Captain William Clark and his party rode from the west, following a creek downstream (now called Billman Creek) to the Yellowstone River. Looking to the south, they could see that the Yellowstone River emerged from between the Absaroka Mountains on the east and the Gallatin Range on the west. The Bridger Range lies to the northwest, and the Crazy Mountains to the northwest.

"The Roche (Yellowstone) passes out of a high rugid mountain covered with Snow, the bottoms are narrow with the mountains...The mountain...is rocky rugid and on them are great quantities of Snow." -- William Clark July 15, 1806

The Surrounding Peaks

Crazy Mountains; Absaroka Mountains; Yellowstone River; Gallatin Range; Bridger Range In the Absaroka Mountains, Mt. Baldy looks down on Livingston, Montana and the Yellowstone River.

Erected by Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

This statue commemorates Sacajawea, whose loyalty, courage and devotion were instrumental in the success of the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1803-1806.

Holding her infant son Jean Baptiste Charbonneau (nicknamed "Pomp" by Capt. Wm. Clark), she sits astride a horse, pausing to drink from the waters of the Yellowstone River. The day is July 15, 1806, Clark and several members of the Corps of Discovery are headed downstream to rendezvous with Meriwether Lewis and the remainder of the explorers.

Sacajawea was instrumental to the success of the expedition for a variety of skills and attributes that she embodied. She was an interpreter for her Shoshone people and was able to negotiate and obtain horses from them. She knew of native food sources and local geography. As a woman, her presence among the armed soldiers signaled a peaceful intent to the tribes which the Corps encountered. Carrying an infant to the Pacific and back, she extended a calming influence as a wife, mother, sister, and friend.

A cloud of uncertainty hangs over every aspect of her life, from the spelling of her name (Sacagawea and Sakakawea), the origins of her ancestors, and her demise. This much is certain, the Sacajawea of American culture and mythology is a larger-than-life, and she has in two hundred years outshone every other member of the expedition with the possible exceptions of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

This teenager has become a unique blend of legend, historical fact, myth, iconography and multicultural embrace. Upon the expedition's departure from her Mandan Village in North Dakota and heading back to St. Louis, William Clark wrote a remarkable letter to her husband Toussaint Charbonneau "you woman who accompanied you that long dangerous fatiguing route to the Pacific Ocean and back deserves greater reward for her attention and service on the route than we had in our power to give her at the Mandan...Aug. 20, 1806"

May her spirit continue to embrace us, to flow with the waters of the Yellowstone, and be permanently etched in the history of his country.

"… in the evening after the usial delay of 3 hours to give the horses time to feed and rest and allowing our Selves time also to Cook and eate Dinner, I proseeded on down the down the river…" William Clark July 15, 1806

On the evening of July 15, 1806, Captain Clark and members of his party spent their first night on the Yellowstone River, three miles below the mouth of the Shields River. The party was still on horseback when they passed this area, anxious to find trees large enough for making dugout canoes. They continued down the Yellowstone for another 80 miles before finding larger cottonwood trees suitable for canoes (near present day Park City, Montana).

Clark frequently described the numerous islands of the Yellowstone River, the buffalo roads nearby, and the beaver and their dams across the river's tributaries. Great herds of buffalo became more numerous as they traveled east. The party saw wolves, bighorn sheep, and many species of birds that are still found along the Yellowstone today.

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

In his journals, Captain William Clark described the Yellowstone River, which he translated for the French name, Roche Jaune, as "...120 yds. Wide bold, rapid and deep." Clark and his party followed the Yellowstone River for 19 days to its confluence with Missouri River (just across the border of present-day North Dakota) where they planned to meet the rest of the Corps on August 3, 1806.

Native Americans referred to this feature of the river where you now are as "the Big Bend." because the river abruptly changes for its northward course to flow east. The Crow, or Apsaalooka, called it the Elk River or "Lichiilikaashaashe."

Erected by Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, National Park Service.

By 1884, a barbershop and restaurant occupied a one-story frame building on this lot. Fire destroyed much of Main Street in 1886, but owner Frederick Wright quickly rebuilt, again of wood. Saloons, restaurants, and barbershops remained the primary tenants. In 1898, Wright sold the building to C. S. Hefferlin. Hefferlin, who arrived in Livingston in 1883 to work as head ticket agent for the Northern Pacific Railroad, was responsible for the construction of at least a dozen of Livingston’s brick commercial buildings. Around 1915, perhaps to rid the block of one of its last wooden structures, he transformed the building into a restrained one-story brick business block. He also added a rear addition. An expanse of brick with two recessed panels separates the plate-glass windows from the cornice, providing a place for advertising and making the façade look larger than it would otherwise. The building continued to house two storefronts into the 1970s. As late as 1942, the barbershop in the left half of the building offered baths, a common service before indoor plumbing was universal. Restaurants and cafes primarily occupied the other storefront.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

Fire destroyed the first commercial building on this lot in 1886, but owner Walter Ayrault quickly invested $1,000 to replace it. In 1901, the Northern Pacific Railroad expanded its repair shops, ensuring Livingston’s growth; the next year, C. H. Hefferlin purchased the one-story business block. Sometime between 1910 and 1918, Hefferlin replaced the wood-frame building with a new brick commercial block; around the same time, his father, who was also a real estate developer, constructed the building’s near twin two doors down. A pair of recessed panels above the windows offers room to advertise two separate businesses. However, a single business—usually an eatery—occupied this entire structure after 1922. Many of the restaurants’ owners were immigrants. They included Thomas McCarthy (Ireland), Matsutaro “Thomas” Miyagishima (Japan), George D. Pavelis (Greece), and Louie Do Jum (China). Cities encouraged brick and stone construction as a fire prevention measure, but it wasn’t always successful. A 2003 fire destroyed all but the building’s newly restored façade, which today still looks much as it did in the 1920s, when customers patronized the

Busy Bee Cafe.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

After fire destroyed most of this side of Main Street in 1886, Chicago lawyer and financier James A. Danforth invested in building this double-front, brick commercial building. The original façade featured tall plate-glass windows divided by central and side entrances and was topped by a tasteful, stepped parapet. The building’s first tenant was clothing merchant Henry Frank. Frank moved into a new building next door in 1891. The next fifty years brought a variety of restaurants and saloons, including several Chinese restaurants between 1906 and 1927. The Fraternal Order of Eagles (F.O.E.) purchased the building in 1947. Livingston’s first Aerie No. 273 was established in 1902. In exchange for their charitable efforts (and membership dues), F.O.E. members received free medical care, an illness stipend, and a funeral benefit. Aerie No. 273 disbanded during the Great Depression, but renewed interest after World War II drew 119 charter members to the Yellowstone Park Aerie No. 2434. The Eagles modernized the façade of their new home with stucco and glass block windows and remodeled the interior. The Eagles Club remained a fixture on Main Street through 1980.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

Hand-cut local sandstone showcases the fine craftsmanship of master stonemason Martin Rolfson, who built this Colonial Revival style home in 1900. A hipped roof with front-facing gable and off-center frame porch create balanced asymmetry, while a graceful semicircular window in the gable, denticulated eaves, and multi-paned windows with leaded beveled glass add rich elegance to the dignified stone façade. Interior finishing reflects discriminating turn-of-the-twentieth-century taste: Corinthian columns, maple hardwood floors, and oak pocket doors. One of the district’s five stone residences, the home has served primarily as a private dwelling, although for a time it was a boarding house and, more recently, an inviting bed and breakfast inn.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

This very early Westside home was the first on the block, built during the year Montana achieved statehood in 1889. Its anonymous builder, using locally manufactured brick, constructed the solid walls with three layers of masonry. The front porch with its lovely Queen Anne style trim preserves the home’s picturesque nineteenth-century appearance. During the late 1920s, the residence became the Lott Birthing Hospital run by local nurse Edith Lott. Maternity patients at that time were not usually kept in regular hospitals, and numerous “maternity houses” were scattered throughout Livingston. Nurse Lott, renowned for her compassion, never asked if a patient could pay.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

