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Montana

Political repression plays out state by state — shaped by local institutions, prosecutors, and movements for defense. These are the documented political prisoners and cases the census holds for Montana.

124Documented
0In custody
73Released

Eras of repression in Montana

Where Montana’s entries fall across the census’s historical eras.

1910s 58 1940s 30 1980s 23 1930s 4 1800s 3 1900s 2

Documented cases

124 entries in the census — every one stays in the record, whether the case is open or closed.

Frank Little
Released
Frank Little was arrested on September 29, 1909 in the Missoula IWW street-speaking free-speech fight in Monta...
Harry Lucas
Released
Henry F. Lucas, known as Harry, was an Ohio-born cook working near Wise River. He was convicted of sedition fo...
Albert E. Maken
Released
Albert E. Maken, named Albert Edward Maker on the prison intake form, was an English-born laborer prosecuted f...
Herbert Mansolf
Released
Herbert Mansolf was a Montana worker prosecuted for state sedition in Missoula County during World War I. His...
William McKee
Released
William R. McKee was an Illinois-born farmer and former merchant and hotelkeeper who moved to Montana in 1917....
Frank McVey
Released
Frank McVey was an Illinois-born laborer convicted of sedition after an argument at a restaurant in Logan, Mon...
Terry Messman
Released
Terry Messman was a journalist, Christian peace activist, and organizer for unhoused people. His first anti-nu...
Darla Messman-Rucker
Released
Darla Messman-Rucker, also known as Darla Rucker, was a Montana and California anti-nuclear organizer. On Good...
Alfred Miller
Released
Alfred Miller was the editor of the Producers News at Plentywood, Montana, held for deportation to Nazi German...
August A. Miller
Released
August A. Miller, named August Adam Miller on his intake form, was an Austrian-born rancher prosecuted for Mon...
Joe Reilly
Released
Joseph Reilly was an Irish immigrant and miner imprisoned under Montana’s sedition law after statements made i...
Leo Reno
Leo Reno, also known as Leopold Rheno, was an Austrian-born cook living in Helena. He was jailed and later sen...
Fred Rodewald
Released
Frederick H. Rodewald was a German-born carpenter and homesteader near Sumatra, Montana. He was convicted of s...
Herman Rohde
Released
Herman Rohde was a German-born farmer prosecuted for Montana state sedition in Custer County. The original pri...
John Ruck
Released
John Ruck was from Helena, Montana. John Ruck began serving a three- to six-year prison sentence on April 16,...
Fay Rumsey
Released
Fay P. Rumsey was a rancher in the Sarpy Creek area of Montana. He was imprisoned for sedition after statement...
Janet Smith
Released
Janet Smith was a rancher and the postmistress at Sayle, Montana. She and her husband William were prosecuted...
William K. Smith
Released
William K. Smith was an Ohio-born rancher in the Sayle area of Montana. He and his wife Janet were prosecuted...
E. V. Starr
Released
E. V. Starr was from Montana. E. V. Starr was convicted for refusing to kiss the flag and sentenced to ten to...
George Adam Steck
Released
George Adam Steck was a German-born bartender and weaver living in Helena. His sedition prosecution concerned...
Fred Vogel
Released
Fred Vogel was a Swiss immigrant who worked as a sheepman, farmer and butcher in Fergus County. A dispute invo...
Frank Oscar Waara
Released
Frank Oscar Waara was a Swedish-born immigrant and laborer prosecuted in Gallatin County for statements favori...
Martin Wehinger
Released
Martin Wehinger was an Austrian-born freighter and rancher near Miles City. He was convicted under Montana’s s...
Harry Peter Wolf
Released
Harry Peter Wolf, also recorded as Wolff, was a carpenter and laborer imprisoned in Montana for sedition durin...

Institutions in Montana

Prisons, jails, and detention centers in Montana that appear in the census’s case files.

Montana State PrisonDeer Lodge, Montana
36 cases
Fort Missoula Internment CampMissoula, Montana
29 cases
Carter County Jail
1 case
Fergus County Jail
1 case
Granite County Jail
1 case
Missoula County Jail
1 case