Montana Magazine has Albert Bierstadt, John Owen, the Baker Massacre and more

Press release

The Spring 2018 issue of Montana The Magazine of Western History begins with a look at the role of artist Albert Bierstadt in the genesis of the conservation ethic in the United States.

Through his artwork, Bierstadt expressed genuine concern for the Native people and wildlife of the West and helped inspire the protection of its landscapes. The author of this piece is Peter Hassrick, Ph.D., director emeritus and senior scholar at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming.

Montana anthropologist Sally Thompson recounts the incredible five-month journey of Bitterroot Valley trader John Owen to The Dalles and back in the spring and summer of 1858, during which Owen and his party found themselves thrust into the center of violent unrest and armed conflict between Columbia Plateau tribes and the U.S. Army.

In an article regarding the infamous Baker Massacre, retired Penn State University history professor Rodger C. Henderson compares the military's official accounts to those of survivors in this re-examination of the tragic incident in which the U.S. Army killed a friendly band of Piegan (Blackfeet) Indians along the Marias River in 1870.

Finally, film archivist Kelly Burton gives us a glimpse into the Montana Historical Society's Edmund B. Craney Film and Media Archives, which houses over 8,500 historical moving images.

Enjoy these fascinating articles, as well as some book reviews, in the Spring 2018 issue of Montana The Magazine of Western History, available now on newsstands across the state or with membership in the Montana Historical Society. To obtain more information on subscriptions, call 406-444-4708 or visit the society website at http://www.montanahistoricalsociety.org/.