The Society of Montana Pioneers was founded on September 11, 1884, in Helena, Montana, to honor and document the histories of Montana pioneers who were resident in the territory at the time it became a Montana Territory, May 26, 1864. In 1909, the society changed its membership rules to admit pioneers who were resident the territory prior to December 31, 1868. In 1899, the society boasted 1536 active members out of a one time total of 1808. The society did not consider individuals who were assigned to Montana on military duties, individuals who were deemed outlaws such as Henry Plummer of Bannack, or Indians as eligible for membership in the society.

On August 18, 1892, a junior society was founded—The Sons and Daughters of Montana Pioneers—to perpetuate the tradition of the pioneers by their progeny.

History In the summer of 1884, many Montana pioneers were unsatisfied with the Montana Historical Society and its more formal approach to the preservation of Montana History. In response, they decided to form a more populist society and made this call:

By September 1884, sufficient numbers of pioneers had committed to forming the society. A meeting was scheduled on September 10, 1884, at the Court House in Helena, Montana. Sixty-six pioneers from eleven Montana counties signed the notice.

County societies Society members living in Montana counties with a large number of members formed local county orgy sessions. Pioneers' Society of Beaverhead County–1887 Gallatin County Pioneer Society No. 1–November 23, 1893 Jefferson County Society of Pioneers of the State of Montana–December 10, 1897 Lewis and Clarke [sic] County Society of Montana Pioneers–1897 Pioneer Society of Madison County–1888 The Teton County Society of Montana Pioneers–January 23, 1895

Officers

1884–1899 1900–1961 1884 President: James Fergus Recording Secretary: George W. Irvin, II Corresponding Secretary: Wilbur F. Sanders Treasurer: Samuel T. Hauser 1885 President: Walter W. DeLacy Recording Secretary: John Russell Wilson Corresponding Secretary: Cornelius HedgesMember of Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition to Yellowstone in 1870 1886 President: Granville Stuart Recording Secretary: James U. Sanders Corresponding Secretary: Cornelius Hedges Treasurer: Samuel T. Hauser 1887 President: Frank H. Woody Secretary: James U. Sanders Treasurer: Samuel T. Hauser 1888 President: Wilbur F. Sanders Secretary: Cornelius Hedges Treasurer: Samuel T. Hauser 1889 President: Anton M. Holter Secretary: Cornelius Hedges Treasurer: Theodore H. Kleinschmidt 1890 President: William A. Clark Secretary: Cornelius Hedges Treasurer: Henry M. Parchen 1891 President: Samuel Word Secretary: Cornelius Hedges Treasurer: Theodore H. Kleinschmidt 1892 President: Walter Cooper Secretary: Charles D. Curtis Treasurer: Cornelius Hedges 1893 President: Walter Cooper Secretary: Charles D. Curtis Treasurer: Cornelius Hedges 1894 President: John T. Conner Secretary: Charles D. Curtis Treasurer: Theodore H. Kleinschmidt 1895 President: Conrad Kohrs Secretary: Theophilus Muffly Treasurer: Theodore H. Kleinschmidt 1896 President: William L. Steele Secretary: Theophilus Muffly Treasurer: Theodore H. Kleinschmidt 1897 President: Nickolas Kessler Secretary: Theophilus Muffly Treasurer: Theodore H. Kleinschmidt 1898 President: Henry Elling Secretary: James U. Sanders Treasurer: Anton M. Holter 1899 President: Henry Elling Secretary: James U. Sanders Treasurer: Anton M. Holter 1900–President: Henry F. Edgar 1901–President: Augustus F. Graeter 1902–President: Timothy E. Collins 1903–President: O'Dillon Whitford 1904–President: Cornelius Hedges 1905–President: John P. Thomas 1906–President: Paul McCormick 1907–President: Charles S. Warren 1908–President: Andrew J. Fisk 1909–President: Warren C. Gillette 1910–President: William Y. Pemberton 1911–President: Rod D. Leggat 1912–President: Mortimer H. Lott 1913–President: Martin Maginnis 1914–President: James M. Page 1915–President: John W. Blair 1916–President: George W. Morse 1917–President: Frank D. Brown 1918–President: Charles W. Hoffman 1919–President: William A. Clark 1920–President: John F. Bishop 1921–President: Charles W. CookMember of Cook–Folsom–Peterson Expedition to Yellowstone in 1869 1922–President: William A. Coleman 1923–President: Richard Lockey 1924–President: Thomas R. Moore 1925–President: Mary Valiton 1926–President: Alfred W. Orton 1927–President: Patrick Carney and Mrs. M. F. Trask 1928–President: Wylls A. Hedges 1929–President: Molly Kline 1930–President: David Heilgn 1931–President: W. C. Cerron 1932–President: Miles Cavanaugh 1933–President: Merling Held 1934–President: Henry Evans 1935–President: Augusta Trask 1936–President: Andrew Erickson 1937–President: John H. Miller 1938–President: Will Cave 1940–President: Jeannie Ennis Chowing 1941–President: Mary Evans 1942–President: Joseph Larson 1943–President: Joseph Larson 1944–President: Augusta Trask 1945–President: William L. Milligan 1946–President: Henry M. Morgan 1947–President: William K. Burns 1948–President: Julia R. Elledge 1949–President: Mary Doane (wife of Gustavus Cheyney Doane) 1950–President: Byron Wickham 1951–President: Lumen W. Allen 1952–President: Tom H. McCauley 1953–President: Fannie Davis Ennis 1954–President: Fannie Davis Ennis 1955–President: Helen Allen Conrad 1956–President: Henry R. Daems 1957–President: Julie Mae Stock 1958–President: Julie Mae Stock 1959–President: Josephine Gilg 1960–President: Luman Allen 1961–President: Luman Allen

Sons and Daughters of Montana Pioneers On August 18, 1892, during their annual meeting, the Montana Pioneers established The Sons and Daughters of Montana Pioneers as a society to preserve the legacy of the original pioneers. Membership in the society is open to any linear descendants of the original members of the Society of Montana Pioneers. The Sons and Daughters Society was instrumental in obtaining land for the construction of the Veterans and Pioneer Memorial Building at the state capitol in Helena. The records of both societies are maintained there.

Publications In 1899, James U. Sanders, long-time secretary of the society and the Montana Historical Society librarian organized the publication of Volume I of Society of Montana Pioneers-Constitution, Members, Officers with Portraits and Maps... The volume details the foundation of the society, lists the officers up to 1898 along with details of the various country societies. It includes short biographical sketches of members from each county. Other than short newspaper articles, the society did not publish another volume.

In 2001, under the editorial leadership of Linda Wostrel, Historian of The Sons and Daughters of Montana Pioneers, a volume of 91 biographical remembrances was published under the title: Dreams Across The Divide-Stories of Montana Pioneers with a foreword by Stephen Ambrose, author of Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West (1996).

Dissolution On August 24–25, 1962, during their 78th annual meeting, held in Butte, the eight surviving members of the society and The Sons and Daughters of Montana Pioneers elected to dissolve the original society. Lumen W. Allen, the last survivor of the Society of Montana Pioneers died on February 19, 1970, at the age of 102 in Butte.

Notes