In 1891, only eight years after Livingston’s founding, Julia Rolfson and her husband John, a stone mason, lived in this substantial, brick, cross-gable home. The Italianate style inspired the one-and-one-half-story residence’s wide, overhanging eaves, decorative brackets, and narrow windows. Builders placed the kitchen at the back of the house under a separate, single-story roof, a common nineteenth-century practice to minimize fire risk. Bucket brigades could more easily reach a one-story roof, perhaps saving the main house in case of a kitchen fire. Locomotive engineer Thomas Manzer and his wife Mabel purchased the residence in 1898. The Manzers added the wraparound front porch and remodeled the back portion of the house between 1907 and 1921. Sometimes called “labor’s aristocracy,” locomotive engineers were the highest paid workers on the railroad; nevertheless, few could afford homes as elegant as this one. In 1925, fellow locomotive engineer Christy Teters and his wife Effie purchased the residence. To make ends meet during the Depression, the family took in roomers. Five roomers joined Christy, Effie, and their two children here in 1930, including two teachers at the nearby high school.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

W. H. Campbell, a physician, president of the Montana State Board of Medical Examiners, and two-term state senator from Park County, built this Queen Anne style home in 1890. The one-and-one-half-story residence has a central hipped roof with two cross gables and an open front porch, a common Queen Anne style arrangement. The elegant home features distinctive spindlework and stickwork decorations. These include delicately turned porch supports and curved porch support braces, roof cresting, gable ornaments, and decorative horizontal and vertical wooden bands interrupting otherwise flat wall surfaces. Finely milled woodwork ornaments the interior. In 1900, Czech immigrants William and Mary Hruza purchased the home, where they raised three children. William owned the Cold Storage Market. Each week, his packing plant processed about 10,000 pounds of beef, 6,000 pounds of pork, 3,000 pounds of mutton, and 1,500 pounds of veal, some of which came from his own ranches. William died in 1923, but Mary continued to reside here until her death in 1949. The home has remained in the family for four generations.

As the Northern Pacific Railroad made its push across the upper tier of the western states in the early 1880s, Livingston grew to serve its passengers and crews. Convenient to the shops and yards, the Eastside especially was home to the many blue collar workers the railroad employed. Carpenters and speculators built modest houses, often two or three at a time, to sell or rent to the large work force. Proximity to the railyards, safely accessed via an underground walkway, prompted many workers to settle along Callender Street. This home on its prominent corner has a square plan and a hip roof like its two nearest neighbors, reflecting the repetition common throughout Livingston’s working-class neighborhoods. These simple cottages allowed owners to individualize them, adding awnings, or porches, or rear additions. By 1910, engineer Hilery J. Burchett was in residence here with his wife Esther and two-year-old daughter. Subsequent occupants included machinist Daniel Shawver in 1920 and fireman Charles Mikesell in 1930. All were employed at the Northern Pacific yards, underscoring the importance of the railroad to Livingston’s economy.

Erected by

Montana Historical Society.

Blue collar railroad workers were the backbone of the Livingston community and many settled in this area opposite the Northern Pacific shops. Between 1900 and 1910, housing for workers began to fill this neighborhood to accommodate the railroad’s expanding services. This cottage, built in 1907, is of balloon-frame construction, a method that replaced timber framing and made house construction much simpler. Cottages like this one could be built quickly. The wood siding in this case is covered in stucco while its basic four-square plan mirrors its neighbors. In 1910, newlyweds Iva and Milton Shadoan were tenants. Like many of his neighbors, Milton worked for the Northern Pacific. The John Topp family eventually owned this property as well as the other two homes on the half block, and rented them to family members. The railroad brought a diverse population and many immigrants made their homes in this neighborhood. Italian families especially put down roots here on Livingston’s Eastside. Their descendants, including a longtime owner of this home, maintain their Italian heritage here in “Little Italy.”

Erected by

Montana Historical Society.

The US War Department gave this 3-inch Ordnance Rifle, the most widely used cannon during the war, to the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), Farragut Post 7.

GAR members voted to include the above slogan, and the dates of the Civil War, 1861-1865, on the marble slab in front of the cannon when it was placed on the old courthouse lawn on May 11, 1912. A newspaper article from that day stated that it had seen service at Gettysburg and was later sent to General Nelson A. Miles.

The local Woman's Relief Corps, WRC, auxiliary group to the GAR, paid $10 for the carriage and was later reimbursed by the GAR. It was delivered free-of-charge to Livingston from Fort Harrison in Helena. The WRC raised money for its placement on the lawn of the old courthouse.

The Legacy of the GAR and the WRC

The national GAR was formed in 1866 on the principle of fraternity, charity, and loyalty. Members provided relief for veterans, worked for the accurate portrayal of the war in popular culture, and promoted nationalism.

Many servicemen and their families - from both North and South - migrated to the West after the Civil War. Veterans formed a post in Livingston in 1886, naming it in honor of David Glasgow Farragut, the first admiral of the US Navy.

The GAR faded away when its last member passed away in 1956. But the group laid the foundation for other veterans organizations.

The WRC, an organization of women, is still functioning today. Its members perpetuate the memory of the GAR, assist veterans of all wars, and maintain true allegiance to the US.

Cannon Specs

Material: Wrought Iron

Bore: 3.0"

Length: 69"

Weight: 820 lbs

Projectile: 9.5 lbs

Charge: 1.0 lb

Velocity: 1,215' per second

Range: 1,830 yds at 5º

Manufactured by the Phoenix Iron Company, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, the rifle barrels were produced using a unique rolling process, making them extremely durable and resistant to bursting.

Please visit the Yellowstone Gateway Museum, 118 W. Chinook St., 222-4184, for more information about these and other Park County veterans.

Erected by Yellowstone Gateway Museum.

Yellowstone River:

Haven for Great Hers of Wildlife

July 24, 1806 "Saw emenc number of Deer Elk and buffalow on the banks. Some beaver...for me to mention or give an estimate of the different Species of wild animals on this river particularly Buffalow, Elk Antelopes & Wolves would be increditable. I shall therefore be silent on the Subject further. So it is we have a great abundance of the best meat."

Clark was admired more for this mapmaking skill than his eloquence with the written word. Yet, on this section of the trip he could barely contain his enthusiasm for the daily wildlife drama. One day after vowing silence on the subject of wild animals, he wrote of. "the emence herds of Buffalow, Elk and wolves which it abounded,...Saw a gang of abut 40 Big horn animals."

Game animals at every turn meant readily available meat, skins for clothing or bullboats and bones for tools. Both the Expedition and the Native Americans who new the terrain well benefrited (sic) from the luxury of so much wildlife within reach.

The bighorn sheep of the prairie - called Audubon's race - are now extinct. Times have changed, yet thanks to the efforts of many Montanans, the free flowing Yellowstone still shelters a profusion of fish and wildlife visible from the highway-from great blue herons nesting in rookeries to white-tailed deer stepping from the shadows of cottonwoods.

Measure of Change

July 21, 1806 "Since I arrived at this Camp also antilops, wolves, pigions, Dovs, Hawks, ravins, Crows, larks, Sparrows, Eagles & bank martins &c. &c."

Clark's journals give us a measure of change over two centuries. The "pigions" were passenger pigeons - now extinct. The other birds listed still find a home in the sheltering, riverside vegetation and banks, Beaver are present, but not "very plenty/" He also described "Silkgrass Sunflower & Wild indigo all in blume" (now called hemp dogbane and milkvetch).

Flowing water through the dry plains is like a slant of sunlight in a rainforest-a welcome gift. As you travel in Clark's footsteps, notice the intensity of life still throwing on the Yellowstone. Listen for the sharp crack of a beaver's tail. Watch for nests of bald eagles, herons and orioles.

