Montana Medicine Show: Prairie Radicals

Welcome to the Montana Medicine Show. I'm Derrick strong. Before there were red states and blue states the big sky country had a Red County and throughout the 1920s the only town in America governed by self-proclaimed Communists was plenty wood Montana the railroad arrived in 1910 soaring grain prices during World War One brought hordes of homesteaders to Sheridan County plenty wood thrived. But following the war to end all wars drought and depression devastated northeastern Montana desperate and angry farmers turned to socialism. The radical Nonpartisan League advocated state ownership of banks grain elevators and railroads in 1018 plenty Woods prairie radicals formed the people's publishing company. Minnesota newspaper man Charles red flag Taylor quickly won favor with the region's hard hit homesteaders historian Lowell Dyson described Taylor as a quote 300 pound giant of prodigious energy who could use his fist in a political brawl but preferred his acid pen. Taylor's

mouthpiece was his newspaper the producers news from one thousand twenty two thousand nine hundred twenty six Sheridan County was one of the most class conscious areas in the nation. Farmers swept a host of communist candidates into office and even elected Taylor to the state Senate. Communists influence wane during the New Deal of the 1930s. Still for decades after Taylor's revolution people frequently called Sheridan Montana's Red County. From the KGO TV studios. I'm Derek strong. In Montana medicine shows supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. A private corporation funded by the American people.