Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-04-10
PICK AND Pillow
OLD-TIME PAPER
BOZEMAN'S FIRST PUBLICATION
ESTABLISHED DEC. 81, 1863 BY
MAGUIRE AND WRIGHT
1t Had Tough Shedding and Gave up
Ghost After 18 Months But While 1t
Ran 1t Gave News of Community and
Had Part In Development.

Bozeman's first newspaper, the
Montana Pick and PlOw, was started
Dec. 81, 1869, by H. N. Mcguire and
Joseph Wright, with MIR. Mcguire
as editor. 1t was a fOur-page, six
column paper published every Friday,
the price being So a year, 81 for six
months, 81 for three months and 81
for six weeks. The circulation was
announced as 1,5OO.
A copy of the first number, pre-
served for 60 years by Mrs. w. j. Beall,
one of the early pioneers of Bozeman,
a past president of the Pioneers So
ciety of Gallatin county and for many
years historian of the organization,
was recently presented to Mrs. E. L.
Houston, secretary of the Pioneers So
ciety of Gallatin county, whose father,
the late w. w. Anderson, was n OF
the pioneers furnishing funds 1or
equipment to start the paper.
Judge Mcguire Editor
Judge Mcguire, as he was known
for a number Of years before his death
in 1903, having served a term as pro-
bate Judge of Gallatin county, began
his newspaper career by setting type
in Detroit. He engaged in newspaper
work in various ways in Chicago, st.
Louis, New Orleans, Denver and Salt
Lake City before coming to Montana
according to pioneer records. His llrSl
venture in journalism in this TERRITORY
was in the spring of 1866, when ne
became associated with Thomas Dims-
dale as editor of the Montana Post
at Virginia City, the first newspaper
in the territory.
Later he went to Helena as editor
of the Montana News Letter, n IL
1867 he journeyed to Deer Lodge, where
he was editor of the Independent. Tic
was editor and manager Of the Mon
tana Pick and Pillow for 18 months
Files of the paper were later destroyed
by fire. The plant finally fell into tho
hands Of the stockholders, who assisted
Joseph Wright in establishing tht
| Avant Courier, which started Sept. l3
1871. In 1877 w. w. Anderson pur'
chased the paper and continued IT
| publication until this paper was com
bined with the Gallatin County Re.
publican in 1904, and the combination
, is now the Bozeman Courier.
In his editorial headed Our Bow
Mr.. Mcguire says:
1--WE know positively from persona
acquaintance and former business re
lations that the best market in thi
country for newspaper intelligence !
among those who swing the pick ant
those who hold the pillow, therefor
this sheet, so long as 1t continues I'm
der Is present management, shall b
emphatically the peoples organ, FIRE
from partisan and personal shackles.
Tells Of Grand Ball
The first number OF the paper con
tanned a little more than two column
Of local news, including an account 0
a brilliant and fashionable ball o.
Christmas v at the magnificent neV
hall OF Ruffner and Warner" give
by the Bozeman Social club, with a
address during the evening by tn
president, Mr.. Mcguire. There wer
$50 couples present and after suppe
served by Mrs. Sam Scott at the Gu
house, the dancers returned to the ba
room festivities until morning.
The address given by MIR. Maguir
at the grand ball occupies two col