Montana The Magazine of Western History

10/02/2026

Between 1888 and 1905, Missoula hosted units from the Black Twenty Fourth and Twenty Fifth infantry regiments of the US Army. While Missoula’s overwhelmingly white population was largely welcoming to the Black soldiers, the pervasive racism of American society at the time undermined the friendly sentiment and kept Black soldiers marginalized.

In our Autumn issue, author Greg Martin examines this rift in his article "Black Infantry, White Town: A Social History of Black Soldiers in Missoula, 1888–1905,” using newspaper coverage and demographic data to document the experience of Black infantrymen in Missoula.

A researcher of Black history, Martin has a master's in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He lives in Missoula, where he serves on the board of the Friends of the Historic Museum at Fort Missoula. You can find more of Martin's work on Medium.

Not an MTHS member? Subscribe today at the link in the comments to read Martin's story and have Montana history delivered to your door four times a year!

The Historical Museum at Fort Missoula

History

09/30/2026

We're pleased to announce the launch of the Headwaters Book Prize, a new annual award recognizing the best historical nonfiction books on Montana history!

Submissions are open through January 31, 2027, and are open to books published during the 2026 calendar year. Up to three awards will be presented. First-place winners receive a bronze reproduction of C. M. Russell bookends, a cash prize of $4,000, and paid registration, lodging, and travel to the Montana History Conference, where attendance is required.

Find eligibility requirements and submission instructions at: mths.mt.gov/about/Headwaters-Book-Prize.

09/29/2026

09/29/2026

Please join us in congratulating acclaimed historian and author Jon Axline, who was named the 2026 Vivian A. Paladin Award winner at the annual Montana History Conference in Billings!
The winner is chosen by our “Montana” editorial board for the best article to appear in the magazine over the last year. Axline’s article in our Spring issue, titled “No Cause for Alarm: Flying Saucer Mania and the Montana Movie,” explored the 16mm “Mariana film” shot in broad daylight from the Legion baseball park in Great Falls on August 15, 1950.
The rare footage of “two silvery objects moving swiftly out of the southwestern blue,” was one of the most-studied sightings at the heart of the flying saucer craze that captivated the nation in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
Axline, who is retiring this week as long-time historian for the Montana Department of Transportation, earned his master’s degree in American history with an emphasis on Montana history from Montana State University in 1985. He has been one of our top contributors to “Montana” over the years, with eight bylines on topics ranging from paleontology to the construction of Montana’s interstate highways. In 2025, Axline received the Montana Historical Society's prestigious Heritage Guardian Award.
Axline said his lifelong interest in UFOs—a “guilty pleasure”—dates back to 1967 when his parents bought him a “Look” magazine special edition about flying saucers. You can read Axline’s award-winning story and listen to him talk about his research and the “Mariana film” in the YouTube link in the comments.
Congratulations, Jon! We look forward to featuring more articles from you in your retirement!
You will also find links in the comments below about the fascinating career of pioneering female journalist and former “Montana” editor Vivian A. Paladin, in whose honor this award is bestowed every year.

09/15/2026

📚Have you nominated your favorite book for our Best Books About Montana Poll? Here are a few staff faves. Vote today at the link in the comments. Poll ends Oct. 1!

09/15/2026

Registration for the 53rd Annual Montana History Conference is now open! This year's conference, "Culture Keepers, Catalysts, and Cowboys: Exploring Billings and Eastern Montana," will bring three days of history festivities to the Magic City.

📆 September 24-26, 2026
📍 DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Billings, Montana

Join us for lectures, panel discussions, workshops, networking opportunities, and tours that will highlight Billings and eastern Montana's past.

💡 Tours fill quickly, and registration prices increase after August 24. Registration closes September 14 or when full.
Full package and a la carte options are available, with pricing from $15 to $350.

Register today at: mths.mt.gov/education/index3

09/11/2026

09/10/2026

Get ready for the 2027 National History Day theme, Innovation in History: Impact, Influence, and Change with a teaching with primary sources workshop at the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota. Teachers will practice historical thinking and primary source analysis while exploring topics including the Garrison Dam in central North Dakota and coal mining on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana.

Teachers of grades 6-12 from Montana and North Dakota are eligible to apply.

The workshop is worth 9 OPI renewal units. A travel and one-night lodging stipend are provided. Space is limited. Apply by October 1.

View full workshop description to apply and learn more: https://www.ndstudies.gov/curriculum/teacher-resources/workshops/teacher-workshops.

This workshop is organized by National History Day in Montana and North Dakota.