Indexes
The Montana Historical Society Library & Archives maintains several indexes to help researchers find materials and information about Montana History. Online indexes are available for the collections and records listed below. Other indexes are available in our Reference Room.
The Library & Archives preserves and provides access to over 1,000 newspapers published in Montana. Most of the newspapers are available on microfilm in our Reference Room and more than 70% of our microfilm collection is digitized. Some of our digitized newspapers are available for free online and accessible from our Digitized Montana Newspapers page. More digitized newspapers are available for free in-person via a public computer in our Reference Room. Please see our Newspapers Index for more information on the available Montana newspapers and where to access them. The index is searchable and organized by city. The XLSX version gives researchers the ability to sort and filter by city and county.
The Library & Archives maintains an alphabetical index of the Topical Vertical Files located in our Reference Room. The Topical Vertical Files contain news clippings, booklets, and other miscellaneous material related to different topics in Montana. The index is searchable and organized alphabetically by topic.
The Library & Archives maintains an alphabetical index of the Biographical Vertical Files located in our Reference Room. The Biographical Vertical Files contain news clippings, booklets, copies of photographs, and other miscellaneous material related to different notable people in Montana's history. The index is searchable and organized alphabetically by last name.
Ephemera Files are short-lived printed items, such as political campaign materials, promotional flyers, programs, menus, and broadsides. The Ephemera Files are accessible by visiting the Library & Archives Reference Room. The index is searchable and organized alphabetically by topic.
We have several publications containing biographical histories of Montana's leading citizens. Mostly published before 1930, these publications were subscription histories, meaning that individuals paid to have their biography included. As a result, the people described in the publications are mostly white, influential men. The subscription histories are available in our Reference Room, and some are available on the Montana History Portal. Use the index to find names of people described in the publications and the specific books where they appear.
The Photograph Archives maintains an alphabetized list of Montana photographers and studios. It contains biographical information, dates and locations of studio operations, collection numbers, and other information. The index is searchable, and the XLSX version is has the ability to sort and filter data.
The Work Projects Administration Records, 1935-1942 (MF 498) microfilm collection consists of county-wide projects throughout Montana related to federal relief activities for the state during the Great Depression. Some of these activities include drought relief efforts, educational initiatives, providing medical care, rural rehabilitation issues, sub-marginal land concerns, surplus property liquidation, work relief programs and activities relating to transient individuals. Records are organized alphabetically by county, then by project number. MTHS compiled an index for the collection, listing projects by reel number, city, county, description, and project number. Researchers should note that the WPA microfilm is very poor and in most places barely legible. The index is searchable and organized by reel number. The XLSX version gives researchers the ability to sort and filter.
The Montana Historical Society started compiling the names of African American Montanans in the early 2000s, as part of Montana’s African American Heritage Resources Project. The result of part of this work is our index of African American Montanans.
We found most of the names in the index from the 1870, 1910, and 1930 U.S. Censuses. Other names came from “non-Census” resources such as Vertical Files, obituaries, city directories, county histories, and other sources. Some of the individuals listed in the index also have files in our Biographical Vertical Files housed in our Reference Room. We strived to determine the correct spelling of these names. We listed married women who were enumerated in a Montana Census before their marriage by their maiden name, when known. The PDF index is searchable and organized by last name.
The Montana Historical Society wishes to honor and recognize Montana's Native American Veterans that have served in the U. S. Military from 1900 to today. We obtained many of these names through friends and family and identified others through public sources.
Don't see a name in the index? Please contact us at mthslibrary@mt.gov to share additional names and information.
Library & Archives staff is happy to help with research questions. Please contact us by submitting a research request.
Montana History Compass
Catalog
Search our catalog to find records from our entire collection, including library materials, archival and manuscript collections, government records, and photograph collections.
Finding Aids
Search our Finding Aids to find detailed inventories of our archival and manuscript collections, government records, and photograph collections.
