Unique Source of Montana History Information

Historical research sometimes takes a writer to unusual places and sources.  For the past several days I have been searching for information in two books that have proven to be both interesting and informative. 

From the quarries of Last Chance Gulch; a "news-history" of Helena and its Masonic lodges, covering the 25-year period in Helena's history from the discovery of gold in Last Chance Gulch in 1864 to the coming of statehood to Montana in 1889. by William C Campbell, published in 1951, caught my eye while I was browsing through the Montana section of my local library.  I know that the Freemasons played a large role in Montana territorial and state history so I added it to the pile of books I was checking out.  I also picked up Volume II, which covers the years 1890 to 1900.

Even if you aren't interested in the history of the Masonic lodges of Helena, these two books are a good read for anyone interested in the history of Helena and the rest of the state.  They provide readers with a glimpse of the social customs, mining, ranching financial and political history, and since they are arranged in chronological chapters, they also provide a timeline of the state's history for those years.   

I am happy to say that I found the information I was looking for in these two books and they will be included in the bibliography of my next book.