August 28-29, 2020
I travel I-94 south to Miles City, Montana making one stop at Terry, Montana. Terry is also situated on the Historic Yellowstone Trail that was established in 1912 and runs trans continental from Plymouth Rock to Puget Sound. That was an adventuresome ride in 1912 on the early roads with primitive cars and few and far between service stations and travel facilities. There is now a Yellowstone Trail Association that can be joined to help preserve this old route, I feel obligated to do that.
Terry is a very nice small western town with the impressive Kempton Hotel and the truly amazing Prairie County Museum and the adjacent Cameron Gallery. Evelyn Cameron was an incredible woman and pioneer photographer, Montana did a PBS episode on her that won an Emmy award.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry,_Montana
https://www.evelyncameron.org
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| Blaine County Museum was the bank and is beautiful inside |
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| All sorts of fossils and minerals are on display |
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| President Coolidge with Chaps given to him by the Terry Cowboy Band |
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| I've never seen these before? |
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| The Terry Cowboy Band was a big deal |
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| Steam Tractor pulling trailers loaded with bags of wool |
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| The Cameron Gallery next to the museum |
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| Everlyn Cameron was a remarkable woman |
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When riding horses, she started wearing this split skirt which was
very risqué back in that time period |
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| She captured many real life poses of area pioneers |
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I need to get a copy of this video, the docent at the gallery told me
that they filmed much in Terry and interviewed several locals |
I didn’t even see the usual trashy dive casino bar in downtown Terry. They also have their original train depot and an old wooden passenger car near the museum.
The landscape is looking way more western in this area of Montana with its rolling plains. This was prime Buffalo hunting ground for the tribes and killing grounds for the pioneers intent on removing the indigenous tribes and starting cattle ranches.
I continue on to Miles City, Montana, one of the larger cities in the area which is also very nice, but much more city like. They have an attractive main street with an assortment of good shops, restaurants, bars and the usual casinos. Miles City’s biggest attraction is the Bucking Horse Sale in the spring where rodeo ranchers and promotors come to buy rodeo bucking horse stock. It also is a city born of the railroad and remains a BNSF freight line today. Almost every town here started as a railroad stop or a shop point.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_City,_Montana
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| Colorful mural entering the historic downtown area |
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| These cattle brand iron plates are imbedded in the sidewalks for tree plantings |
I wanted to see the highly rated Range Rider's Museum but it has been closed all year, so instead I went to the nearby Water Works Art Museum. It was really special, not so much to me for the art, as for the remarkable building that houses the art. It was the original Miles City water treatment plant. It is a beautiful brick building that once held stone water treatment tanks underground. These stone tanks were drained, cleaned, doorways were cut between tank walls, ceilings and floors were constructed, lighting and ventilation added and it became an incredibly attractive art gallery. They seem to have mostly local art which they auction off or sell outright to benefit the local artists and the museum.
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| The exterior looks mostly original, I like their water spigot logo on the van |
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| Is that a Meadowlark singing ? |
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| It's hard to imagine that this used to be a water treatment tank |
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| Miles City really likes to Cowboy it up, this was a historic photo on display |
There are about 4-5 interesting western themed bars in the historic downtown area. I went to the Montana Bar which seems to be the highest rated. It is very impressive inside with a great old bar back, nice tin ceilings and stone floor. Of course the walls are lined with several dead hunting trophy mounts and cattle heads.
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| An exterior view |
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| Interior view, you don't usually see a steer head |
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| The bar back and massive old cash register |
The Yellowstone River runs through town and there is a nice park area with a swimming pond, but I didn’t see anyone there, kind of odd ?
I depart Miles City about noon on Saturday traveling on I-94 west. It's beautiful rolling hilly, ranch country with areas of wheat farming running parallel to the Yellowstone River. I stop at a rest area where there is a great view of the river just east of Rosebud. Montana. This area of Montana played a notorious and pivotable part in the Indian wars, the stuff of legends, due to the battle of the “Rosebud “and the following battle of the “Little Bighorn” and the defeat of Custer's 7th calvary.
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| Of course Lewis and Clark were also here |
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| It is a pleasant view |
As a result, I have to stop at the town of Rosebud, which is pretty sad and depressed these days, but back in days of the pioneer settlement and cattle drives was a happening place.
http://www.rosebudmontana.com
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| First thing I saw was this beat up race car in front of a beat up looking trailer |
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| That's about all there is of the old downtown |
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| But I was surprised at the size of the school, they must bus kids in from a large area |
I continue on to the next town which is Forsyth, Montana where I immediately come upon the Rosebud County Museum and surprisingly it is open. It doesn’t look impressive from the outside, except that it’s a sizable building with farm equipment displayed in a rear outside area. I go inside to an immaculately clean museum with pristine wonderful exhibits, top shelf stuff ! Also as I am the only customer, the docent shows me around and points out interesting things. The docent, by the way, is a 4th generation resident of this area, about my age, who seems to know everything in the museum, full of knowledge. His decedents were original homesteaders, he still lives at the homestead, his grandmother was Indian and several members of his family are in photos hanging on walls. It was a very special visit, one to remember.
Downtown Forsyth has a very western look, very historic, most of the buildings have historic register signs in front. There are also several saloons / hotels with great signs for me to add to my collection. They also have a nice looking library, fire department and the beautiful Rosebud County Court House.
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| The Rosebud County Courthouse |
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| An impressive Hotel on Main Street |
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| Great sign although seems a bit suggestive of some hanky panky activity |
Forsyth is also a railroad town and the sound of the BNSF freight train horn is common here at all hours.
Forsyth is on the banks of the Yellowstone River and they have had flood issues in the past as many signs in town attest to. I found a couple of fishing access / picnic parks near the river on the outskirts of town.
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| They have built a dike along the river to protect the town in the future |
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| The Yellowstone River is a large river, the bridge is no longer open |
I go a main street bar / casino in the evening with TV on the walls, one with a hockey game and another with a rodeo competition. No one seemed to be watching either one. I watched the rodeo action for a while, but after I saw that the PBR is now sponsoring the Border Patrol, wearing patches on their shirts, that was all for me, I boycotted them. The crowd at the bar was quite an interesting show also, I was doing my best to stay away from them all. There was this big fat bulky young guy, sleeveless shirt, arms covered with tattoos, base ball cap who came over to the table behind me where some half way respectful looking people were and starting to them. He couldn't say a sentence without using several four letter works to get a point across. I finished my beer and left, Montana is not exactly the wholesome place that I had hoped it would be. I entered Miles City meeting a good man at the museum who could become a friend and left in a a totally opposite frame of mind, not the kind of “Great America” I desire.
Next stop is Sheridan, Wyoming
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