Montana Campfire Tales: Fourteen Historical Narratives - Paperback

by Dave Walter (Author)

"No one in Montana today knows the history of the state as well as Dave Walter does. These campfire stories truly make our history come alive, putting flesh on the bones of the usual narratives."

-MICHAEL MALONE, AUTHOR OF

The Battle for Butte: Mining and Politics onthe Northern Frontier 1864-1906

"In these fourteen essays, Dave Walter gives us what K. Ross Toole repeatedly called for: grass-roots history that both entertains and educates. More than a skilled historian, Walter is the consummate storyteller. Whether setting background to the ongoing "wolf wars," recounting tragic episodes in relations between the races in Montana, or describing the real-life adventures of some of the territory's and the state's most colorful characters, Walter tells his stories in graphic detail-often tingeing the tale with his wry humor. Walter has chosen his stories craftily; each one is steeped in human interest, and in the hands of this masterful historian/storyteller, that interest is raised to its most engaging level."

-LINDA PEAVEY AND URSULA SMITH, AUTHORS OF

Women in Waiting in the Western Movement: Life on the Home Frontier

"Made from Montana's unique historical mosaic, this exceptionally well-tailored collection has deep pockets lined with the finest storytelling fabric in the state."

-DARRELL ROBES KIPP

Piegan Institute

Back Jacket

Classic Stories from Montana History No one knew more about Montana's history than the late, great Dave Walter, and no one told the state's stories with more eloquence, humor, and accuracy. This new edition of the classic Montana Campfire Tales invites readers to gather around the campfire as Walter revisits the tragic Baker Massacre, recounts Truman Everts's harrowing ordeal in Yellowstone, and sheds light on more forgotten but fascinating aspects of the Treasure State's past. Evocative historical photos and maps further bring to life the rich details in this book. Visitors and residents alike will treasure Montana Campfire Tales for many years, whether in an armchair next to a fireplace or around a fire at a campground.

Author Biography

Historian, researcher, writer, and teacher, the late Dave Walter worked at the Montana Historical Society as its reference and research historian from 1979 until his death in 2006. He contributed a regular history column to Montana Magazine, and his books included Christmastime in Montana (1990), Today Then (1992), and Will Man Fly? (1993). Dave transformed many columns into speeches and presented them the length and breadth of the state for the Humanities Montana Speakers' Bureau. Dave received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the University of Montana in 1994; the Governor's Humanities Award in 1998; the H. G. Merriam Award for contributions to Montana literature in 2001; and the Montana Historical Society Educators' Award in 2003.