Those Tormenting Insects

August 1, 1806 "last night the Musquetors were so troublesom that no one of the party Slept half the night. for my part I did not Sleep one hour. those tormenting insects found their way into My beare and tormented me the whole night. they are not less noumerous or troublesom this morning." Where there is water, wildlife and summer warmth, mosquitoes will feast. Without bug spray or mosquito netting, Clark and his party suffered. In fact the mosquitos forced him to wait for Lewis down river from their designated rendezvous at the Missouri-Yellowstone confluence.

Can You Identify This Fish?

July 16 1806 one of the men brought me a fish of a species I am unacquainted; it was 8 inches long formed like a trout, it's mouth was placed like that of a Sturgeon a red streak passed down each Side from the gills to the tail."

This strange fish-a mountain sucker was a first for science and is still found on the Yellowstone.

Horse Booties?

What do you do with footsore horsed and no horse shoes? Clark's party stopped east of today's Livingston, killed a buffalo, and fashioned moccasins.

July 16, 1806 "two of the horses was So lame owing to their feet being worn quit Smooth and to the quick, the hind feet was much the worst I had Mockersons made of free Buffalow Skin and put on their feet which Seams to releve them very much passing over the Stoney plains."

July 13, 1806 "at 5. P. M I Set out from the head of Missouri at the 3 forks, and proceded on nearly East 4 miles and Encamped on the bank of Gallitines River which is a butifull navigable Stream....The Country in the forks between Gallitins & Madisens rivers is a butifull leavel plain Covered with low grass.... "

July 15, 1806 "The Roche passed out of a high rugid mountain covered with Snow. the bottoms are narrow within the mountains but widen from ½ a m. to 2 ms. in the Vally below, those bottoms are Subject to over flow, they contain Some tall Cotton wood, and willow rose bushes & rushes Honey suckle &c...."

July 18, 1806 "at 11 A. M. I observed a Smoke rise to the S. S. E in the plains towards the termonation of the rocky mountains in that direction (which is Covered with Snow) this Smoke must be raisd. by the Crow Indians in that direction as a Signal for us, or other bands."

Paradise or Peril?

Free-Flowing River Shapes History

July 13, 1806 "I observe Several leading roads which appear to pass a gap of the mountain in a E.N.E. direction about 18 or 20 miles distant. The indian woman who has been of great Service to me as a pilot through this country recommends a gap in the mountain more South which I shall cross.-"

As Captain William Clark and his party of 12 looked down on the valley in front of you. perhaps their hearts beat a little faster. What lay ahead on the Yellowstone River? Would they find a paradise or peril"

Following the advice of Sacagawea, Clark led his party of 12 plus 49 horses and a colt across the Bozeman pass on July 15, 1806. They followed a well-traveled "old buffalow road" to meet the Yellowstone River near present day Livingston. Twelve days earlier, Captain. Meriwether Lewis and Clark had divided forces at Traveler's Rest (near Lolo, Montana). Lewis headed northeast to explore the Marias River and Clark trekked through familiar territory until he reached the headwaters of the Missouri at Three Forks on July 13th. There, he splits his party, sending Captain (sic) Ordway and 10 men down the Missouri to meet up with Lewis. They all would converge on August 12th, downstream from the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone River.

Today, you can follow Clark's route along the longest, free-flowing river in the lower 48 states. Consider how this powerful river shaped their journey as it continues to influence the lives of wildlife and people today.

Cottonwood Quest

Today, big, water-loving cottonwoods are easy to find along the Yellowstone River, offering many candidates for dugout canoes. Irrigation keeps water levels from flooding and the banks are stabilized to prevent erosion. This saves the old trees, but prevents regenerating as many new seedlings.

In Clark't time, frequent floods soured the riverbank creating seedbeds for new cottonwoods but eliminating the oldest trees. Day after day, searching along the Yellowstone for cottonwoods large enough to build canoes proved futile for Clark and his party. "...no timber on tis part of the Rochjbone sufficiently large for a Canoe and time is precious...it is our wish to get to the U States this Season...."

Finally on July 20, Clark gave up the search for large trees and used several smaller ones to craft canoes. "I determined to have two Canoes made out of the largest of those trees and lash them together which will Cause then to be Study and fully Sufficient to take my Small party & Self with what little baggage we have down this river.."

As the Land Changes, So Does the River As you follow the Yellowstone River south of Livingston past Paradise Valley, you have a chance to practice the keen observation that became the hallmark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Along the river's more than 600-mile journey to the Missouri, the landscape changes the river and the river shapes the land. The icy mountain stream first rushes through Yellowstone National Park and into the Paradise Valley. Cool waters sustain healthy populations of Yellowstone cutthroat trout. The river warms up as it meanders across level plains and supports the ancient paddlefish, the sauger and pallid sturgeon. Note, too, how the trees change from evergreens in the mountains to cottonwoods and willows in the valleys, then finally to ash trees near the North Dakota border.

River of Plenty, River of Trials

August 3, 1806 "The Rochejbone or Yellow Stone river is large and navagable with but few obstructions quite into the rocks mountains...The Country through which it passes from those Mounts to its junction is Generally fertile rich open plains..." As you travel in Clark's footsteps, notice the lush green banks contrasting with dry hillsides, the braided channels, islands and leisurely course of the Yellowstone. This life giving river assured plenty of game for the explorers to eat, fresh water to drink, and most importantly would convey them downstream in dugout canoes eventually. But the river of abundance could be maddening. They lost all their horses to the Crow Indians. Mosquitos tortured them, bison swimming across held them up for hours and an injured party member (Gibson) to the trials.

July 24, 1806 "on this Island I observd a large lodge...It is Situated in the Center of a butifull Island thinly Covered with Cotton wood under which the earth which is rich is Covered with wild rye and a Species of grass resembling the bluegrass, [and a mixture of Sweet grass which the Indian plat and ware around their necks for its cent which is of a Strong sent like that of the Vinella after Dinner"

July 25, 1806

I proceeded on after the lay a little and at 4 P M arived at a remarkable rock Situated in an extensive bottom on the Stard. Side of the river & 250 paces from it. this rock I ascended and from it's top had a most extensive view in every direction. This rock which I shall Call Pompy's Tower"

July 26, 1806

The bottoms of the Big Horn river are... it is very long and Contains a great perpotion of timber on which there is a variety of wild animals, perticularly the big horn which are to be found in great numbers on this river. Buffalow, Elk, Deer and Antelopes are plenty and the river is Said to abound in beaver. it is inhabited by a great number of roveing Indians..."

July 27, 1806

The Buffalow and Elk is estonishingly noumerous on the banks of the river on each Side, particularly the Elk which lay on almost every point in large gang and are So jintle that we frequently pass within 20 or 30 paces of them without their being the least alarmd.

They Call it Elk River:

Native American Hunting Grounds

July 17, 1806 "I Saw in one of those Small bottoms which I passed this evening an Indian fort which appears to have been built last Summer. this fort was built of logs and bark. the logs was put up very Closely capping on each other about 5 feet and Closely chinked. around which bark was Set up on end so as to Cover the Logs. the enterance was also guarded by a work on each Side of it and faceing the river. this work is about 50 feet Diameter & nearly round."

Elk River, Rochjhone, Yellowstone. Three names for a river-Crow, French and American. Centuries before Clark set foot into this country, the Crow Indians and several other tribes had discovered the plain's bounty of bison, elk, antelope and deer. They, too, used this river as an easy corridor for travel, but they traveled warily. That caution explains why Clark detected only sigs of Indian presence, despite journeying deep into the Crow homeland. He did find several Indian forts constructed of logs and bark. He also described two ceremonial lodges, much larger and more elaborate than the forts. The tribes themselves were as elusive as the puff of smoke Clark noted one day in the distance, a reminder that his party was not alone in the wilderness.

