The West Old & New Vol. III Issue II February 2014 | Page 15

Who was the First White Woman to Set Foot in Montana?
From the Montana Historical Society's Wikipedia
There are several contenders for this distinction.
The Missoulian newspaper reported that in the spring or summer of 1855 Henry G. Miller and his wife Minnie accompanied
Dr. Lansdale, who was an agent for the Flathead, from Fort Hall to this country. The article explains that Mrs. Miller was born in
Vermont and brought up a Mormon, and resided with her parents at North Ogden, Utah, at the time of her marriage, contrary to
their wishes, and which resulted in the departure of the newly-wedded couple for Fort Hall, in order to escape the Mormon wrath.
Mrs. Miller was not more than sixteen years of age when she came to this country, and remained here for more than a year without
seeing a woman of her race. (Missoulian, January 20th, 1875)
According to the Silver State newspaper, Mrs. Alva Mason was the first white woman to set foot on Montana soil. Mrs. Mason
was married to Hugh O'Neil in Utah and the young couple came to Montana on horseback, arriving at Fort Missoula on August 20,
1858. The news article continues: Being the first white woman in Montana and the first one Indians had ever seen, she was held by
them in great wonder and accorded all the respect of a princess of their own people. (Silver State, Deer Lodge, January 28, 1915)
The February 24, 1941 Montana News Association News Inserts, reported that Mrs. Tom Brown was the first woman in Montana. The article cited that when Mrs. Brown was a young girl in Scotland a Lord was taking his lady out to the Selkirk (Red
River) settlements, wished to engage a maid to go with them. She was the only one in her village bold enough to go. She stated:
"We went to the Red River; it was very lonesome there, and most of the time I ha