Collections Overview

A living archive of Montana’s New Deal landscapes, stories, and community memory.

Our collections bring together the places, people, and histories that shaped Montana during the New Deal era. Each item in this archive is part of a larger story — one that connects counties, communities, and generations through shared heritage and lived experience.

What You’ll Find Here

Narrative-driven profiles of New Deal projects across Montana’s 56 counties — from CCC camps and WPA schools to shelterbelts, bridges, and community halls. Each county page is built to empower local ambassadors and highlight community memory.

Curated sets that explore statewide patterns:

  • Land Utilization Project

  • Rural electrification

  • Shelterbelt ecology

  • Public works & civic architecture

  • Youth programs & 4-H heritage

Interviews, field notes, and community-submitted stories that bring Montana’s New Deal legacy into the present.

How to Explore the Collections

This archive is designed for students, researchers, county ambassadors, museum partners, and community members. Each collection links outward to county pages, maps, interpretive essays, and field documentation.

  • Start with a county page to explore local projects

  • Browse thematic collections to see statewide patterns

  • Use the Cultural Landscape Archive for deeper research

  • Submit stories or materials to help grow the archive

 

Featured Collections

  • CCC in Eastern Montana — Camps, projects, and youth labor shaping the plains

  • WPA Schools & Civic Buildings — Architecture that built community identity

  • Shelterbelts & Ecological Legacies — Living infrastructure across the High Plains

  • Montana’s Land Utilization Project — A story of land, people, and resilience

Help Us Grow This Collection

Montana’s New Deal heritage is a shared story. If you have photographs, documents, family stories, or local knowledge, we invite you to contribute. County ambassadors and museum partners play a vital role in expanding this archive.

Share Your Story

Looking for Maps, Field Notes, or Project Data?

The Cultural Landscape Archive provides detailed documentation of New Deal sites across Montana — including maps, site descriptions, ecological notes, and interpretive essays.

Explore the cultural landscape archive