1068 - Piniele
This photo shows the wide-open prairie landscape near Piniele, Montana. Rolling grasslands stretch into the distance, dotted with clusters of pine trees and scattered cattle, highlighting the area’s rural ranching heritage and natural beauty.
The turn of the twentieth century brought increased westward expansion, cattlemen, homesteaders, and gold barons to Montana. Soon, endless lines of barbed wire were stretched across the prairie, containing the cattle herds and sheep new homesteaders were pinning their livelihood on. By 1911, the increased population necessitated general stores and other businesses. Before long, villages were established and towns like Piniele were born.
Situated in the southwestern part of Carter County, Pinele was 85 miles to the nearest railroad town of Belle Fourche, South Dakota. From 1912 to 1925, it was a vibrant homestead village, home to a bank, drug store, gas service station, and meat market. A cafe, hotel, and barber shop lined the dusty streets, as well as a schoolhouse, general stores, and a lively dance hall, which was believed to have the best dance floor in southeastern Montana.
Piniele was located on top of a hill, unprotected by the prairie winds. Electric lights made the community visible for miles away at night. Its bright lights weren’t enough, and unfortunately, Pinele met the same fate as many small towns from the early twentieth century. Had it been a gold rush town, a military base, or the headquarters of an old time cattle baron, its history might have been long-lasting. The decline began during World War I, when the bank was hard-hit by the loss of funds being sent east to help war efforts. Within a decade, the bank had no choice but to cease operations. People moved on and businesses closed. Piniele was becoming a shadow of its earlier existence. Tragedy soon struck in the form of devastating fires that destroyed property and claimed the lives of local residents. The writing was on the wall for the small town.
Today, nothing remains at Piniele. Some buildings, including the store, post office, and schoolhouse, were moved to neighboring communities. Even though the prairie took over the streets of the once bustling town, leaving little evidence of the glorious days of the dim and distant past, the spirit of Piniele remains, carried by the wind in the shadow of the twin buttes standing watch over the townsite.