Reliving the past through the pages of the Montana Post

“Look here! It says this man had to step on his mustache when he saw that princess.”

“Well you know she could not have been pretty then.” 

“Where are the Sandwich Islands and what on Earth was she doing here anyway? Keep reading darlin.” 

The scene that played out that morning in Nevada City revolved around the “latest” news from the 1865 Montana Post. While the conversation referenced is a recreation of one that took place in 2026, it could just as easily have taken place in 1865. The newspaper, and the reproductions handed out at the Living History days hosted during the Summer, has proven integral to the study of the time period and has helped the Living History volunteers fine tune their “performances” to best represent the bygone era. 

“We wanted visitors to experience history instead of just hearing about it,” said Living History coordinator Kaylee Clemmons. “There’s something special about walking down the streets of Virginia City and Nevada City while reading the same newspaper someone might have picked up over 160 years ago. It helps put people in the mindset of the time. Instead of us just telling visitors what was happening, they get to discover it for themselves through local news, advertisements, editorials and national events.”

In 1865 the streets of Virginia City were far more crowded than they are today and the newspaper represented the only news and information that most of the inhabitants would ever see of the outside world. In the absence of radio, television and internet, the paper was the sole provider of news from both near and far. 

The front page of the July 15, 1865 Montana Post includes accounts of Kit Carson’s cousin was involved in an incident that resulted in a blood war between a native tribe and settlers near Fort Benton alongside the news that Jefferson Davis had been charged with high treason in the District of Columbia and the loss of a steamer between New York and Nicaragua. The tightly packed column inches are supported by inline advertisements promoting bankers, stage lines, lumber yards and the bread and pies of the City Bakery. 

“I love that the issues are full of everyday life, like ads for local businesses, mining, community news, and little notices that probably seemed ordinary at the time but are fascinating now,” explained Clemmons. “Some of the streets and businesses that are mentioned are ones we still see and discuss today. 

These little details remind visitors that history isn’t just made up of the big moments. It’s also the day-to-day lives of the people who called this place home.”

When the Living History cast has questions about the era, it is more often than not the pages of the Montana Post where they go to search for answers. The current query revolves around baseball in the boom towns and when it got its start. In between weekends where they recreate 1865 for their guests, the volunteers are digging out more and more information about the history of the place. 

The reproductions are a lasting way for the cast to share their research and enhance the experience with the guests in Nevada City. 

“Visitors are also able to take a copy of the reproduction newspaper home with them, so they can continue reading after their visit,” Clemmons continued. “We also use the newspapers as talking points each weekend. Our volunteers reference stories and articles throughout the day to spark conversations and help draw visitors further into the world of 1865. It turns the newspaper into more than just a souvenir. It becomes another way to bring people into the past. And, each weekend that they come, will have a different edition of the newspaper, just like it would have been.”

Just like the buildings, the costumes and even the language of the Living History volunteers, the papers are from the gold rush era. 

“The newspapers we hand out are primarily from 1864 and 1865, with most of the editions coming from the summer of 1865 so they line up with the weeks of our Living History season. Those years also represent Virginia City and Nevada City’s heyday during the gold rush, so they give visitors a great snapshot of what life was like when the town was booming,” Clemmons said. 

Unlike the current trend in community newspapers that sees them focus on local events, the papers of the 1860s were the information conduit of the world and at times provided crucial information to the boom towns. 

“One of my favorites is the edition reporting President Lincoln’s assassination,” said Clemmons. “It’s really striking because the newspaper itself is printed with thick black mourning borders around the articles. Even before you start reading it, you can immediately tell that something significant has happened. It’s a powerful reminder that even people living out here in Montana Territory felt the impact of national events.”

The reprinted newspapers, which come from the archives of the Library of Congress, are just one of the unique ways that the cast of the Living History volunteer group work to recreate 1865 for the visitors to Nevada City. 

Living History runs Saturday and Sunday at Nevada City through Labor Day Weekend.