montana history
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Montana road trip 2023, part I: Eureka, Libby, & Lake Koocanusa Scenic Byway
I know Minnesota has laid claim to the nickname “land of 10,000 lakes,” but it could just as easily be the slogan for northwestern Montana. Twenty-four hours after arriving home from Minnesota – which, for the record, was way too short a turnaround time – I was on a plane to Montana for our annual… Continue reading
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Montana road trip 2022, part V: mining history at Virginia City and Nevada City
On May 26, 1863, six prospectors discovered gold in a region of southwest Montana known as Alder Gulch. Almost overnight, the region went from a secret the men had intended to keep to themselves to a booming mining hub. Settlers rushed to the region, lured by the veins of quartz that contained large amounts of… Continue reading
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Montana road trip 2022, part II: a somber visit to Big Hole National Battlefield
On August 7, 1877, a band of approximately 750 Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) arrived in the Big Hole Valley, known to them as Iskumtselalik Pah or ‘Place of the Buffalo Calf.’ They were fleeing the US Army. For over 20 years, the US government had been stealing their land, which once stretched from western Montana to… Continue reading
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Montana road trip 2021, part V: the richest hill on earth
In Montana, the license plate on your car reveals where you live. The numbers were assigned numerically based on population; back in the day, Butte was by far the most populous city in Montana so it was assigned #1. Although it retains its #1 license plate designation, Butte is no longer the largest city in… Continue reading
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Montana road trip 2021, part IV: cowboys, old cars, & the prison museum
Next up on our Montana history tour: Deer Lodge, a small town with a surprising amount of history! We arrived mid-morning and our first stop was Grant-Kohrs National Historic Site. This is an old cattle ranch that’s still semi-active. They have horses and cattle on site and park workers give tours, talks, and demonstrations of… Continue reading
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Montana road trip 2021, part III: First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park & Gates of the Mountains
Five of the six days of our Montana road trip were beautiful – warm, sunny, no rain to speak of. Perfect weather for exploring. But naturally, the one cold rainy day of our entire trip was the day of our boat tour. Just the kind of weather you want when you’ll be sitting on a… Continue reading
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Montana road trip 2021, part II: Fort Benton & the Missouri River Breaks
If you know me – or you’ve been following this blog for a while – you know I’m a planner. Some might say I’m an overplanner. I usually have a lengthy and well-researched list of things to do at each destination. Such was not the case for these first couple days of our road trip.… Continue reading
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Montana road trip 2021, part I: waterfalls, birds, & the Lewis and Clark expedition
When my mom and I met up in Montana this summer, it was to spend a week exploring one of my favorite states, visiting a few well-known attractions and a handful of lesser-known ones in the western half of the state. Continue reading