Montana Myths and Legends: The True Stories behind History's Mysteries

by Edward Lawrence

Overview

Tales of intrigue in this book include unusual unsolved crimes, unidentified flying objects, spine-tingling ghost stories, well-documented sea creature sightings, and more. Based on historic accounts from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Montana Myths and Legends recounts several myths and mysteries from the Big Sky State's past, verifying some tales from multiple accounts and exposing some stories for what may have really occurred.

From a haunted prison in Red Lodge to persistent rumors of bigfoot appearances, from whispered descriptions of the "tommyknockers" who help miners in trouble to a famous union organizer found lynched from a bridge in Butte, this selection of fourteen stories from Montana's past explores some of the Treasure State's most compelling mysteries and debunks some of its most famous myths.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493016785
Publisher:	TwoDot
Publication date:	06/05/2016
Series:	Legends of the West Series
Edition description:	2nd Edition
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	264,937
Product dimensions:	6.11(w) x 9.06(h) x 0.33(d)

About the Author

As a child, Ed Lawrence’s goal was to become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. However, after flunking out of a pre-law program at the University of Oregon he abandoned that plan and studied literature instead. Then followed a long stint in the corporate world as a marketing type before he experienced life–change #3 and became a writer and photographer. Along the way he took up flyfishing as a hobby, and now combines his passion for flyfishing with writing for major magazines. He also authored Frommer’s Guide to Montana and Wyoming, and Frommer’s Guide to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. He lives in Bozeman, Montana.

Michael J. Ober is three generations deep into Montana’s history and lore. He was born and raised in Havre, Montana, and received both a BA and MA in history from the University of Montana, and a MLIS in Library Science from the University of Denver. He then pursued a diverse career in education at Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell, Montana, serving for forty years as library director, academic advisor, and instructor of English, Montana history, and handgun marksmanship. During the summer months he worked seasonally, for forty-four years, with the National Park Service in Glacier National Park on fire crews, as a backcountry ranger, and as a law enforcement road patrol ranger. A long-time student of Montana’s colorful past, Michael has traveled back and forth across the state to recreate and seek out places and people connected to the state’s culture and tradition. He writes freelance for several regional journals, including Montana Senior News, Montana Outdoors, Steamships Magazine, Montana: the Magazine of Western History, Mountain Outlaw and Big Sky Journal. In 2010 he authored Glacier Album, which showcases vintage photos of Glacier National Park. Michael lives in Kalispell, Montana.

Read an Excerpt

Considering the number of sightings of Unidentified, or Unidentifiable Flying Objects, by responsible members of the citizenry, it is difficult to discount the possibility that the space above Big Sky country is filled with more than commercial, recreational, or military aircraft. Could these vehicles have been driven by extraterrestrial hotrodders? Or were helicopters on secret missions manned by government agents checking for sick cattle? Or, did members of a Canadian helicopter team experience gear failure? How about, all of the above?Historians are still arguing about the guilt of Harry Plummer. Was he an honest sheriff who was wrongfully murdered by an out-of-control band of vigilantes or the leader of a gang of bandits? Most folks bet that he was the latter, some say because they don’t want to consider the alternative. The real mystery is the location of all of the loot the "Innocents" stole. Then there’s the mysterious death of the governor in Fort Benton. Did a sick man fall overboard while answering the call of nature or was he the victim of vigilantes. Or did he commit suicide? Paranormal spirits? It becomes increasingly difficult to argue their existence, especially since Ellen Baumler’s house is occupied by an uninvited guest. Beyond those questions is a mystery that involves a sheep dog named Shep, who also lived in Fort Benton.

Table of Contents

(1) Introduction (2) Who Killed Kenneth Pendleton? (3) UFOs and Cattle Mutilations (4) The Disappearance of Governor Thomas Meagher (5) Are the Pryor Mountains Inhabited by "Little People"? (6) Flathead Lake's Loch Ness Monster (7) The Prison Ghosts of Red Lodge (8) Lewis and Clark's Bear Island Boat (9) Tommyknockers (10) Frank Little's Lynching (11) The Crazy Mountains (12) Father Kerrigan's Disappearance (13) Montana's Bigfoot (14) Henry Plummer’s Gold? (15) A Dog Named Shep