Before They Had Cat Ladies and Old Maids….

…the Flathead Valley had these fellows.

This photograph taken from a historical book about the Flathead Valley caught my eye. Two of the men in the photograph advertising “Wives Wanted” are holding cats.

 

 

Adventurous men traveled to the Montana frontier in the 1800’s and 1900’s looking for work and hoping for  success.

Many men who ventured west prospered in financial success, but found that something was lacking – a wife. The west was wild and populated mostly by men, with few women. When it was time to settle down and start a family, men began placing personal advertisements in magazines and newspapers in hopes of attracting a woman from back east to join them on the frontier. Correspondence and courtship was by letter. It was not uncommon for a woman to agree to marry a man she had never met.

Did the men in the picture holding cats have the kitties for companionship? Or perhaps the purry pals were bait intended to attract feline-loving females.

_________________________

Want to know more about the exciting history of the Flathead Valley? This pictorial book may be your ticket.

 

 

2 thoughts on “Before They Had Cat Ladies and Old Maids….

  1. I was wondering if anyone had the title of this book? My family is from that area and I’d love a copy of the book/photograph.

    Thanks!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.