Two Views of Horse Theft

On July 20th, the Crow raided Clark's canoe camp and escaped with half the horses. On July 12th, Sergeant Pryor and two others attempted to take the remaining horses overland to the Mandan country. Two nights into that journey, the rest of the horses disappeared. Where Clark saw a criminal act, the Crow accepted horse theft as a demonstration of bravery.

July 23, 1806 "Sgt. pryor found an Indian Mockerson and a Small piece of a roab, the mockerson worn out on the bottom & yet wet, and have every appearance of haveing been worn but a fiew hours before. those Indian Signs is Conclusive with me that they have taken the 24 horses which we lost on the night of the 20th..." (From The Heart of the Crow Country: the Crow Indians Own Story) "For the Crows, one of the four essential military tests was for a warrior to sneak into an enemy camp in darkness, capture a well-guarded prized horse, and bring it home."

Signatures of Two Cultures: Pompeys Pillar

July 25, 1806 "The Indians have made 2 piles of Stone on the top of this Tower. The nativs have ingraved on the face of this rock the figures of animals &c. near which I marked my name and the day of the month & year."

Clark hiked in the footsteps of Native Americans up a 200-foot high sandstone monolith downstream from Billings. When he carved his name next to their petroglyphs, he left lasting evidence of the Expedition's journey. He proclaimed the rock "Pompey's Tower" in honor of Sacagawea's son, The name would be changed in 1841 to Pompeys Pillar.

Ceremonial Lodge

July 24, 1806 "on this Island I observd a large lodge...in this Lodge I observed a Cedar bush Sticking up on the opposit side of the lodge fronting the dore, on one side was a Buffalow head, and on the other Several Sticks bent and Stuck in the ground. a Stuffed Buffalow skin was Suspended from the Center with the back down. (on) the top of those poles were deckerated with feathers of the Eagle & Calumet Eagle also Several Curious pieces of wood bent in Circleler form with sticks across them in form of a griddle hung on tops of the lodge poles others in form of a large Sturrip."

Native Americans likely designed this ceremonial lodge for a spiritual ceremony.

July 28, 1806 " in the evening I passd. Straters of Coal in the banks on either Side those on the Stard. Bluffs was about 30 feet above the water and in 2 vanes from 4 to 8 feet thick, in a horozontal position."

July 30, 1806 "I observe great quantities of red Stone thrown out of this river that from the appearance of the hills at a distance on its lower Side induced me to call this red Stone river."

Clark refers to the Powder River. The red stone called shaker is actually shale or sandstone heated to high temperatures by underlying burning coal seams. It was used by Native Americans for making spear and arrow points. Look today for shaker in the hillside along the Yellowstone form near Forsyth to Sydney.

August 1, 1806 "at 2 P. M. I was obliged to land to let the Buffalow Cross over. not withstanding an island of half a mile in width over which this gangue of Buffalow had to pass and the Chanel of the river on each Side nearly ¼ of a mile in width, this gangue of Buffalow was entirely across and as thick as they could Swim. the Chanel on the Side of the island the went into the river was crouded with those animals for ½ an hour."

August 3, 1806 "at 8. A. M. I arived at the Junction of the Rochejhone with the Missouri, and formed my Camp imediately in the point between the two river at which place the party had all encamped the 26th of April—1805....had the Canoes unloaded and every article exposed to dry & Sun.

Erected by Park County Montana, Qwest, Montana Dept. of Transportation,.

A wood-frame cigar factory and shooting gallery stood here in 1884. After fire destroyed the buildings in 1886, owner J. A. Danforth quickly rebuilt in brick. Four years later, he added a second story, but the addition was so heavy it damaged the first floor. In 1891, he remodeled, adding iron support columns to carry the weight. The flamboyant Gilded Age business block features a distinctively corbelled (projecting) brick cornice that evokes the top of a fortress. For much of the building’s history, the second floor housed club and card rooms while a saloon filled the first floor. Bar owners included Democratic political “boss” John Hogan, who came to Livingston as a Northern Pacific “road master” and then went into sheep ranching. Hogan purchased the building in 1914, and his ghost sign still marks the north façade’s second story. In 1927, during Prohibition, Herman Bauer, a union activist blackballed by the railroad as an “agitator,” opened a soft drink parlor. Antlers Bar opened in 1937, four years after Prohibition’s repeal. It operated until 1967.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

St. Paul, Minnesota, architect E. P. Bassford designed three buildings side by side in 1884: The First National Bank Building on the corner, then two identical business blocks. The twin commercial buildings were constructed for members of the bank’s board of directors, John Donnelly and D. E. Fogarty. Mismanagement caused the bank to close within months of its completion, and scandal forced Fogarty out of town. Donnelly, however, continued to invest in Livingston, even as his work as a railroad contractor took him to Spokane. While the Masonic Temple subsumed the bank and the Fogarty Block, the Donnelly Block retains its original ornate brickwork, including one of two original pilasters. Barber Alexander Van Brocklin purchased the building in 1904. He remodeled, adding the prismatic glass transom, large display window, and a rear addition that doubled the building’s size. He also installed a stairwell to the basement where he, and then his son George, ran a barbershop. Recreational businesses were the main floor’s primary tenants, including the Wrangler Bar, featured in the 1975 film Rancho Deluxe.

Erected by

Montana Historical Society.

"Trail of Lewis & Clark. This point was passed July 17, 1806. Marked Yellowstone Park Chapter D.A.R. October 23, 1908"

Erected 1908 by Yellowstone Park Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution.

The solid massing of this building follows a long Masonic tradition of erecting lodges whose size and bulk symbolize the permanency and stability of Masonry itself. Seemingly a colossal white stucco box, the building is actually comprised of three earlier structures: The First National Bank and the Fogarty Block (both built by real estate speculators in 1884) and a substantial rear addition constructed by the Masons in 1903. A 1954 renovation tied all three structures together by infilling windows and stuccoing the main façades, giving the edifice a striking, mid-century Modern appearance. On North Second Street, a large decorative panel reflects Masonic symbolism and rituals with its etched scenes of Egyptian builders, architectural elements, and hieroglyphs. Livingston Lodge #32, which organized in 1883 and was chartered in 1885, has met in the bank building since 1890. Since the 1903 expansion, which added a banquet room and two-hundred-seat meeting room, other organizations also met here, including the Elks, Eagles, Odd Fellows, and many trade unions. Businesses renting first-floor commercial space included Tolhurst Taxidermy—“Taxidermist for the tourist”—and Western Union.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

The area in front of you once served as south-central Montana's cultural crossroads. Especially between 1868 and 1875, this was a place where settlers and Indians traded goods and services, where the U.S. government sought (and failed) to convert the Crow Tribe to farming and other Anglo ways - and where many frontiersmen married Indians and adopted their ways instead. During roughly the same period, the bison herds of the Great Plains, core of the Crow Tribe's lifestyle and religion were destroyed.

Built here in 1869, Fort Parker, the first Crow Agency, was a resting point for a veritable "Who's Who" of white explorers as well as Indian leaders. Virtually every major expedition into the Yellowstone Park area stopped here. These included the Langford-Washburn Expedition - widely credited for recommending the creation of the world's first National Park; and the Hayden Survey, sent in 1871 to gather visual and other detailed information that was used to persuade Congress to create the Park in 1872.

The Fort burned down a year after it was built, and was replaced with a poorly constructed adobe fort that lasted only a few more years. In 1875, the government moved the Crow Agency to a site near present-day Absarokee, Montana.

"...it seems almost impossible for the Government to protect the Indians in the rights guaranteed them by their treaties against the mountaineer and gold-hunter...and I most earnestly urge upon the Department the necessity of immediate action in this matter to protect these Indians..." - Agent F.D. Pease August 31, 1871

Erected by Undaunted Stewardship.

