Bozeman Magazine

A Taste of History Exploring Bozeman’s Past Through Recipes

Christie Selensky

Every holiday with my family is marked by the anticipation of the custard kuchen. The almost-sacred recipe has been handed down by my great grandmother. Kuchen’s a sort of fruit and custard dessert, lined with a buttery pie crust, topped with…

Not Just a Collection of Curios

Kelly Hartman

There are many wonderful stories to be told with items at the Gallatin History Museum. For years now, two items in particular have been on display in the old Jailer’s Office/Gallows Room: a wooden potato masher identified as a murder weapon by…

Bozeman’s Week of Horror

It was a somber winter Sunday in the burgeoning town of Bozeman. The date was February 2, 1873, and a small procession accompanied a tiny coffin along the muddy streets toward the graveyard on the hill.   If not for a crowd gathering outside…

Hotel Trends That Have Shaped the Bozeman Area Over The Century

Shawn Vicklund

Bozeman is booming today and is ranked as one of the fastest growing areas of its size in the nation. It has long been a favorite travel destination for Montanans and out-of-state tourists with world-class skiing, Yellowstone and Glacier National…

Galloping in the Gallatin

Gallatin County first organized horse races in the 1870s. In November 1871, the Bozeman Avant-Courier announced four days of racing. By 1878, the Eastern Montana Agricultural and Mechanical Association purchased land, possibly the site of the…

Bozeman Pioneers: Christopher & Catherine Waterman

Chris Marie Forest

My great-great-grandparents, Christopher Hilliard Waterman and Catherine Boyle Waterman, were two of the founding pioneers of Bozeman, Montana. Their amazing pioneer stories were preserved and told to their children and grandchildren. Much of the…

Small Town Big Event

Bozeman’s Boxing Brawl 1960 National Boxing Association Middleweight Championship

Cindy Shearer

On April 20, 1960, Bozeman Montana made national news when a young MSU Fieldhouse hosted what would later make headlines around the world when the National Boxing Association Middleweight Championship title match between Champion Gene Fullmer and…

Escape From the Jail!

Kelly Hartman

On the morning of December 22, 1911, all were surprised to find that six prisoners had escaped from the brand new $35,000 jail, which had been believed to be “escape proof.” The individual cells holding the prisoners were not locked…

Raining in the AM Snowing in the PM Colder than Hell

The History of Quin Blackburn

Kelly Hartman

In August of 1923, three college students decided to climb the Grand Teton on a whim. Quin Blackburn, the leader of the party, would go on to lead the Byrd Antarctic Expedition in 1934. The other two, Andy DePirro and David DeLap were nearly lost…

More than a Pretty Flower Gallatin Valley Pea Industry

Cindy Shearer

To fully appreciate the new northside development now referred to as the Bozeman Cannery District, one needs to learn about the role that the pea industry played in the economic development of the Gallatin Valley in the early 1900s. In 1911…

Remarkable Bozeman Women

Standing Tall & Strong

Rachel Phillips

March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the achievements and contributions of all American women. Throughout history, countless local ladies have lent their expertise, talents, and time to make our region and community a better…

Popular Bozeman “Hangout” Restaurants of the 20th Century

Pizza, Tomato Soup and Peanut Butter Pie

Rachel Phillips

From sit-down restaurants to soda fountains, Bozeman has been home to a great variety of tasty hangouts over the past one hundred years. Nothing compares to greasy, finger-licking comfort food, sweet treats, and servers who know your name and your…

The Lasting Legacies of Walter Cooper

Prospector, Freighter, Entrepreneur, Inventor, Public Leader, Empire Builder

Cindy Shearer

Walter Cooper was born Independence Day, 1843, in Sterling, New York, the third of six sons to Andrew and Sarah Cooper. By 1845 they had moved to Shiawassee County, Michigan, where tragedy struck the family in 1851 when a boat carrying Andrew and a…

History of Theater in Gallatin County

Kevin Brustuen

In 1885, the Bozeman Weekly Chronicle reported that the Mountain Pink itinerant acting company gave it as their opinion that Bozeman was behind in its appreciation of theatrical talent, by reason of the lukewarm reception the company had received…

