Historic Sights and lots of "antiques" in Montana

Trying to catch up,,, last days have been packed, but Montana was gorgeous, our itinerary was perfectly arranged, and, we met so many people of all kinds and learned so much in three days!

On Tuesday morning, after a hearty breakfast in Billings at Stella's Kitchen with the Southeast Montana-rep, we departed for Pompeys Pillar, a good half hour west of Billings.

Nestled on the banks of the Yellowstone River, Pompeys Pillar National Monument, a sandstone formation, rises 120 feet/40 m. It is famous for the inscription left behind by William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition (1803-1806) on his way back to St. Louis. 

The original inscription above

On towards Miles City - first stop Range Riders Museum, a huge potpourri of all kinds Western, several buildings jam-packed with exhibits ranging from the age of the dinosaurs to the 21st century. Most interesting to us: the photos of  Christian Barthelmess, a German immigrant, who took great photos of Indians in the style of Edward Curtis (left photo).

Vintage & Rustics - with a historic Woolworth lunch counter (photo below) - is a store with antiques and modern artwork mixed. We had a wonderful Rootbeer Malt Float (photo on right side) and a Chocolate Shake before heading on to a Saddlery in town and a famous bar.

 

Heading out then to Tongue River Winery. There, since 2010, wines are made entirely from Montana fruit and grapes - hybrid grapes - and other fruits. Bob, the owner, started making wine in 1968, became a pastor and, now, retired, is growing grapes and making wine with his wife. He's speaking fluent German as well!

Checked in in a brandnew and nice Sleep-Inn chain motel in Miles City and had a wonderful evening with steaks and local beer in good company and with good conversation.

 

Big Sky Country Montana

Crossing the Wyoming-Montana border on this beautiful Monday morning. Again, few traffic, wide open land, prairie landscape, few settlements and more deer than people to be seen. Driving through Crow Reservation land for our first stop at Little Bighorn Battlefield - one historic place which was always on our bucket list. 

We had a tour with a Crow Indian and got to know the National Battlefield, the place where the  US Army's 7th Cavalry and the Lakotas and Cheyennes fought in one of the Indian's last efforts to preserve their way of life. 

 

On June 25 and 26, 1876, 263 soldiers, including Lt. Col. George A. Custer died fighting several thousand Lakota and Cheyenne warriors. "Bighead" Custer made a stupid, selfish decision and caused the death of many soldiers (and Indians). A 4.5 mile tour road goes through the land of the Crow and panels road-side show exactly how troups approached and where Indians had set up their tipis. Highly interesting, and, even for people without historic interest, a must-see,. The landscape on its own is fascinating.

Indian Monument:

                                            Where Custer died,,,

On into Billings,  the largest city (founded in 1877), but not the capital of Montana with approx. 120,000 population. The whole state counts about 1.3 mio, less than e.g. Munich. Mining, Quarrying,  Oil & Gas Industry play an important role here.

 To get an overview we first drove up to Swords Rimrock Park (photo), then into downtown, situated along Montana Ave. and Broadway. 

After check-in into The Nelson Hotel, conveniently located, we checked out downtown, the railroad depot, the museums (below: Heritage Center with a statue of city founder Frederick H. Billings) and stores, the historic Babcock Theater (*1907) and other historic buildings (below). What surprised us is the number of microbreweries alone in the downtown area.

   We had an appointment at 4 pm with a young, talented and highly creative hatmaker by name Darren James (left photo), who works in a huge storehouse, in an industrial area of town, together with his mentor and teacher Rich Rand. 

Interesting to get to know how intense and detailed the measuring process and the whole production is, and, how many choices of different materials, shapes, bendings, hat-bands, rims and other "decoration" customers have. 

 

 Rich Rand, steaming a hat to prepare it for bending

                                Darren, burning a hat to "age" it and to make the material more resistant

First (very tasty) steaks on this trip in the evening, coming along with nice conversation and helpful information, before we retired to The Nelson Hotel:

Top Western Towns in the U.S.A.

 After a quick and cheap breakfast at City Brew - a coffee chain, founded in Billings/MT in 1998, with retail locations in Montana, Wyoming & North Dakota - we headed out on I-25. Beautiful sunny weather again, and a nice drive. Not much traffic here, and, 80 mph (130 kmh) speed limit. 