A Jewish immigrant from Poland, tailor Henry Frank first arrived in Montana in 1867. He and his wife Barbara followed the Northern Pacific Railroad to Livingston, where they built the city’s first brick business block in 1883 on East Park. In 1890, Frank purchased a one-story wood-frame building on Main Street, which housed a grocer and a barber. The next year he cleared the lot to build this ornately decorated commercial block, “one of the most handsome and substantial structures in the city.” The façade features decorative brickwork, stone ornamentation, and an elaborate cast-iron cornice manufactured by Mesker Bros. Iron Works in St. Louis. Metal cornices, designed to look like carved stone for a fraction of the cost, were sold through the mail and shipped by rail in eight-foot sections. Advertising himself as the “merchant tailor,” Henry Frank offered men and boy’s clothing—from fine suits to the “heavy substantial clothing required by hunters, miners, [and] cowboys.” Although the building has housed Bob’s Outdoor (formerly Bob’s Army Store) since 1958, ghost signs still advertise Frank’s Clothier and the Levi Strauss overalls it sold.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

Emanuel Goughnour arrived in Livingston in late 1882 and formed a general lumber business. He also operated a saw mill on Willow Creek and a steam planing mill at the foot of Second Street. Between 1885 and 1891 he assembled six lots on Second Street and East Lewis, establishing the E. Goughnour Lumber Yard. This commercial structure, built in 1891, was his office. Its western vernacular style with fancy brickwork and arched windows reflects Livingston during this busy period. Goughnour’s lumber yard eventually included four contiguous lots on Third Street. He expanded his lumber business and at various times operated sawmills on Mulherrin Creek Cinnebar Basin and in Big Timber, Castle, and St. Regis. Goughnour was also active in civic affairs. He helped establish the Livingston Board of Trade, served on the board of the National Park Bank, helped erect the first public school, and was a prominent Republican advocating the creation of Park . In 1902 Goughnour sold his lumber business. It became the Livingston Lumber Company as advertised in a well-preserved ghost sign on the side of the building.

Erected by

Montana Historical Society.

German immigrant William Grabow settled in the Livingston area in the early 1880s. There he established a flour mill and helped introduce the manufacture of brick. Between 1908 and 1911, William built this prominent corner building, where he and his wife, Elizabeth, established the Grabow Hotel in 1911. It was soon recognized as one of Montana’s leading hostelries. Guests at the Grabow enjoyed “every known convenience,” including hot and cold running water in each of the thirty rooms and a fine European style restaurant. William died at the height of the 1918 flu epidemic and Elizabeth, six feet tall and eminently capable, ran the business until 1936 when the hotel fell victim to the Great Depression. The once-popular hotel was sold at sheriff’s sale and later converted to offices and apartments. In 1998, William and Elizabeth’s grandchildren, sisters Patricia Grabow and Bonny Grabow Milligan, brought the building back into the family and began its restoration. They burned the 1936 sale document, the source of three generations of family grief, over the graves of their grandparents.

Erected by Montana

Historical Society.

An 1886 fire destroyed the one-story tin shop and hardware warehouse that originally occupied this lot. Two year later, meat merchant and rancher John Harvat purchased the property. Livingston’s premier Gilded Age architect, I. J. Galbraith, designed the Harvat Block, which was completed in 1890. Although Harvat initially intended the building for his meat market, he ultimately decided to open his shop a few doors down, keeping this building as an investment property. For most of its history, saloons and an occasional restaurant occupied the first floor. During Prohibition, the storefront was home to a billiards hall and “soft drinks parlor.” The second story hosted, at various times, lodge rooms, hotel rooms, furnished rooms and, very briefly, a noodle parlor run by former railway worker Fukutaro Akao. The building’s architectural exuberance reflects Livingston’s unbridled optimism and the nation’s taste for flashy ornamentation during the late 1880s and early 1890s. Noteworthy features include the rounded, Romanesque style, second-story windows, elaborate corbelled (stepped) brickwork, a stone stringcourse, and a striking, galvanized iron cornice and pediment.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

On the return journey from the Pacific Ocean, Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark took separate routes in Montana. Lewis headed north to explore and Clark headed east toward the three forks of the Missouri/ At the three forks, Sacajawea guided Clark and 11 others up the Gallatin River along a buffalo road and over a low pass and down to the Yellowstone. Sergeant Ordway lead the others downstream on the Missouri River to meet with Captain Lewis' party.

On Clark's journey along the Yellowstone River, he took with him 12 people, 49 horses, and a colt. The expedition consisted of Sergeant Nathaniel Pryor, William Bratton, George Gibson, Hugh Hall, Francois LaBiche, George Shannon, John Shields, Richard Window, and Clark's servant York. The interpreter Touissant (sic) Charbonneau, his Shoshoni wife Sacajawea and their son Jean Baptiste (nicknamed Pomp) were also part of the group.

Erected by Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, National Park Service.

The look of Livingston’s Main Street can be traced to Charles S. Hefferlin, who built at least twelve stores at different times along this thoroughfare. Friendly rivalry between Hefferlin and fellow developer A. W. Miles, who vied for similar importance of Second Street, engendered a lively debate over which would be the town’s “main” street. The Hefferlin Mercantile Company opened in this building in 1888, operated by Charles’ brothers John, William, and Orlando. Hefferlin’s stocked a myriad of goods from caps and boots to furnishings and groceries. In 1903, the store advertised free gold gild chinaware with cash purchase; “Give us a call when you are wanting Groceries and get your dishes FREE.” Tall windows, ornate brickwork, and a marvelous Coca-Cola advertisement painted on the side speak to a bygone era. Six tall chimneys and an outer stairway, now removed, once served the rooming house upstairs. The second-floor doorway remains intact. Since the 1930s, the Mint Bar has operated on the ground floor corner.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

A harmonious blending of architectural styles yields an unusual façade in this elegant residence, built by noted attorney Hugh J. Miller circa 1900. A pedimented entry of classical design, gracefully flared roof of oriental influence, and square Italianate-inspired tower demonstrate the eclecticism favored during this era. Interior pocket doors, hard maple floors, a double stairway, formal dining room, and gracious receiving hall with a built-in oak bench demonstrate the refined lifestyle of Miller and his wife, Georgiana. Denticulated eaves grace the high-pitched roof, and paneled leaded glass enhances the windows. Miller, who was “unexcelled in the complete preparation of his cases,” served several terms as county attorney and was appointed Judge Advocate of Montana by Governor R. B. Smith in 1897. Once a focal point of turn-of-the-twentieth-century social gatherings, the home on its prestigious corner continues to command the respect of discerning passersby.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

The intersection of Main and Park was the heart of Livingston’s compact commercial core, convenient to both railway passengers and local customers. Here in the mid 1880s brothers Isaac and Herman Orschel, who also had a store in Miles City, did a booming business. In 1884 and 1885, their varied inventory included “everything that is attractive” in men’s furnishings: plain and fancy underwear, boots, suits, hosiery, and shirts as well as trunks and valises, bar fixtures, groceries, blankets, cigars, and wholesale liquor. By 1891, a back addition linked 106 E. Park and 122 N. Main, forming one L-shaped business block. A beer bottling plant operated in the basement. The tall parapet with its fancy brickwork showcases the work of Livingston’s early masons while the building’s side chronicles its several stages of construction.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

The interstate highway nearby mirrors a path travelers have used for centuries. Even long before the days of Lewis and Clark, members of the Crow Tribe came to this area in an annual rendezvous that was central to their culture. The tribe's nomadic families spent their winters living on warmer plains to the east, and in summertime headquartered around here, north the Absaroka Mountain Range.

On July 15, 1806, Captain William A. Clark camped near here on the north side of the Yellowstone River. He and his crew were exploring this route on their return to St. Louis, while a separate group led by Meriwether Lewis followed the Missouri River. Anxious to rendezvous with Lewis at the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers, Clark and his party traveled quickly through the area. Ensuing travelers stayed longer, and the present-day Mission Ranch became the site of Fort Parker, where a treaty establishing the Crow Indian Reservation and subsequent Crow Agency was signed in 1868.

