The Bad Old Days of Montana celebrates the stateamprsquos glorious and rowdy past. Many people born and bred here relish just how ampldquobadamprdquo things used to be the terrain the inhabitants and especially the quality of whiskey. It almost goes without saying that Montana had all the characteristic wild west elements ampmdash and in abundance The chapters focus on the infamous and notorious rather than the lawabiding and civicminded settlers. These pages like the state recount the tales of people who came west seeking if not their fortune at least opportunity. It is no secret that Montana was settled by the adventurous willing to brave the harsh conditions and to prevail. Whether on the right or the wrong side of the law all settlers and pioneers made unique contributions to the stateamprsquos complex culture. Certainly in the nineteenth century Montana was not for the faint of heart.Beginning with the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804 as the origins of the mountain men the book will offer a variety of strange tales ranging from vigilanteeism to the heyday of the Copper Kings. Many such tales were influenced by too much whiskey and greed. This book is an account of the misfits outlaws and rugged individuals who cast their mark on this most remarkable state. Populated by the native tribes before ampldquodiscoveryamprdquo by Lewis and Clark at the headwaters of the Missouri River the land that would become known as Montana was traversed by mountain men mined by gold and mineral seekers and ranched and harvested by the homesteaders. Throughout these varied waves of discovery and settlement this book explores the lessthansavory dealings the early attempts at law and order which often failed or had questionable results and the myriad of colorful characters and events that made Montana what it is today.