Chapter Six: Savage Habits

Land Grab is back with the first episode of the second part of our series on the history of the Missoula Mercantile Company, corporate control of Montana, and the allotment of the Flathead Indian Reservation at the turn of the 20th century in Western Montna. In this chapter, we look at the rise of Montana politician Joseph Dixon, a young North Carolinian who moved to Missoula and ascended rapidly to national office with the support of the Missoula Mercantile’s political machine. 

In Congress, Dixon worked to find a legislative means to force the Flathead Reservation open to white settlement over the vehement opposition of the Salish, Kootenai, and Pend D’Oreille tribes. At the same time, his employers- the Missoula Merc- were moving their enterprise onto the reservation, and getting in prime position to clean up once the Flathead goes on sale. 

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