The Saga Of Conrad

Charles E. Conrad that is...& that's the book we're reading up at the Marias Heritage Center here in Shelby. Kalispell attorney James E. Murphy's tome is "Half Interest in a Silver Dollar: The Saga of Charles E. Conrad," & it's a good one! The life of Charles E. Conrad & the history of Fort Benton, Montana Territory, are so intertwined that the story of 1 can't be told independently of the other. At the time Mr. Conrad came to Fort Benton, the tiny settlement was in its infancy. Charles Conrad & his brother William soon developed the most extensive merchandising & supply transportation system in all the west. As river transportation died out with the coming of the railroads, Conrad moved from Fort Benton to Kalispell. it took him 34 years to build his fortune & his empire, yet in less than 20 years it was gone! See you tonight (Tuesday) at 6 o'clock SHARP for more Montana History reading at the Heritage.