Montana Biography

United States Montana  Montana Biography

Biographies provide useful genealogical information such as a person’s birth date and place; names of family members, including maiden names; education; occupation; and social, political, and religious affiliation. They may also contain a physical description of the person, previous residences, and immigration information. Biographies are the product of family knowledge or previous research about early settlers and prominent citizens of a state, county, or town. Local histories may contain biographical sketches of lesser-known people.

The Montana Historical Society has an extensive collection of biographical materials. There is no statewide biographical index or major manuscript collection. You may find information in the biographical sections of state, regional, and county histories.

Biographical Encyclopedias
Representative biographical encyclopedias for Montana are:


 * Progressive Men of the State of Montana. Chicago, Illinois: A. W. Bowen and Company, 1901. . Digtial version at: Internet Archive


 * Stout, Tom. Montana, Its Story and Biography. . . . Three Volumes. Chicago, Illinois: American Historical Society, 1921. . An every-name index is available on . Digital version at Internet Archive: (Vol. 1), (Vol. 2), (Vol. 3)


 * Note: Volumes 2 and 3 contain biographical sketches.


 * Sanders, James U. Society of Montana Pioneers: Constitution, Members and Officers, with Portraits and Maps. Volume 1. Akron, Ohio: Society of Montana Pioneers, 1899. . Digital version at: Ancestry ($).


 * Note: Contains brief biographies of settlers who arrived in Montana before the territory was established in 1864.

Websites

 * Online Books - Montana