joseph

Bowden, Artie B.?

Bowden, Charles W.

Bowden, Lizzie B.

Bowen, Ethel

Bowen, Nicholas

Bowens, George

Bowers, Florence

Bowers, J.E.

Box?, Charles F.

Boyd, Arthur

Boyd, James

Bradford, Louis

Bradford, Sarah

Bradford, Thomas

Bradley, Clarence

Bradley, Edmund

Bradley, Eleanore

Bradley, Grant?

Bradley, Jas E.

Bradley, Jessie

Bradshaw, Joseph

Braer, John M

Bramwell, Calidonia?

Bramwell, Samuel L.

Brand, Miles

Branson, A.

Brantley, Charles C.

Brantley, Susie

Brian, Melvin

Bridges, Roy

Bridgwater, Emma

Bridgwater, Herbert

Bridgwater, Hubbard

Bridgwater, Leon

Bridgwater, Mamie E.

Bridgwater, Octavia

Bridgwater, Samuel

Bridgwater, Sophia

Briggs

Brisco, Charles W.

Broadhead, Peter

Brockman, Daniel

Brockman, Daniel (Major)

Bromley, Adeline

Bronson, H. (Miss)

Brooke, Donald

Brooke, Edith

Brooke, Helen

Brooke, Robert B.

Brooke, Vivian

Brookes, Joseph B.

Brooks,

Brooks, Anna

Brooks, Dinah

Brooks, Elizabeth

Brooks, Jesse Lee

Brooks, Jessie

Brooks, Lenna M.

Brooks, Robert A.

Brooks, Thomas

Brow - By

Brown, ??

Brown, Alice

Brown, Alicia

Brown, Annie

Brown, Arthur

Brown, Becky

Brown, Belmas?

Brown, Bertie

Brown, Betty

Brown, Bruce

Brown, Buella

Brown, Carrie

Brown, Charles

Brown, Chas.

Brown, Delmas J.

Brown, Dina

Brown, Donald

Brown, Doris

Brown, Dorothy

Brown, Edna

Brown, Edwin

Brown, Elbert

Brown, Eli

Brown, Elizabeth

Brown, Ella

Brown, Ethel

Brown, General R.

Brown, Geo W

Brown, Grace

Brown, Harold

Brown, Herbert N.

Brown, Hiawatha N.

Brown, Isadore

Brown, J.W.

Brown, James

Brown, James E.

Brown, Jenette

Brown, John W. (John Wesley?)

Brown, Joseph

Brown, Joseph (D.)

Brown, Katie

Brown, Lena J.

Brown, Leonard

Brown, Lewis J

Brown, Lousia

Brown, Maggie?

Brown, Mame

Brown, Mary

Brown, Mary J. (Marie, Mamie)

Brown, Millie

Brown, Minnie

Brown, Nellie

Brown, Oscar

Brown, Pearl

Brown, Ray

Brown, Raymond (Sr.)

Brown, Raymond (Jr.).

Brown, Rebecca

Brown, Richard

Brown, Richard A. (Sr.)

Brown, Robert (Jr.)

Brown, Robert (Sr.)

Brown, Robert S.

Brown, Rosa

Brown, Rozalphie?

Brown, Sallie

Brown, Saphronie?

Brown, Savada

Brown, Stephen W.

Brown, Theodore

Brown, Vera E.

Brown, W.M.

Brown, Wendel C.

Brown, Wilford

Brown, William

Brown, William (Sr.)

Brown, William

Brown, William (Jr.)

Brown, William E.

Brown, William J.

Browning, Chas.

Browning, G.E.

Browning, Isabelle

Browning, Mary

Browning, Ruth

Browning, Walker

Browning, Walter

Bruce, L.P.

Bruce, Malissa

Bruce, Mary Ellen

Bryant, Addie M.

Bryant, Edward

Buchanan, J.W.

Buck, Burton

Buckner, Daisy

Buckner, Ed

Buckner, Elnora

Bulger, Hannah

Bullet, James

Bullet, James (Mrs.)

Bullette, Marion

Bullit, Mr. ??

Bullits, Charles

Bundy, George H.

Bunton, Lottie

Burford, Allice

Burke, Freida

Burke, William

Burnett, Curtis

Burnett, Emma S.

Burnett, Helen E.

Burnett, Peter W.

Burnett, Sam

Burney, Richard

Burnham, Archie

Burns, Evelyn?

Burns, Maris

Burns, Winston

Burrows, M.

Burse, Amanza

Burton, Neal G.

Busby, Harvey

Busche, Clifford

Butler, Ella

Butler, George

Butler, Gertrude

Butler, Mattie

Butler, Sadie

Butter, John

Byrd, Albert L.

Byrd, Corrine

Byres (Byers), Albert

Byres (Byers), Hogan

Byres (Byers), Luther

Byres (Byers), Varne

TIMELINE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MT HISTORY

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