In the early 20th century, in the northeast corner of Montana, newly arrived homesteaders were struggling to make a living in a land where the Homestead Act had attracted them to a place that wasn't delivering on the promise of an abundant lifestyle. As farmers looked for answers to how they were going to survive, a charismatic newspaperman named Charles E. Taylor appeared in Sheridan County, starting a paper called The Producer's News, and he gave people hope.
Taylor proved to be an adept leader, and he eventually became a state senator, helping many of his friends get elected to important positions of leadership. The twist to this story is that Taylor was an avowed Communist and led what turned out to be one of the most dynamic communist movements in America in that isolated corner of Montana, which Ivan Doig dubbed The Red Corner.
This month's episode features the music of the Red Butte Band.