Named for Mission Creek, the present-day ranch began operating in 1947 and manages the 4,100 privately owned acres now surrounding it.

Erected by

Undaunted Stewardship.

The blocks between Clark and Calender streets were known as “Banker’s Row” because three prominent bankers made their homes in the neighborhood. Josiah C. Vilas was one of these men directly involved in Livingston’s financial welfare. Vilas came to Montana in 1881 and was the first postmaster at Gardiner appointed under President Grover Cleveland. He later settled in Livingston, entered the banking business in 1893, and was president of the National Park Bank of Livingston from 1908 to 1929. When Vilas died at 83 in 1937, he was still president of the bank’s board of directors. This gracious two-story residence was home to Vilas and his wife, Ida, by 1904. One of seven homes in Livingston constructed of locally quarried stone, its fashionable façade and fine details showcase the work of skilled local craftsmen. Elegant classical columns, windows with diamond muntins and stained glass, and “eyebrow” windows with intricate leaded glass enrich the Queen Anne style home. Inside, handsome fluted columns, decorative wood finishing, and original light fixtures remain in pristine condition under conscientious owners.

Erected by

Montana Historical Society.

World War II put a damper on the growth of radio broadcasting by freezing expansion of existing stations and disallowing the licensing of new stations. When the freeze finally lifted, KPRK Radio in Livingston was one of the first new postwar stations to sign on in Montana. At 8:00 P.M. on January 9, 1947, more than twenty prominent local residents representing a broad spectrum of interests participated in the opening ceremonies with organizer/owner Paul McAdam and general manager Walter Carle. KPRK’s new facility was completed in time for the premier broadcast. Missoula architect William Fox designed the futuristic Art Moderne style station in 1946 to contrast with the town’s many turn-of-the-twentieth-century brick buildings and affirm Livingston’s connection with the latest technology. Its streamlined presence reflects the era’s appreciation for technological progress. Horizontal banding, a rounded vestibule, and glass blocks highlight the striking façade, while a whimsical radio tower in miniature crowns the entry. KPRK’s stylized call letters accented by lightning bolts were prominently featured on the front. Jack Hinman joined the station two weeks after its opening. Hinman, a familiar voice to Livingston residents, owned KPRK from 1963 until his death in 1977. His widow, Roberta, sold the station in 1978 to veteran Montana broadcaster Bill Holter whose daughter, Jann, became owner-operator in 1985. The station changed hands again in 2008 and all KPRK broadcasts are fed from studios in Bozeman.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

Early Exploration and Settlement:

John Colter, member of the 1804-1805 (sic) Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery, in 1807 was the first known white man to have traversed through the area known as Yellowstone Park. Prominent mountain man Jim Bridger explored the park area in 1830, spent time with the Crow Indians, and pioneered routes followed by travelers today. In 1840 Father DeSmet came through returning to St. Louis. In 1863, gold was discovered in Emigrant Gulch. John Bozeman led wagon trains to the gold fields of Bannack, Montana in 1864 establishing the controversial Bozeman Trail that existed until 1868. Nelson Story, Park County pioneer, led the first cattle herd from Texas over the trail into the Gallatin Valley in 1866.

The short-lived post Ida Thurman was built in July of 1867 a few miles northeast of Livingston, to protect settlers. Benson's Landing, the first store in the area, also had a hazardous, short-lived ferry at the time that crossed the Yellowstone River a few miles east of Livingston. During the spring of 1876, Gibbon's army column for Fort Ellis in Bozeman passed through here to aid Custer at Little Bighorn. Calamity Jane was also in this area for 1884 to 1902.

Native American History:

Native Americans were present at least 11,000 years ago as established by the Anzick site, northeast of Livingston that has the largest cache of Clovis artifacts ever found. This area had been used by Shoshone and Crow (Apsaalooké), with occasional incursions by the Blackfoot and Sioux. Sacagwea (sic) was a Shoshne Indian kidnapped for the Three Forks area.

During the years of the Bozeman Trail, the Crow helped the U.S. military protect it against the Sioux. The Ft. Laramie Treaty of 1868 established the first Crow Reservation that extended from the south bank of the Yellowstone southeast to Wyoming.

Ft. Parker (1869-1874), at the mouth of Mission Creek, served as the first Crow Agency. Crow Chief Plenty Coups has his vision quest atop the Crazy Mountains. His abilities with the government at the time kept the Crow reservation lands from being totally dissolved.

Chief Joseph and many of the Nez Perce fled the U.S. Army through Yellowstone Park during the summer of 1877, five years after it was established, alarming visitors.

Yellowstone National Park:

Known by Native Americans, encountered by John Colter in 1807, later explored by Jim Bridger in 1830 and the Folsom-Cook Party in 1869, the first scientific explorations of the park were by the Washburn-Doane Expedition in 1870 and the Hayden Expedition in 1871. Famous photographer W.H. Jackson and artist Thomas Moran accompanied the expedition.

With encouragement fro the Northern Pacific Railroad, President Ulysses Grant established Yellowstone as the first National Park in 1872. The Northern Pacific , of the next 30 years was the only rail access to the park through Livingston, thereby earning the nickname "Gateway to Yellowstone Park." From 1912=1930, Livingston was on a cross-continental auto route called "The Yellowstone Trail."

Northern Pacific Railroad:

Livingston was established as a railroad town in 1882 as the tracks were being laid to the West. The transcontinental Northern Pacific Railroad was completed in 1883. The first Bozeman Tunnel was opened in 1884. Settlement efforts helped Montana achieve statehood in 1889.

The Livingston Depot, designed by Reed and Stem, the same firm that helped design Grand Central Station in New York, was completed in Italian Renaissance style. Today the Depot anchors a downtown National Historic Register District of over 400 buildings.

Livingston Today:

Livingston has become a creative hub in this area located amongst Montana's blue skies, mountains, blue-ribbon trout fisheries, skiing, and hot spring resort. It remains a gateway to Yellowstone National Park. Home to three outstanding museums, to live theaters, and numerous art galleries, this area balances its historical heritage as a tourism center with a rural, small town quality of life. We invite you to discover Livingston and Park County for yourself!

Clark 1807 • Colter 1807 • DeSmet 1840 • Bridger 1844 • Gold Discovered Emmigrant (sic) Gulch 1863 • Bozeman Trail 1864-68 • Yellowstone Expedition 1869-71 • Ft. Parker 1869-74 • Yellowstone Park Estab. 1872 • Little Bighorn 1876 • Flight of Nez Perce 1877 • Livingston Estab. 1882 • Transcontinental Northern Pacific 1883 • Montana Statehood 1889 • Livingston Depot 1902 • Yellowstone Trail 1912-30

Erected by Great Bend of the Yellowstone Lewis and Clark Heritage Regional Bicentennial Commission.

These four small one-story houses are the only remnants of Livingston’s once-thriving red-light district. A convenient but respectable distance from the railroad hub, commercial district, and residential neighborhoods, here the “painted ladies” quietly plied their trade. The houses were originally built as duplexes between 1896 and 1907. Their design resembles the gables and porches of larger houses with subtle decorative variations. B Street’s establishments prospered from the 1890s to the 1920s, catering to ranch hands, sheepherders, itinerant railroad workers, and local residents. Though technically illegal, prostitution in Livingston achieved a certain “illegitimate respectability” and the district grew to encompass nine houses along a block and a half. Old-timers recall the ladies sitting in the windows with their companion lap dogs, illuminated by a red light. Though they were not socially accepted, restricted to the last rows of the Opera House, and not allowed in saloons, local merchants profited from the ladies’ earnings spent on clothes, perfumes, and furs. Deliveries, however, were made only to B Street’s back doors. In the late 1940s, B Street’s establishments closed and the ladies moved to the outskirts of town. Some long-time residents say that Livingston “lost a lot of its color when the red lights went out.”

