Ripped right from the fictional cold case stories on television, author Clem Pellett relates how the Montana Historical Society Research Center helped him track down the man who killed his grandfather in 1951 and who had eluded Montana justice for more than half a century. Drawing from this experience, Pellet penned the novel, "Dastardly: The Story is Fiction, The Evil Real." (October 9, 2014; Presence of the Past Program Series)

MHS government records archivist Jeff Malcomson analyzes the dramatic changes—including the county-splitting movement and the rise of Progressive politics—that resulted from Montana's homestead boom. Malcomson also looks closely at the expanding electorate in eastern Montana and how the classic division between the eastern and western parts of the state was solidified. Presented on February 21, 2013, in the Craney Studio at the Montana Historical Society in Helena.

MHS assistant editor Christy Eckerle tells the story of Mary Frances Benton Connor, who detailed her experiences as a Hill County schoolteacher in a 1921 diary, written entirely in verse. Connor's unique approach affords a wonderful glimpse into the life of a woman finding independence as a teacher and homesteader. Presented by at the Montana Historical Society on February 7, 2013.

The State Capitol contains four paintings by the Pedretti Brothers, designed to commemorate those who have helped make Montana's history so diverse and rich.

African-Americans have historically been instrumental in Montana's military.

Not only was this former slave an entrepreneur in Montana during the Gold Rush; she is also remembered for her phenomenal aptitude for music.

History often overlooks the substantial roles that Chinese-Americans played in Montana's past.

The Fort Peck Dam project was temporary, but it attracted a diverse influx of workers, many of whom stayed and retained the sense of solidarity that they had built with the dam.

Before the completion of the Capitol building, the state legislature convened at the Merchant's Hotel.

In the aftermath of the Speculator Mine Disaster in 1917, IWW organizer Frank Little was killed by vigilantes in Butte.