3-7-77

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Montana Highway Patrol patch Montana Highway Patrol.jpg
Montana Highway Patrol patch

3-7-77 is a symbol originally used by the Montana Vigilantes, a 19th-century vigilance committee in Virginia City, Montana, United States.

Contents

Historic examples

Robber's Roost in Madison County, Montana is listed on the National Register of Historic Places Robber's Roost, Madison County, Montana.jpg
Robber's Roost in Madison County, Montana is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

When the numbers "3-7-77" were painted on a tent or cabin, it was a warning that the occupants could face vigilantism if they did not leave the area. In 1917, union organizer Frank Little was lynched, and a note pinned to his body read, "Others take notice, first and last warning, 3-7-77." [1]

Modern examples

The numbers are used on the shoulder patch of the Montana Highway Patrol. The Association of Montana Troopers website says the patch:

Is emblematic of the first organized law enforcement in Montana. The Montana Highway Patrol, in adopting this early symbol, honors the first men in the Montana Territory who organized for the safety and welfare of the people. [2]

The symbol appears on the flight suits of pilots of the Montana Air National Guard, [3] and the flight patch of the Montana Army National Guard Medevac unit 1189th GSAB – Vigilantes.[ citation needed ]

The symbol is the logo of Big Sky Brewing Company of Missoula, Montana. [3]

Some floats in the Vigilante Day Parade in Helena, Montana, display the numbers 3–7–77. [3]

Origin

Theories regarding the origin and meaning of the symbol include:

References

  1. Carroll, Rory (September 21, 2016). "The mysterious lynching of Frank Little". Guardian. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Association of Montana Troopers | 3-7-77 Information". www.montanatrooper.com. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Furshong, Gabriel (May 29, 2019). "Montana's vigilante obsession obscures the truth". High Country News.
  4. Maclean, Norman (1992). A River Runs Through It and Other Stories . New York: Pocket Books (Simon & Schuster). p. 33. ISBN   0671776975.
  5. Allen, Frederick (2004). A decent, orderly lynching: the Montana vigilantes. Norman, Okla: Univ. of Oklahoma Press. ISBN   978-0-8061-3637-0.[ page needed ]
  6. Aslam, Nadeem (2008). The Wasted Vigil. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN   978-0-571-23880-4.
  7. Rex C. Myers (Autumn 1974). "The Fateful Numbers 3-7-77: A Re-Examination". Montana: The Magazine of Western History. 24 (4). Montana Historical Society: 67–70. JSTOR   4517928.
  8. Allen, Frederick, "Montana Vigilantes and the Origins of 3-7-77", Montana: The Magazine of Western History, Vol. 51, No. 1 (2001)