Montana's Historic Sites
Montana is home to a rich tapestry of historic sites that reflect its diverse cultural heritage and significant events in American history. Among these is the Bannack Historic District, the first territorial capital and the site of Montana's initial gold discovery in 1862, showcasing the characteristics of a frontier boomtown. The Chief Joseph Battleground of Bear's Paw marks a pivotal moment in Indigenous American history, where Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce surrendered, leading to their displacement. Another important site is the Chief Plenty Coups Home, highlighting the life of a prominent Crow leader who advocated for cultural preservation amid changing times.
The Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park stands out as a remarkable engineering feat, designed to provide access to scenic landscapes while maintaining natural integrity. Other sites, such as the Grant-Kohrs Ranch, underscore the development of Montana’s ranching industry, while the Great Falls Portage is a testament to the challenges faced by the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Additionally, Pompey's Pillar features William Clark's signature, serving as a historic marker of their journey. Collectively, these sites offer insights into Montana’s political history, Indigenous cultures, and the state's role in westward expansion, making them invaluable for understanding America's past.
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Montana's Historic Sites
Bannack Historic District
Location: Dillon, Beaverhead County
Relevant issues: Business and industry, political history
Statement of significance: This was the first territorial capital and the site of Montana’s first gold discovery in 1862. The remaining buildings are of frame and log construction, typical of a frontier boomtown.
Chief Joseph Battleground of Bear’s Paw
Location: Chinook, Blaine County
Relevant issues: Indigenous American history
Statement of significance: This is the site of the battle in which Chief Joseph (c. 1840-1904) and more than 400 Nez Perce Indigenous Americans surrendered to the United States Army (1877). The Bear’s Paw surrender signaled the close of the Nez Perce's existence as an “independent Indigenous people.” Henceforth, they lived as a group of displaced persons—in the White culture, but certainly not of it.
Chief Plenty Coups Home
Location: 0.5 miles west of Pryor, at the intersection of BIA roads #5 and #8 (Edgar Road), Big Horn County
Relevant issues: Indigenous American history
Statement of significance: This was the homestead of Chief Plenty Coups (c. 1849-1932), also called Aleekchea-ahoosh, one of the last and most celebrated traditional chiefs of the Crow Indigenous Americans. It includes the house of Chief Plenty Coups, an adjacent log store operated by the chief, and the Plenty Coups Spring, a site of historic and cultural significance to the Crow people. Chief Plenty Coups established the homestead in 1884 and lived there until his death in 1932, making his political career of more than a half a century one of the longest of any chief. One of the most important Indigenous American leaders of the transitional period and an ambassador and negotiator for the Crow, Chief Plenty Coups advocated the adoption of those aspects of American culture necessary to succeed on the reservation while maintaining traditional Crow religious beliefs and cultural values.
Going-to-the-Sun Road
Location: Glacier National Park, West Glacier, Flathead County
Relevant issues: Science and technology, western expansion
Statement of significance: An essential step in making large scenic reservations accessible to the motoring public without unduly marring landscape scenery or natural systems was the initiation of “landscape engineering.” When it was begun, Going-to-the-Sun Road was the most ambitious road construction project ever undertaken by the Bureau of Public Roads and the National Park Service (NPS). The extreme terrain and conditions, as well as the newness of the administrative agreement between the two federal bureaus, made the road a laboratory of innovative road engineering practices and policies. While building the road, the NPS and the Bureau of Public Roads developed the construction standards and the cooperative administration that characterized future road construction not only in National Parks but on other federal lands and, after 1933, in State Parks as well.
Grant-Kohrs Ranch
Location: Deer Lodge, Powell County
Relevant issues: Business and industry
Statement of significance: John Grant, the original owner of the ranch, starting in 1853, is sometimes credited with founding the range-cattle industry in Montana. Conrad Kohrs, who bought the ranch about 1866, was among the foremost “cattle kings” of his era.
Great Falls Portage
Location: Great Falls, Cascade County
Relevant issues: Western expansion
Statement of significance: The Lewis and Clark Expedition undertook an eighteen-mile, thirty-one-day portage at Great Falls, one of the most difficult ordeals of their westward trip.
Pictograph Cave
Location: Billings, Yellowstone County
Relevant issues: Indigenous American history
Statement of significance: This is one of the key archaeological sites used in determining the sequence of prehistoric occupation on the northwestern Plains. The deposits indicate occupation from 2600 Before the Common Era to after 1800 Common Era.
Pompey’s Pillar
Location: Pompey’s Pillar, Yellowstone County
Relevant issues: Western expansion
Statement of significance: This massive natural block of sandstone was a major landmark on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. William Clark’s signature, carved on its surface, is still visible.
Rankin Ranch
Location: Helena, Lewis and Clark County
Relevant issues: Political history, social reform, women’s history
Statement of significance: This was the residence, from 1923 to 1956, of Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to the US House of Representatives (1916). She served two terms, 1917-1919 and 1941-1943. Best remembered for her pacifism, Rankin played an important role in the women’s rights and social reform movements. She was the only member of the House to oppose the declaration of war against Japan in 1941.
Russell House and Studio
Location: Great Falls, Yellowstone County
Relevant issues: Art and architecture
Statement of significance: Charles M. Russell (1865-1926), one of the best-known twentieth-century painters of western subjects, occupied this house from 1900 to 1926.
Traveler’s Rest
Location: Lolo, Missoula County
Relevant issues: Western expansion
Statement of significance: This campsite is where Meriwether Lewis and William Clark stopped before crossing the Bitterroot Mountains on their 1805 trip west and on their return the next year.
Virginia City Historic District
Location: Virginia City, Madison County
Relevant issues: Business and industry, political history
Website: virginiacitymt.com
Statement of significance: This was the territorial capital of Montana (1865-1875) and the site of one of the greatest gold strikes in the West (1863).
"Historic Sites & Battlefields." Montana’s Office of Tourism, 2024, www.visitmt.com/things-to-do/history/historic-sites-and-battlefields. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.
"Montana." National Park Service, 2024, www.nps.gov/state/mt/index.htm. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.
"National Register Map of Montana." Montana Historical Society, 2024, mhs.mt.gov/Shpo/NationalReg/NRMap. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.
Ruland, Mikaela, and Tori Peglar. "Montana State Parks between Yellowstone and Glacier National Park." Yellowstone National Park Trips, 9 Mar. 2023, www.yellowstonepark.com/road-trips/road-trip-stops/visit-montana/montana-state-parks/. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.