A Chambers-Fisher Company Christmas

Rachel Phillips

In November and December of 1955, the local newspapers were filled with large advertisements from Chambers-Fisher Company. Sometimes comprising an entire page, these ads featured illustrations of popular Christmas gifts and catchy phrases like:…

Sixteen Names on a Plaque

The Mortal Toll of the First World War at Montana State College

Just inside the main west entry of the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse is a plaque at the top of which is the text:  “THESE STUDENTS OF MONTANA STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND MECHANIC ARTS GAVE THEIR LIVES IN DEFENSE OF HUMANITY IN THE GREAT…

Top 10 Montana’s Most Haunted

Sarah Cairoli

Bozeman Paranormal Society is a historical ghost investigation group composed of people who are very passionate about the paranormal. BPS investigates reports of paranormal activity using cameras and more technical equipment, like ghost boxes which…

Doing Their Bit: Bozeman Women and WWI

Rachel Phillips

This fall marks the one hundredth anniversary of the end of World War I. The Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, bringing hope to millions that the misery and heartbreak of the Great War was nearly over. Though the United States was only…

Symbolism in Bozeman’s Sunset Hills Cemetery

As the leaves begin to change, the days shorten, and fall approaches, it is a perfect time to pay a visit to Sunset Hills Cemetery located at the south side of Lindley Park. The historic section of the cemetery is a perfect place to take a stroll and…

Gallatin Agricultural History

Cindy Shearer

With increasing conversations about growth and development, we should not forget our agricultural heritage, and the sustaining benefits we continue to enjoy today, including our scenic views and open spaces.The earliest explorers remarked about the…

Historic Rural Schoolhouses At Risk

Montana is well known for its breathtaking mountain views, majestic lakes, and vast expanses of open prairie, but an ongoing study is honing in on a particular type of building often seen within those iconic landscapes – the country…

Wheeling & Dealing: Bozeman’s Car Dealerships of Yesterday

Rachel Phillips

At the turn of the twentieth century, automobiles began puttering around Gallatin Valley roadways, their drivers bouncing up and down over rut-filled, unpaved streets. In 1905, Sam Mendenhall (future Bozeman City Manager and son of pioneer John…

Hunter's Hot Springs

The Forgotten Opulence of a Bygone Era

Cindy Shearer

Long before any emigrants came to the Northwest, Native Americans would carry their sick to the place that would later become known as Hunter’s Hot Springs, 20 miles east of Livingston, to bathe in and drink the hot and healing waters. The hot…

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Letters, documents, and books; oh my! Special Collections and Archival Informatics at Montana State University Library recently acquired a trove of material about Robert Pirsig, author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (ZAMM), collected by…

Calamity Jane Dries Out in Bozeman

Rachel Phillips

Livingston News - “Calamity Jane is in town again. She entered a certain newspaper office in this city this morning and wanted to know where the dirty cur was who said she was in the poor house. She wanted it clearly understood that…she…

Exploring History on Bozeman’s Trails

Else Trygstad-Burke

I think about history quite a bit when I am running in Bozeman and on its surrounding trails. There is something very special about living in a place where the county’s history is visible everywhere you go. This article, intended for both…

More than 27 Dresses Wedding Attire from 1881-1992

Kelly Hartman

In a clothing collection that contains over 250 dresses, 16 percent, or about 40 pieces, are wedding attire. These outfits date from the late 1800s through the 1990s and show how fashion has changed over time.  The wonderful thing about the…

Drink to the Health of the Pioneers

The formation of the Gallatin County Pioneer Society and the Sons and Daughters of Gallatin County Pioneers

Kelly Hartman

We the undersigned citizens of Gallatin County and State of Montana, for the purpose of forming a closer union and a renewal of formal fraternal associations of the old Settlers, and to perpetuate memories and to do homage to the sturdy men and women…