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

The territorial legislature created Park County with Livingston as county seat in 1887. By the mid-1890s city officials needed office space and a firehouse was even more critical. Fiery disasters had long plagued the community, and destruction of the opera house in January of 1896 underscored this need. A $10,000 bond issue provided funds to build adjoining facilities on this site. City officials moved in before the end of 1896, and a volunteer fire company formed in early 1897. By 1900, the company boasted twenty-eight volunteers, two hose carts, a hose and ladder wagon, and 2,200 feet of cotton hose. Fire driver M. J. McGinnis, hired in 1894, was Livingston’s only paid fireman until 1906. The city purchased its first motorized fire truck in 1915 and it remained in use until the late 1950s. Despite removal of a grand bell tower that originally crowned city hall, the substantial brick building with its graceful arches presides over this corner. Its presence is a monument to Livingston’s early civic achievement.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

From 1900 to 1910, the Northern Pacific Railroad’s good fortunes overflowed into Livingston. Expansion of railroad services brought an influx of blue-collar workers and their families who located on the convenient Eastside, near the railroad shops north and east of the yard. An underground walkway beneath the tracks and emerging at the timekeeper’s office was constructed in 1902, providing workers a safe crossing. Carpenters and speculators constructed three-fourths of the small, wood-frame houses in the district before 1907, two or three at a time, to rent or sell to families of modest income. The foursquare, hipped-roof design and simple detailing was easy to build and proved easy to expand. Large enclosed porches, side bays and rear shed-roofed additions account for wide variation, yet the repetition of this basic design unifies the district. A few two-story, gable-roofed residences add visual interest while the Norwegian Lutheran Church (now American Lutheran) built in 1905 provides architectural focus for the neighborhood. Many Scandinavian and Italian families settled here, bringing strong ethnic identities to the district. Today the

Eastside continues to be a neighborhood of hard-working families who form the true heart of this railroad town.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

A few years after Livingston Memorial Hospital opened in February 1955, the Livingston Enterprise reported, “This neat, modern building will hold a prominent position in the lives of Livingston residents for years to come. For some it will be their birthplace and hold their first memories of medical attention. Its importance will last through their lives.” Indeed, the building remains a local landmark and enduring symbol of public-private investment. In the decades before Livingston Memorial, the Park County Poor Farm (1889), Saint Luke’s Hospital (1901), Park Hospital (1913), and several other private maternity and religious hospitals served healthcare needs in the community. Following World War II, a nationwide thirst for modern facilities sparked state and federal aid programs to improve public infrastructure. In December 1946, the Livingston Community Hospital Association formed to plan and fundraise for a new hospital. That same year, Congress passed the Hill-Burton Hospital Act, a monumental federal aid program that ultimately built or improved twenty-nine rural Montana hospitals. Livingston-area community members donated about $400,000 for this building; the project also received $276,645 in federal funds—the largest hospital grant given in Montana. Architects Ralph Cushing and Everett Terrell (CTA Architects) embraced key features of Modernism using long expanses of light and dark brick, deep roof overhangs, and minimal ornamentation. Sixty years later, federal loan funds and private donations again funded Livingston HealthCare, a new hospital facility east of town. In 2019, non-profit developer Homeword, Inc., revived this building using state grants and federal tax credits to convert it into thirty-four affordable housing units.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

Livingston was inextricably tied to the railroad, but its business community also influenced the town’s character. After 1900, professionals and entrepreneurs built new homes on the Westside when the expansion of downtown encroached on the previous residential neighborhoods. The less pretentious homes of Livingston’s lawyers, merchants, doctors, and businessmen comprise the majority of the Westside, but the district includes Livingston’s most architecturally significant residences. These were home to important figures such as Charles Garnier, founder of the exclusive “Montana Sport” cigar factory whose Livingston payroll was second only to the Northern Pacific. Garnier built a residence here in 1902. The 1903 mansion of Livingston mayor and bank president Edward Talcott sprawls over six city lots on “Banker’s Row.” Wealthy rancher J. H. Harvat moved to town, building a home so that his children could attend school. Telephone company franchise owner Joseph Swindlehurst, banker J. C. Vilas, and renowned criminal lawyer Hugh J. Miller were other wealthy residents. Among the larger homes, examples of Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Shingle, and Prairie styles reveal an astute awareness of national architectural trends of the early twentieth century. After the 1920s, more modest homes were added to the district. The wide, inviting tree-lined streets, churches, and schools make this Livingston’s preferred residential area even today.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

Charles Garnier—Livingston mayor and cigar manufacturer—teamed up with businessman, brick manufacturer, and real estate developer A. W. Miles to construct this dignified addition to the commercial district. They hired one of the architects responsible for the Montana State Capitol, C. E. Bell, in 1903, but they delayed construction until 1904 so that Miles could focus on rebuilding another of his commercial blocks after a disastrous fire. Bell’s dignified design features pressed brick laid to suggest stonework. Above the second story, decorative brackets appear to support a cast iron cornice. The first story—once almost entirely dominated by plate-glass display windows—has been remodeled several times, but the original carved sandstone entrance remains on Callender Street. Rightly proud of their building, Garnier and Miles not only had their names carved in sandstone above the decorative entryway, but they placed them in metal atop the building on the parapet. They also had their names pressed into the sidewalk along with the words “Smoke Montana Sport”—Garnier’s most popular brand of cigars.

Erected by

Montana Historical Society.

Entrepreneur brothers Tommy and Billy Miles constructed this dignified building in 1903 strategically located across from the Northern Pacific’s new passenger depot. The first floor of the masonry business block provided the booming community with much-needed retail space. Early tenants included a sign painter, the National Guard Armory, and Western Union Telegraph. On the second floor, grand windows provided good ventilation and natural light for a public ballroom and concert hall. According to the newspaper, it was “a place for public amusement” unequalled “by any other edifice in the city.” The “elegantly fitted” facility seated more than 700 people, and local organizations, from the Order of Railway Employees to the High School Glee Club, quickly put it to use. After a new ballroom opened in 1907, the Park Theater and a rooming house shared the second story. In 1945, the American Legion Park Post No. 23 bought the building to serve its rapidly growing membership, bolstered by soldiers returning after World War II. By 1969, the post was Montana’s fourth largest, with 458 members. The Legion’s historic bar room remained as of 2017.

Erected by

Montana Historical Society.

Antique furniture, red oak doors, a towering lobby, and 700 square feet of marble make this historic hotel a timeless ambassador of the “real West.” Built circa 1904, the Murray began as the Elite Hotel (locally pronounced EE-light) when Livingston was a busy tourist hub. Its unassuming brick façade reflects the great age of American hostelries and their inevitable link with the railroad. In 1922, the Senator James E. Murray family of Butte financed expansion to four stories, but foreclosed on owner Josephine Kline in 1925 and renamed the hotel. The popular Murray contained the town’s only elevator (which is still in use) and its lobby was a favorite rendezvous. The demise of rail travel figures into the Murray’s decline in the 1960s. Recent owners breathed new life into its seasoned rooms and suites, where celebrity outlaws such as Sam Peckinpah and Jack Palance have hung their hats. And the likes of Robert Redford, Peter Fonda and Whoopi Goldberg—to name just a few—have patronized the Murray’s Art Deco bar.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

"I proceeded on down the river on an old buffalow road at a distance of 9 miles below the mountains Shield River discharges itself into the Rochejhone on it's N W. side above s high rocky Clift, this river is 35 yards wide deep and affords a great quantity of water it heads in those Snowey Mountains to the N W." William Clark, July 15, 1806

While descending the Yellowstone River, Captain William Clark named many tributaries for members of the Corps of Discovery. This tributary, the Shields River, was named in honor of Private John Shields.

He was a talented blacksmith and gifted at repairing guns, tools, and other items. The Corps often traded his knife and ax making skills in exchange for food and provisions from the American Indian tribes they encountered.

The Shieds River is one of the few rivers named after the expedition members that has retained its name over time.

