Much of Missoula's history lies beneath the surface. As in many Old West cities, cavernous underground tunnel systems purportedly hid countless nefarious activities, from clandestine prostitution and Chinese opium dens to booze running during Prohibition. These sordid tales captivate today's residents and beg questions about the city's furtive past. Did local elite gentlemen mask their carnal habits there? Did John Wayne really use the passageways to run personal errands unnoticed? Author and urban archaeologist Nikki Manning ventures below to reconcile oral history with archaeological data in a fascinating exploration of Missoula's subterranean labyrinths.

The sixth volume in the Montana Mainstreet series, A Guide to Historic Missoula points readers to the buildings, historic sites, and parks that act as monuments to Missoula's--and Montana's--history.

Much of Missoula's history lies beneath the surface. As in many Old West cities, cavernous underground tunnel systems purportedly hid countless nefarious activities, from clandestine prostitution and Chinese opium dens to booze running during Prohibition. These sordid tales captivate today's residents and beg questions about the city's furtive past. Did local elite gentlemen mask their carnal habits there? Did John Wayne really use the passageways to run personal errands unnoticed? Author and urban archaeologist Nikki Manning ventures below to reconcile oral history with archaeological data in a fascinating exploration of Missoula's subterranean labyrinths.

In this survey of how Missoula has changed since the late 1800s, important historic sites in the city and environs are showcased in vintage and modern imagery.

Montana is a land known for soaring vistas, towering peaks, and a rich heritage. The nearly 200 photographs in this collection celebrate the unique history of America’s fourth-largest state. Ride along as photographers document life on the state’s seven Indian reservations. Witness the birth, and sometimes death, of Montana’s rough-and-tumble cities. Drawn from national and regional collections, Historic Photos of Montana offers a window into a vibrant past. Whether taken atop a mountain in Glacier National Park, or on the banks of the Yellowstone River, these photos tell stories that celebrate the people of Big Sky Country. There are images of cowboys and loggers and miners, of course, but also of shopkeepers and schoolchildren, of politicians and housewives and other ordinary citizens who made their home in Montana. Sit back and enjoy the stories these photos tell, stories rich with the majesty, grandeur, and colorful history of the Treasure State.