▁in ▁late ▁July ▁ 1 8 8 4 . ▁▁ 3 - 7 - 7 7 ▁The ▁numerical ▁symbol ▁ 3 - 7 - 7 7 ▁has ▁long ▁been ▁associated ▁with ▁Mont ana ▁vig il antes . ▁Its ▁meaning ▁is ▁unclear ▁though ▁many ▁theories ▁have ▁been ▁put ▁forward ▁trying ▁to ▁explain ▁what ▁it ▁symbol ized , ▁none ▁conclus ive , ▁including ▁references ▁to ▁the ▁dimensions ▁of ▁a ▁grave , ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁time ▁a ▁mis cre ant ▁had ▁to ▁leave ▁town , ▁ass orted ▁Mason ic ▁symbol ism , ▁details ▁of ▁membership ▁structure , ▁and ▁a ▁simple ▁copying ▁of ▁the ▁symbol ▁from ▁organizations ▁in ▁Colorado ▁and ▁California . ▁Although ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁associated ▁with ▁vig il antes ▁in ▁Ald er ▁Gul ch , ▁this ▁is ▁not ▁supported ▁by ▁historical ▁evidence . ▁The ▁first ▁documented ▁evidence ▁of ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁symbol ▁in ▁a ▁vig il ante ▁scenario ▁occurred ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 8 7 9 ▁in ▁Hel ena ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁mentioned ▁in ▁a ▁newspaper ▁article . ▁A ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁dis sert ation ▁noted ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁simply ▁used ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁meeting ▁notice . ▁It ▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁the ▁uniform ▁patch ▁of ▁the ▁Mont ana ▁Highway ▁Pat rol ▁( M HP ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 . ▁M HP ▁administrator ▁Alex ▁Steph enson ▁designed ▁the ▁ins ign ia ▁and ▁explained , ▁" we ▁chose ▁the ▁symbol ▁to ▁keep ▁alive ▁the ▁memory ▁of ▁this ▁first ▁people ' s ▁police ▁force ." ▁ ▁Histor i ography ▁The ▁first