Yucca Theatre and David M. Manning Residence

David M. Manning, a legislator, contractor, and engineer known for an optimistic nature, humor, and clever problem-solving, played a major role in improving rural Montana with electricity, paved roads, dams, and irrigation systems, helping bring the state “out of the mud.” Nicknamed “The Fox,” he was regarded as a fair, patient, and visionary leader who often crossed political party lines, and he served in the Montana House and Senate from 1932 to 1985, longer than any other legislator in the nation at the time of his retirement. Just before beginning that long political career, Manning and his brother Jim designed and built the Yucca Theatre, a Hysham landmark whose grand Mission style reflected the flamboyance of 1930s theater design and whose construction in 1931 lifted community morale and expressed confidence that Hysham would survive the Great Depression. In 1936, the stage behind the movie screen was removed and living quarters were added and later expanded, creating the family home during Manning’s years of public service. In 1992, Manning’s heirs donated the theater and residence to the Treasure County ‘89ers, and the buildings now serve as a museum tied to the town’s early development and Manning’s productive career.

Hysham, Montana · United States