How did Montana get its name?
Republican Congressman James M. Ashley gave Montana its name, deriving the word from Latin, which means “mountainous.” Ashley was also the Congressman who carried the bill to make Montana a U.S. territory in 1864.
Before Congress decided on the official name, Republicans and Democrats quarreled over whether this Latin-based word was appropriate. Many Democrats favored alternatives, such as Jefferson, Douglas, and Shoshone.
Why Jefferson, Douglas, or Shoshone? How did they settle on Montana? Read on to find out how Montana got its name.
Naming the Montana Territory
When the idea of creating the Montana Territory emerged, Idaho Territory covered all of present-day Idaho, Montana, and most of Wyoming.
In 1863, the administrative capital of Idaho, Lewistown, lay west of the Rocky Mountains on the Idaho border. Miners in Bannack and other towns east of the Rockies believed Lewistown was too far away to properly govern the eastern portion of the territory.
Shortly after, the miners appealed to Congress to create a new territory east of the Rockies. Newly appointed Idaho Chief of Justice Sidney Edgerton took up their cause. With vigilante leader Wilbur Fisk Sanders in tow, Edgerton traveled to Washington, D.C., to petition Congress and then-President Abraham Lincoln to form the Montana Territory.
Read the full story: Montana’s winding path to statehood
To their pleasant surprise, Congressman James M. Ashley had already started work on a bill to establish the Montana Territory. It swiftly passed through Congress with bipartisan support, save for some protests against the name ‘Montana’.
Where did the name Montana come from?
Congress spent a significant amount of time debating the name Ashley placed on this new territory, “Montana”. The word ‘Montana’, which means “mountainous” or “mountainous area” in Latin, first appeared as the proposed name for a small mining town near Pikes Peak, Colorado, in 1858.
Upon hearing the name, several other politicians, including Ashley, took note of it, keeping it in mind as a suitable name for a future territory in the Rocky Mountains.
First, Ashley tried to make it the official name of what turned out to be the Idaho Territory in 1863. He then set his sights on applying it to a new territory that would be cut from Idaho.
The House disapproves of ‘Montana’, suggesting alternatives
When Ashley’s bill hit the House floor, Democrats opposed the name ‘Montana’, proposing the alternative name “Jefferson”, after the founder of the Democratic Party. Ashley and his associates refused.
Further suggestions included “Douglas”, a renowned Democratic senator from Illinois, and the native word “Shoshone”. However, a delegate reminded them that Shoshone meant snake, which carried negative connotations at the time. Pro-Confederates from the North were called “Copperheads”.
Ashley’s bill with the name ‘Montana’ eventually won.
Setback in the Senate
When his bill landed in the Senate, it faced further pushback from Democratic Senators, who disliked the idea of using a classical word, arguing that a Native American word would be more appropriate. No one could come up with a suitable alternative, and they settled on ‘Montana’.
Officially Montana
In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed Ashley’s bill into law, creating the Montana Territory. The borders of Montana and its name have remained the same ever since.
People have come up with several nicknames for Montana since then, many of which have become official slogans for Montana Tourism Board campaigns, such as the Big Sky State and the Treasure State.
FAQs – How Montana got its name
Below you can find answers to commonly asked questions about how Montana got its name.
Who named Montana Montana?
Republican Congressman James M. Ashley, who carried the bill in Congress to create the Montana Territory in 1864, gave Montana its name. The word Montana originates from Latin, meaning “mountainous’, or ‘mountainous region’.
What was Montana called before it was a state?
Before Montana became a state in 1889, it existed as the Montana Territory for 25 years. Before this land became the Montana Territory in 1864, it belonged to Idaho Territory.
When was the state of Montana named?
Montana was named Montana in 1864 by Congressman James M. Ashley when it officially became the Montana Territory. It remained the Montana Territory up until 1889, when it became the 41st U.S. state, officially dropping the word ‘Territory’ from its name.
