TALKING TRAIL

Native Americans were the first inhabitants of the state now known as Montana. They lived in the western mountains, along rivers and lakes, and in the Great...

According to Crow oral history, the Crow Nation intentionally migrated from the east. Their historical homelands extended across a large area that included...

Nearly 400 years ago, the Cheyenne Indians lived in what is now central Minnesota where they farmed, gathered wild rice, hunted, and made...

In early 1863, John Bozeman had found himself in the Gallatin Valley of western Montana. He was following the scent of gold. Though he soon...

During the 1800s, with westward expansion surging across the Midwest toward the Rocky Mountains, the tension grew. While squirmishes had been on...

In an effort to control the Sioux, Cheyenne, and Crow Indians, the United States Army established Fort Custer in June of 1887, on the high point between...

In 1851, the Treaty of Fort Laramie created extensive reservation lands for the Indian tribes in Montana. Wyoming, and the Dakotas. A large reservation for...

The American railroad frenzy began on the east coast in 1827, with the founding of the first passenger and freight line in the country, the Baltimore...

By the early 1860s, homesteaders were surging into the rich farmlands of the Midwest, fueled by the Homestead Act of 1862 which gave people...

By 1866, the period of great cattle drives had begun. Word spread that Montana offered vast grazing lands that were free for public use, though, while the price...

Known as the “Treasure State”, most people think of gold, ruby, and copper when they think of Montana treasure. But have you ever thought about the...

By now, we are familiar with the sparkling minerals mined in western Montana, but here, in Big Horn County, another resource is being extracted: coal...

We often think of states like California, Washington, and Oregon as having large immigrant populations, but did you know that in the early 20th century...

Agriculture developed gradually until the 1800s when the Industrial Revolution really took over. The history of tractors started in the early 20th...

The families who settled in the rural areas of Montana throughout the late 1890s and early 1900s valued education as well and soon schoolhouses dotted...

As more and more homesteaders and settlers arrived in south central Montana, the need for medical care became apparent. To say medical...

In the most rural pockets of Big Horn County, Montana, you can cruise for miles without seeing another car, let alone a town. Then, seemingly out of nowhere...

Transportation in southern Montana has evolved from Native American trails to railroads and highways. In 1805, when Lewis and Clark arrived on their famed...

History is more than just dusty relics on a shelf. It’s a story filled with emotion, lessons, and often the haunting reminders of what has been...

For centuries, the Bighorn River flowed through Montana untamed, cutting through canyons as it weaved its way to the Yellowstone River...