Author touts Laurel, Montana’s boom-bust-boom history – "Laurel (Images of America)"

Laurel was ahead of its time, so much so that nearly 90 years ago it both busted and boomed before the rest of the nation.

Ann Kooistra-Manning, author of the new book "Laurel (Images of America)," says the town went bust when drought hit the region a few years before the Great Depression, setting many homesteaders scampering for

in-town jobs.

All three Laurel banks failed.

"For several years, no one could cash a check there," she said. "It was really a tough time."

By Mike Ferguson

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