 

 

First stop: Kaycee, to honor Chris LeDoux, a famous singer and rodeo bareback rider, who lived in this small town consisting of a main street with a handfull of buildings, among them a post office and a bar, and this park for LeDoux. 

Buffalo is nestled in the foothills of the  Big Horn Mountains and landscape is much more diverse, hilly and green than before. Lots of great murals, public art and the famous Occidental Hotel, where we once stayed and ate steaks long time ago! 

Also, Craig Johnson, the author, is at home in this area and his novels take place in Durant, for which Buffalo was the "model". Merchandise and books are being sold in a store on Main Street (left photo below).

 

 

On to Fort Phil Kearny (right), an outpost of the U.S. Army from the late 1860s. It was the largest of the three stockaded fortifications along the Bozeman trail, a trail used by gold diggers to get to Montana. The fort played an important role in Red Cloud's War, the so-called Fetterman Fight in 1866.  

Before heading into Sheridan, we explored the great new Brinton Museum in Big Horn. At our last visit there was only the ranchhouse with a Western Art collection, now they have a top-notch modern building and have included a phenomenal Indian Collection (Gallatin Collection) as well, in a gallery called "To Honor The Plains Nations". The museum is nestled in a beautiful landscape (left photo) there are trails and a bistro on the upper floor with a terrace. 

 

 

Next "True Western Town": Sheridan. Buffalo Bill hung out in Sheridan, the famous Sheridan Inn was his "retreat" and place to entertain and enjoy life. The old bar is still there, but unfortunately not in operation at the moment.

Sheridan is home to King’s Saddlery - nowadays a complete Western tack store,  founded by the famous saddle maker Don King, who, at the same time, created a wonderful chaotic museum (photo below). We met the owner in 2006 (he passed away in 2007) and had a memorable tour with him. This time we were lucky that the store was open on a Sunday because of an Antique Car Group passing through. Don King began his saddle making career in 1946 and shortly thereafter opened the first store. Many of his famous rodeo saddles are exhibited in the museum! Grandson Bob King is nowadays heading the Rope Shop. With a huge rope inventory and a reputation for quality, King Ropes are shipped worldwide. 

And, last but not least, Sheridan has a unique Main Street, with great public Western Art (bronze sculptures), with the historic Mint Bar, the WYO Theater and lots of great old buildings. 

Stayed in a fancy apartment complex called "The Nelson Inn", including containers and a garage containing guest rooms. Fancy rooms, called "Industrial Wild West", in a bold, creative style:

Where everything happened: Fort Laramie

 Wide open skies - drive from Cheyenne to Fort Laramie on US Hwy. 85. A beautiful drive through loosely populated prairie/ranch land, later more farming (corn/alfa-alfa), and, everywhere railroad tracks and big freight trains transporting coal piling up high.

Fort Laramie - that's where many important things happened. Founded in 1834 as a modest trading post, it became a military post, a gathering point of emigrants who took one of the many trails from the East to a new life in the West. Also, it was the place where two peace treaties with the Indians were fixed, in 1851 und 1868. 

 The location of the fort: in a loop of the Laramie River (photo) on flat, open land, probably in summer very hot, in winter very cold, and, always windy. Some of the buildings are restored, some are ruins, but in total, the complex gives a good idea about the functioning and the construction of such an establishment.

With a stop at the Railroad Museum in Douglas, half-way to Casper, where the Jackalope (sort of  a "Wolpertinger") reigns the town we drove towards Casper and first stop was the Trails Interpretive Center. It added to what we learned at Ft. Laramie about the settler trails, which all somehow connected in the Casper area: Oregon Trail, California Trail, Mormon Trail, etc. Nicely and very instructively presented in this museum.

 

 

On to a "legend" in downtown Casper: "Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters". Since 1919 this family operation is catering to the needs of cowboys/girls, but also of regular people. Never seen such a boot, hat and jeans selection before!

Checked in at our Holiday Inn - which was a little far out of town - and, all the way back to Gruner Brothers Brewing for a burger and a beer.