In this subseries of articles we shall depart a little from our usual format of spotlighting a particular ranch, farm, or enterprise and take up, rather, an aspect of Montana's history. One class of institutions persistently ran through the interviews and old photos that contributed to many of these paintings and brief histories. What would you guess it was? Oops! Darned if we didn't give away the answer in the title above.

Yes, of course, schools, and small wonder that. In the normal course of events a person spends a good part of his life in schools, and conscientious parents are vigilant...