Bozeman's History: A Love Story

Else Trygstad-Burke

In the later part of her life, Mrs. Sarah J. Tracy (the wife of William H. Tracy) stated that “My love of our town has grown with the years, and I think of it always by the name Davis Willson used to call it: ‘Bozeman the…

Multitudes of Enthusiasm Celebrating a Gallatin Valley Christmas

Kelly Hartman

As the daylight begins to dim, citizens of Gallatin Valley can be found flowing in and out of auditoriums with their jackets pulled up about their ears; long woolen ones, silken-soft puffy ones, those newly purchased and those that have seen many…

That’s Not What I Was There For: Ray Lau’s Story

Rachel Phillips

Since World War I, Montanans have been known for their military service. In honor of Veterans Day, I wanted to share some of Ray Lau’s experiences. Lau is a local Three Forks resident who grew up in Southwest Montana and served in the Pacific…

Montana History with a Modern Twist

Clubfoot George

Pat Hill

Clubfoot George met his fate at the end of a Vigilante Association’s hangman’s noose in Virginia City over 150 years ago, and last June, nearly 50 members of his family gathered in that old Montana mining town to remember their ancestor…

Life in Bear Canyon: Logs, Dancing & Steam Engines

Rachel Phillips

Today, Bear Canyon is generally quiet and peaceful. A dirt road gently winds up the canyon, passing homes, outbuildings, and barns. New World Gulch Trail begins where the road ends, leading adventurous hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers on a…

Bozemans Early Music Scene...and The Bands Played On

Cindy Shearer

From day one, music has been played in Bozeman. Local kids and ladies and cornet players entertained Bozeman residents in the city’s early years, and as Bozeman was changing from a frontier town to a civilized city, local music changed as…

Rainbow Land: A History of Bozeman Hot Springs

Rachel Phillips

It’s summer—time for locals and tourists alike to cool off in ponds, lakes, rivers, and city pools. Today, families flock to water recreation areas like Hyalite and the Madison River, or visit in-town options like the Bozeman Swim Center…

She's Wild: The Beginnings of the Bozeman Roundup

Rachel Phillips

It was the summer of 1919. The Elks Club was busy finalizing plans for their statewide convention—their first big meeting since gathering in Butte in 1916, just before World War I. The war had definitely put an end to large-scale entertainment…

Mysteries at the Madison Valley History Museum

Mary Biehl

This summer, when you’re feeling the urge to head out of town on a nice hot afternoon, maybe drive from Bozeman through Norris and head towards Ennis. On the way you may stop for a waterski jaunt around Ennis Lake, but if you head through Ennis…

Hyalite A Peak, A Reservoir, A Creek and Above All Else a True Gem

Cindy Shearer

A look back at the history of our special places gives us the opportunity to engage in new ways and deepen our appreciation of those areas. The Hyalite region is a great example of how our early settlers and citizens saw the area both for its…

Sedition in Gallatin County

Sugar, the Kaiser and Two Years Imprisonment

Kelly Hartman

On April 11, 1918 Frank McVey, a laborer from Illinois, stepped into a Logan restaurant, about 25 miles from Bozeman. His complaint about sugar and a comment in support of the Kaiser landed him in the local jail. He would spend the next three years…

Lewis and Clark Caverns Montana’s First State Park

From Private Tourism to National Monument to State Park

Cindy Shearer

We know that Native Americans did know of the caverns hundreds of years ago, as the stories of the steaming mountain are mentioned in their oral histories. Although the caverns are now named for Lewis and Clark, we also know that Lewis and Clark…

HE was a SHE Manhattan’s Sammy Williams

Rachel Phillips

Among the graves at Meadowview Cemetery, just south of Manhattan, Montana, sits a rather curious tombstone.  The inscription reads: “A female whose real name is unknown but who has been for many years known as Sammy Williams.  Died…

The Story of the Bozeman City Hall / Opera House in Three Acts

Cindy Shearer

If you can find a quiet time to sit in the little park on the southwest corner of Main and Rouse in Downtown Bozeman, and if you listen close enough, you might hear soft echoes from the past--jail cells clanging closed, fire bells ringing and quite…