▁and ▁H ands ome ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁un question ed ▁land mark ▁in ▁the ▁state ' s ▁literary ▁history , ▁drawing ▁significant ▁attention ▁both ▁to ▁Howard ▁and ▁the ▁causes ▁he ▁esp oused . ▁ ▁The ▁them es ▁of ▁corpor ate ▁explo itation ▁that ▁Howard ▁so ▁convin cing ly ▁and ▁el o qu ently ▁out lined ▁became ▁the ▁primary ▁focus ▁of ▁Mont ana ▁histor ians ▁for ▁a ▁generation ▁to ▁come , ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁primary ▁theme ▁in ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁K . ▁Ross ▁To ole , ▁the ▁state ' s ▁most ▁noted ▁academic ▁historian . ▁Howard ' s ▁book ▁remains ▁perhaps ▁the ▁most ▁influ ential ▁and ▁ev oc ative ▁work ▁ever ▁published ▁about ▁Mont ana ' s ▁past . ▁ ▁The ▁recognition ▁afford ed ▁Howard ▁by ▁the ▁response ▁to ▁Mont ana : ▁ ▁High , ▁W ide , ▁and ▁H ands ome ▁helped ▁open ▁the ▁doors ▁to ▁additional ▁writing , ▁research , ▁and ▁advoc acy ▁projects . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁Howard ▁res igned ▁his ▁position ▁at ▁the ▁Le ader ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁staff ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Mont ana ▁Study , ▁a ▁research ▁project ▁largely ▁fund ed ▁by ▁the ▁Rock ef eller ▁Foundation . ▁The ▁Study ▁was ▁an ▁exam ination ▁of ▁life ▁in ▁small - town ▁Mont ana , ▁with ▁the ▁goal ▁of ▁ident ifying ▁ways ▁to ▁improve ▁the ▁quality ▁of ▁life ▁in ▁such ▁places ▁and ▁thus ▁helping ▁ensure ▁their ▁pres ervation . ▁Howard ▁remained ▁with ▁the ▁Study ▁for ▁two ▁years , ▁before ▁res ign ing ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁return