3-7-77

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3-7-77 was the symbol used by the Montana Vigilantes (Vigilance Committee, a type of self-protection committee) in Virginia City, Montana . People who found the numbers “3-7-77” painted on their tent or log cabin knew that it was better to leave the area or to face serious fear of the vigilantes for their lives.

Origin of the sign

The numbers are used on the shoulder badge of the Montana Highway Patrol, who claim they do not know the original meaning of the symbol, despite the fact that the Association of Montana Troopers website says, “However, regardless of its meaning, the number 3-7-77 is a symbol for the first organized law enforcement in Montana. In adopting this early symbol, the Montana Highway Patrol honors the first men in the Montana Territory who stood up for the safety and wellbeing of the people. For the same reason, the Association of Montana Troopers has continued this tradition by also placing the legendary number sequence 3-7-77 on its badge ”.

The symbol will also appear on the overalls of the drivers of the Montana Air National Guard and on the flight badge of unity Montana Army National Guard Medevac Unit 1189th GSAB - Vigilantes . It also appears under the bottle cap of some Big Sky Brewing Company beers.

Various theories have been put forward about its importance.

  • The numbers represent the English dimensions for a grave (3 feet wide × 7 feet long × 77 inches deep).
  • Frederick Allen wrote in his book A Decent Orderly Lynching, The Montana Vigilantes that the number would mean a person had to buy a $ 3 ticket for the next 7:00 a.m. stagecoach to make the 77- mile journey from Helena to Butte, Montana .
  • The number set could have something to do with the date March 7th, 1877, since the first meeting of the Masons was on March 7th, 1877 in Bannack, Montana . Many of the members of this lodge were originally vigilantes.
Bannack Lodge 16 in Bannack Montana
  • The Bannack Masons (English: Masonry or Freemasonry called) applied for a charter for a Masonic lodge in 1863 . Later in 1871, Bannack Lodge 16 opened and stayed open until 1921 when it merged with Dillon Masonic Lodge. In 2000 the Bannack Historic Lodge 3-7-77 was organized by the Grand Lodge of Montana.
  • The same source (The Bannack State Park Guide) also says that Bannack Masonic Lodge 16 was built as a combination of a lodge and a school in 1874 when they saw the need for a school. The proposal to hold the first Masonic meeting in Bannack came long before March 7, 1877.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Association of Montana Troopers, 3-7-77, In: montanatrooper.com English, accessed July 9, 2020
  2. ↑ Long, Nick. Personal interview, August 13, 2009 (English).
  3. ^ Norman Maclean and Ivan Doig: A River Runs Through It . New York, New York: Pocket Books (Simon & Schuster), New York 1992, OCLC 670307634 (English).
  4. ↑ Frederick Allen: A decent, orderly lynching: the Montana vigilantes . Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, Norman 2009, OCLC 318456476 (English).
  5. ↑ Historic Masonic Lodge 3-7-77, In: bannack.org (English)