Montana Historical Society
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 The Veterans and Pioneers Memorial Building, home of the Montana Historical Society since 1953, as it appeared in 1999 |
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| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | February 2, 1865 |
| Jurisdiction | Montana State Government |
| Headquarters | Helena, Montana |
| Motto | Big Sky, Big Land, Big History |
| Agency executive |
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| Website | mhs |
The Montana Historical Society (MHS) is a historical society located in the U.S. State of Montana that acts to preserve historical resources important to the understanding of Montana history. The Society provides services through six operational programs: Administration, Research Center, Museum, Publications, Historic Preservation, and Education. It is governed by a 15-member Board of Trustees, appointed by the Governor, which hires the director of the Society and sets policy for the agency. Founded in 1865, it is one of the oldest such institutions in the Western United States.
On December 21, 1864, seven months after the creation of the Montana Territory, Council Bill 15 was introduced into the Territorial legislature by Francis M. Thompson, a representative from Beaverhead County who would only live in Montana two and a half years, to create the Historical Society of Montana. The bill, "An Act to Incorporate the Historical Society of Montana", was signed into law February 2, 1865 "in order to collect and arrange facts in regard to the early history of this Territory, the discovery of its mines, incidents of the fur trade, etc." and was incorporated by Hezekiah L. Hosmer, Christopher P. Higgins, John Owens, James Stuart, Wilbur F. Sanders, Malcolm Clark, Francis M. Thompson, William Graham, Granville Stuart, Walter W. deLacy, C.E. Irvine, and Charles S. Bagg. The society is the second oldest state historical society west of the Mississippi River. On March 25, 1865, members of the society elected Wilbur Sanders President, Granville Stuart Secretary-Treasurer, and the Honorable Hezekiah L. Hosmer Historian. At the time of its founding, Granville Stuart was a merchant, Walter deLacy was the Territorial Surveyor, Hezekiah Hosmer was the Chief Justice of the Territorial Court and Wilbur Sanders was prominent in the Virginia City vigilante movement.
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