“The Red Corner”: Did Communism Really Exist in Montana?

Believe it or not, there was once a time when communism had a foothold in Montana—specifically in one small part of the state. It had such a strong influence that the area became known as "The Red Corner."

I consider myself a bit of a history buff, and when I was reading about Montana's local history, I literally said "what" out loud after discovering this fascinating piece fact. Communism in Montana? It seems almost unthinkable. So how did this take root in a state like Montana?

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During the 1920s and early 1930s, farmers in northeast Montana were struggling with financial and environmental troubles. A drought was in full effect, outrageous interest rates for the time, and railroad exports were sky high. Also you might recognize these dates because a thing called The Great Depression. Desperate for solutions, they found hope in a charismatic man named Charles E. Taylor.

The Rise of The Red Corner

Taylor arrived in Plentywood, Sheridan County, and founded The Producers News, a socialist-leaning newspaper that quickly gained influence. He was part of the Nonpartisan League, a socialist movement based in Minnesota, and through his media platform, he won over struggling farmers eager for change.

In 1924, Taylor ran for State Senator—and won. Once in power, he abandoned the Nonpartisan League and formed the Montana Farmer-Labor Party, openly embracing communist values by 1932.

The Fall of Communism in Montana

Taylor and his movement might have had staying power if not for Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. Federal relief programs like the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) helped ease the economic suffering that had fueled the movement. By 1937, the Red Corner had faded into history, and communism in Montana became little more than a strange footnote.

For those curious about this little-known chapter of Montana’s past, historian Verlaine Stoner McDonald delves deep into the story in the book, The Red Corner: The Rise and Fall of Communism in Northeastern Montana. For this article we only scratched the surface—there’s much more to uncover in this fascinating piece of local history.

Credit: History Channel, Montana Senior News