Montana Places

Explored by Lewis and Clark, fought over by Native Americans and settlers, mined for gold, copper, and coal, and eventually abandoned by the industries that made it, Montana has proven itself to be the most resilient of the nation's states. Montana Places looks at the dramatic beauty of Little Bighorn Battlefield and the Rocky Mountain Front Range, as well as the character of small towns, such as Jordan and Harlowtown, that have survived economic hardship. Today's Montana is a place where traditional religious groups like the Hutterites coexist with unorthodox organizations such as the Church Universal and Triumphant, where the descendants of miners live alongside Hollywood celebrities, and where self-proclaimed "freemen" tangle with government environmentalists over control of the land. Beginning where other travel guides leave off, Montana Places is certain to provide visitors to the west as well as armchair travelers a rich, fascinating look at today's Montana and how it came to be.

Chuck Robbins' personal experiences guide the reader through the myriad public lands. He explains the geology, animal and plant life, and history of Montana's most storied and scenic locales, with a special emphasis on birds found in Montana. Out-of-staters and Montana residents alike will find much of interest in this full-color guide.

Among Montana’s most enduring legacies are the names assigned to its geographic features and places found on the state map. As long as humans have inhabited Montana they have named places. While the past two centuries have changed the way people live in Montana, the names given to some rivers, mountain ranges, cities, and towns have persisted, while others have changed with time. Naming Montana explores the origins of more than 1,000 Montana place names, drawing upon the knowledge of Montana Historical Society historians and the expertise of local historians from across the state. This new publication includes both geographic features, selected historic sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, historic photographs, and maps. The authors’ extensive research illuminates the stories behind the names of places that we call home.

Much of Montana's exciting history is visible from its storied highways. Visit a segment of the historic Bozeman Trail overlooking Virginia City, where vigilantes hanged public nuisance Joseph Alfred Slade just as his wife attempted a horseback rescue. Discover the saga of adultery, attempted murder and eventual triumph that occurred at a single stone building in the Browns Gulch area of Butte. On Highway 308 east of Red Lodge, learn more about the tragic 1943 Smith Mine disaster, where a methane explosion trapped and killed seventy-three miners. The catastrophe triggered investigations at the state and national level that resulted in improvements in mine safety. With more than two dozen stories, historian Jon Axline provides a front-seat view of the Treasure State's thrilling past, forgotten characters and overlooked oddities found by the wayside.

The Big Montana Activity Book! 100+ activities, from Kindergarten-easy to Fourth/Fifth-challenging! This big activity book has a wide range of reproducible activities including coloring, dot-to-dot, mazes, matching. word search, and many other creative activities that will entice any student to learn more about Montana. Activities touch on history, geography, people, places, fictional characters, animals, holidays, festivals, legends, lore, and more.

The Big Montana Activity Book! 100+ activities, from Kindergarten-easy to Fourth/Fifth-challenging! This big activity book has a wide range of reproducible activities including coloring, dot-to-dot, mazes, matching, word search, and many other creative activities that will entice any student to learn more about Montana. Activities touch on history, geography, people, places, fictional characters, animals, holidays, festivals, legends, lore, and more.