Welcome to Land Grab chapter three! In this chapter, the political intrigue really takes off on another level. Last episode, we laid out the formation of the Montana Improvement Company: a massive timber monopoly created to build the transcontinental railroad and the Anaconda Company smelter. In this episode, we dive into the actual operation of that monopoly, as Andrew Hammond, Marcus Daly, and their partners construct their illegal monopoly, draw the full ire of the federal government, and launch one of Montana’s biggest ever political conspiracies. 

All the while, the Bitterroot Salish are getting increasingly squeezed out of their homelands. Just as the Improvement Company reaches the peak of its political powers, Hammond and his partners announce plans to build a railroad branch line through the Bitterroot Valley, and start the final legislative push to forcibly remove Charlo and his people.  

Link to Greg Gordon’s book When Money Grew on Trees: Andrew B. Hammond and the Age of the Timber Baron: 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/when-money-grew-on-trees-greg-gordon/1117684711

Find out more about Land Grab, and consider making a contribution at www.landgrabpodcast.com and find us on social media @landgrabpod

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