The Bozeman Courier Archive 

The Bozeman Courier began life as the Bozeman Avant Courier in 1872, only eight years after the city of Bozeman was established. Like the town itself, the newspaper saw many changes. In 1882, the publication became the Weekly Avant Courier. This name would only last until 1889, when the paper reached slightly into its past for its next name: the Avant Courier. In 1905, the Avant Courier merged with the Gallatin County Republican to become the Republican Courier. From 1913 to 1919, the paper was known as the Weekly Courier. The final name change occurred in 1919 when the paper became the Bozeman Courier.

Editorship of the Courier changed less frequently than its name, but not by much. Between 1922 and 1927, the Courier had three editors. S.C. Moore was editor in 1922 and presumably 1923, though no editor was listed for that year. F.W. Egleston became managing editor in 1924 and handed that role to W.W. Casper the next year.

Aside from news of the town, the paper covered agriculture news and events at Montana State College (later Montana State University). For example, the June 4, 1924 issue contains headlines ranging from "Montana State College Graduates Largest Class, Saturday June 7" to "Foot and Mouth Disease Spreads." A section dedicated to state livestock news appeared in every issue, and the occasional opening of a new building on the college campus was covered. Reports of football games between the Montana State College Bobcats and the University of Montana Grizzlies documented the earlier stages of the schools' long rivalry. News of prominent Bozeman residents Nelson and Ellen Story also appeared, including stories on their respective deaths.

Although "Republican" was only part of the paper's name for a short time, the publication's political affiliation rarely wavered. Occasionally, the paper was more than clear on its position, as in this editorial also from June 4, 1924:

"Without doubt the most disgusting show of extreme Democratic partisanship that has so far reared its cobra head in this community was the recent veiled attack on President Calvin Coolidge, in which a weak and self-contradictory attempt was made to draw the former vice president into the Tea Pot Dome oil scandal."