3-7-77
July 28th, 2007 | by Craig |
If you’re a Montanan, and have had interaction (good, bad or indifferent) with the Highway Patrol, you’ve seen those numbers on their insignia.
The meaning of those numbers has been lost to time, and the story behind them is an interesting one, to say the least, and tied to vigilantism in Montana.
Interpretations of the 3-7-77 legend varied. Some folks would tell you that if you were to find those numbers on your door, you had 3 hours, 7 minutes and 77 seconds to leave town, or you would surely find yourself swinging form the nearest cottonwood.
Another interpretation said that it meant that the numbers represented the dimension of a grave: 3 feet wide, 7 feet long and 77 inches deep, and that if you found those numbers painted on your door, you were already marked for death.
While the Vigilance Committees were certainly not the best way to uphold the law, and were, shall we say, “selective” in their activities, one can’t help but think that it mightn’t be a bad idea to find someone, like, say, this guy on the receiving end of 3-7-77, 2nd sense.
4 Responses to “3-7-77”
By Erica on Jul 28, 2007 | Reply
That man should have his reproductive parts cut off.
By Kirk Dooley on Jul 28, 2007 | Reply
There are some revisionist historians who claim that Sheriff Henry Plumber was “stagecoached” by the Vigilance Committee (since the railroad wouldn’t reach Montana Territory for 15 years).
By Walter Greenspan on Jul 29, 2007 | Reply
According to an August 27, 2006 post at BigSkyBlog.com, 3-7-77 derives from the Masons and represented 3 principal officers and a quorum of at least 7 members would be needed for a meeeting. To these numbers, the vigilantes added the number of members present (including one dead member) at their first meeting: 77, taking 3-7-77 as a sign, both for themselves and their opponents.
Please note that the link in the posting at BigSkyBlog.com has been revised.
By Walter Greenspan on Jul 29, 2007 | Reply
The URL for the August 27, 2006 post:
http://www.bigskyblog.com/index.php?tag=3-7-77
The URL for the link that has been revised:
http://www.montanaheritageproject.org/edheritage/mont/3777.htm