This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Paris Gibson and the Rise of Great Falls Montana
Paris Gibson, born 1830 in Maine, built Great Falls from a river power site. He partnered with James J. Hill to secure land, power, and townsite tracts, guiding growth through rail expansion and industrial ventures. Gibson's civic role and Democratic politics shaped Montana’s early development and education plans.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Paris Gibson
Timothy Gibson
England
Saratoga
Burgoyne
Paine
Brownfield
Bowdoin College
Maine
Paris
Minneapolis
North Star Woollen Mills
Montana
Fort Benton
Gibson
Missouri River
Falls
James J. Hill
Great Falls
St. Paul
Minneapolis & Manitoba
Standard
Fort Shaw
Lewis and Clarke
Lucas Carnanz
Cascade Park
Far West
Mr. Hill
Missouri Enterprise
St. Paw
Epec Om
Hill
Falls of the
Missouri
Robert Vaughn
Mr. Vaughn
H. P. Rolfe
Hie Place
Sand Coulee
Manitoba
North Central Dakota
Rocky Mountains
New
Northwest
Dakota
Northern Pacific
Ira Myers
Blackfoot Milling Company
Myers
Charney Wegner
Helter Lumber Company
Wes
Great Northern Railway
Montana Central
Victona
Colonel Broadwater
Black Eagle Falls
Boston & Montana
Charlies C. Parsons
Falls of the Missouri
Lower Falls
Niagara Falls
Holyoke
Lowell
Lawrence
Lewiston
Union
State Senate
University of Montana
Seventh Legislative Assembly