Costco to Host Book Signing for Local Authors of Fort Missoula & Missoula

MISSOULA, Mont. - April 20, 2015 - PRLog -- Local authors Tate Jones and Stan Choen will be signing copies of their books, Fort Missoula and Missoula, at the Missoula Costco on Saturday, May 2nd. Each book features fascinating vintage images that explore the history of this unique Montana locality.

Born of perceived military necessity and local economic boosterism, "the beautiful little post on the Bitterroot" provided a home for the US Army in Montana from 1877 onward. Called into service almost by accident for the 1877 Nez Perce War, Fort Missoula hosted African American Buffalo Soldiers, aviation pioneers, early military automobile mechanics, Civilian Conservation Corps workers, World War II Italian and Japanese national internees, US military prisoners, and a variety of US Army and Navy units. The base bequeathed to its community a level of sophistication and a connection to the national story unique to the American West. Fort Missoula's architectural legacy also reflects the nation's journey from frontier settlement to world power as an assortment of log structures evolved into "the Million Dollar Post."

Situated in a broad valley with three rivers--the Clark Fork, the Blackfoot, and the Bitterroot--is Missoula, the second largest city in Montana. The city is the hub of commercial, governmental, educational, recreational, cultural, and health resources in the western Montana region. Missoula was originally founded in 1860 as Hellgate Village, four miles west of present-day Missoula on the current Mullan Road. The original founders moved to the present site, what is now downtown Missoula on the Clark Fork River, built a mill (1864-1865), and called the site Missoula Mills. This mill, along with the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1883, the establishment of the state university in 1893, and the growth of the timber industry, enabled the town to grow on both sides of the Clark Fork River. Through photographs, Images of America: Missoula follows the growth of Missoula into the city it is today, with a population of over 60,000.

Tate Jones is a Missoula native and holds a master of arts degree in history from George Washington University. He serves as executive director of the Rocky Mountain Museum of Military History and vice president of the Northern Rockies Heritage Center, both located at Fort Missoula.

Stan B. Cohen has been an author and publisher in Missoula for 36 years and has helped found two historical museums in town. He serves on several other historical boards and organizations. The images in the book are from his personal collection, archives in Missoula and Helena, and many private collections and individuals.