"1848, Montana Territory"

An opening title of Grayeagle(1977), over an image of an Indian village, says:

"1848, Montana Territory".

There was no Montana territory until 16 years later, in 1864. So if the title is considered to be fictionally accurate, the location must be somewhere in what later became Montana territory in 1864 and the state of Montana in 1889.

The US government often changed the borders of US territories and created new territories.

Most of what is now Montana was part of an unorganized territory from 1821 to May 3, 1854. On May 30, 1854 it became part of Nebraska territory. On March 2, 1861 it became part of Dakota territory. On it became part of Idaho Territory. On March 4, 1863 all of Montana became part of Idaho Territory. On My 26, 1864 Montana Territory was created with the present borders of the state of Montana.

The northwestern part of present Montana was part of Oregon territory, then Washington Territory, and then Idaho Territory, until it became part of Montana territory in 1864.