A Big Sky Adventure

FROM THE MAGIC CITY OF THE PLAINS TO THE LITTLE BIGHORN AND THE “GRANDEST” TRADING POST OF THE FUR TRADE, A ROAD TRIP THROUGH EASTERN MONTANA OFFERS NO SHORTAGE OF FRONTIER FUN.

- SAMUEL K.DOLAN

Billings, Montana, was little more than a boomtown in 1882, when pioneers and newspapermen throughout the country began to refer to the bustling Western metropolis as “The Magic City of the Plains.” Today, Billings is a perfect place to jumpstart a road trip through the historic and majestic big sky country of eastern Montana and the gateway to some of the richest historical sites and scenic wonders of the Treasure State. Formerly known as Clark’s Fork Bottom, Billings was named for Frederick H. Billings, president of the Northern Pacific Railway. Though some folks in Miles City may have been tempted to dismiss the upstart community as “Bilkings” in the early days, Billings had all the makings of a great community and was destined to become the largest city in Montana. “Billings has a location that can be depended upon—a location that will make it a railroad town, a cattle shipping, bullion shipping and a town backed up by numerous and well-paying farms,” The Bozeman Weekly Chronicle observed in 1883.

Visitors to Billings would do well to begin their journey with a stop at the Western Heritage Center (scheduled to reopen in March 2021). This fine museum in the city’s historic downtown district is in an impressive classic-looking Richardsonian Romanesque building that once housed the Parmly Billings Memorial Library. Affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, the Western Heritage Center offers guests exhibits that showcase the history of Billings and the surrounding Yellowstone River Valley. While in Billings, be sure to also check out the Yellowstone County Museum, home to