(insert)

Blacksmith and Gunsmith

John Shields' blacksmithing experience came in handy to repair Captain Lewis' air gun that he purchased in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, a portrait of Shields was never completed during his life, so his appearance is a mystery. This is a sketch by Michael Haynes fo what the blacksmiths on the expedition wore.

(pictured:) Air gun

Erected by Lewis and Clark National Trail.

"Struck the Rochejhone 1/2 a mile below the branch we came down & 1 1/2 ms. below where it passes out of the Rocky mountains....The horses feet are very sore many of them Can Scercely proceed on over the Stone and gravel in every other respect they are Sound and in good Sperits." William Clark, July 15, 1806

A short distance south of here, Captain William Clark and his party arrived at the Yellowstone River. They stopped and rested for three hours to eat dinner and feed the horses.

The next day Clark used a buffalo hide to make moccasins for the horses' sore feet, which seemed to relieve their misery. Over the next ten days, all their horses were taken by the Crow Indians who lived in the area.

Erected by National Park Service.

In 1883, Wetzstein Hall, a two-story wooden building with a liquor wholesale operation on the first floor and a public hall on the second, stood on this site. In 1902, Fred Pape opened the National Park Steam Laundry here. He purchased the building in 1903, only to see it burn to the ground a few months later. The fire, which started in Pape’s laundry, caused an estimated $20,000 of damage and destroyed two other wooden buildings on this block. The street’s brick buildings were spared. Pape hired builder-architect John Sundberg to construct a dignified two-story, fire-resistant brick business block. Completed in three months, the 1904 building originally housed Frank Bliss’s Solo Saloon on the first floor. The second floor became a lodging house, managed by Pape’s wife Clorinda. In 1910, Clorinda rented the rooms to a baseball player, farm laborer, waiter, real estate agent, waitress, and railroad conductor. During Prohibition, the Solo became a soft drink parlor and relocated, but according to local lore, the New York Candy Kitchen, which occupied the first floor, doubled as a speakeasy.

Erected by

Montana Historical Society.

The Park Hotel Building

Built in 1904 by A.W. Miles for $60,000.00

Designed by:

C.S. Haire, Architect, Helena, Montana

The Corner Lot was Acquired in 1892

From W.A. Lange. The Other 3 Lots were

Owned by the Carver Mercantile Co.

The Building originally housed the U.S. Post Office on the East end with the Park Hotel on the Westerly end with stores in between. The Upstairs along Callender Street was rented as Offices and the remaining area was used as Hotel Rooms. In 1918 the Post Office moved.

A.W. Miles was the Nephew of General Nelson Miles, of the Indian Campaigns in Eastern Montana. A.W. Miles developed 2nd Street and as a local Entrepreneur owned other Buildings, Hardware, Dry Goods, Grocery Stores, Flour Mills, Lumber Yards, a Brick Yard, Saw Mills, a Sheep Ranch and the Wiley Camping Company in Yellowstone Park. A.W. Miles Investment Co. sold the Building in 1975.

Sacajawea and her son traveled with Captain William Clark down the Yellowstone River passing through this area on July 15, 1806. Sacajawea was a Shoshone teenager whose knowledge of native tribes, languages, and geographical landmarks of the area proved invaluable to the Corps of Discovery.

She was the wife of Toussaint Charbonneau, a French interpreter who offered his services to Lewis and Clark at Fort Mandan (in present-day North Dakota) on their westward journey.

She gave birth to a son, Jean Baptiste, at Fort Mandan and took him with here to the Pacific Ocean and back. Sacajawea assisted the Corps of Discovery in trading for horses with the Lemhi Shoshoni tribe.

Erected by Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, National Park Service.

Soon after the Northern Pacific Railroad established Livingston in 1883, residents found the privately-owned McLeod and Swindlehurst islands in the Yellowstone River to be perfect for recreation and relaxation. Shade from cottonwood trees and sweeping views of the mountains provided a welcoming spot for picnics, church and fraternal events, and Fourth of July celebrations. During World War I, McLeod Island also hosted farewell dances for Livingston’s drafted men. As travel to Yellowstone National Park shifted from trains to automobiles in the late-1910s, Livingston boosters accelerated efforts to attract tourists through better municipal facilities. Between 1920 and 1924, the city acquired the two islands. They renamed McLeod Island Miles Park after wealthy merchants A. W. Miles and Holly Hefferlin purchased and donated the land for use as an automobile campground. Local women’s groups and police chief Peter Holt renamed Swindlehurst Island after Shoshone guide Sacajawea so that “history does not forget the services of the Indian woman.” Sacajawea Park hosted baseball, tennis, track and field, and ice skating. Gateway City Band director

Joe Brooks built a band shell in 1931, which was later moved to Miles Park in 1954. From 1935 to 1942, the Works Progress Administration (a federal unemployment relief agency) transformed the two parks. Workers dredged the river to build three dams, a lagoon, and a land bridge that connected the two islands. The stately South Yellowstone Street Bridge, athletic fields, and the Streamlined Moderne style Armory/Civic Center still reflect Livingston’s Great Depression-era efforts to improve city parks.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

"I can See no timber Sufficient large for a Canoe which will Carry more than 3 men and Such a one would be too Small to answer my purpose." William Clark, Tuesday 15th July, 1806

In 1806, Captain William Clark and his party of explorers drove 50 horsed east to follow the Yellowstone River to its confluence with the Missouri River. The horses helped carry provisions when navigable waters were not available.Clark needed a cottonwood tree large enough to make a dugout canoe so they could travel by river but could not find then in this area.

The cottonwood species here on the eastern side of the Continental Divide is not as large as that on the western slope.

Erected by Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

Father Lawrence Palladino said the first Catholic mass at Livingston in the summer of 1883, on the cusp of the Northern Pacific Railroad’s arrival. The town was still a makeshift settlement of canvas tents and temporary dwellings. In 1884, Rev. J. B. Halton, Livingston’s first resident priest, set the cornerstone for this church on land donated by the Northern Pacific. Under Rev. A. Coopman, the simple, Gothic style brick church was finally completed in December 1890 and dedicated as St Mary’s on January 24, 1891. A new Catholic school (now the apartments diagonally across the street) was nearing completion when the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, Kansas, arrived to teach in 1914. They set up temporary classrooms in St. Mary’s sanctuary. For two months, sixty-four students sat on the pew kneelers, using the pews as desks. St. Mary’s continued to serve Catholics until 1967. At that time, construction of a new church and school on F Street prompted the Catholics to sell St. Mary’s to the Congregationalists. It has since served as the Livingston Congregational Church.

Erected by Montana Historical

Society.

Edward Talcott came West in 1883, settling in the newly platted town of Livingston. As the town grew, Talcott discovered his professional niche. By 1891, he had risen from manager of a mercantile to assistant cashier and then to president of the National Park Bank. Talcott served his adopted community well, both as an able financier persuading Eastern capitalists to invest in local concerns and as twice-elected mayor. This beautiful home, built on six city lots in 1903, reflects Talcott’s respected position in the community. A two-and-one-half-story pedimented entry porch accents the symmetry characteristic of the Colonial Revival style, while multi-paned windows, fanlights, denticulated eaves, and a second porch with upper-story balustrade add sophisticated elegance. The home today appears much as it did in 1903, maintaining its reputation as a “…center of gracious and refined hospitality.”

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

In 1804-1806, Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led the Corps of Discovery on an epic journey. Charged by President Thomas Jefferson to find a water route to the Pacific Ocean through the newly acquired Louisiana territory, they mapped the land, recorded its resources, and met with and learned from its native inhabitants.

The landscape has changed since Lewis and Clark explored it; rivers have been dammed, forests cut over, prairies plowed under, and roads built to the horizon. Although remnants of wilderness still exist, imagine this land as Lewis and Clark first saw it two centuries ago. Today, visitors can travel in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark to share in the diverse perspectives of the Expedition and to gain a better understanding of the history of the United States.

In preparation for the journey, Meriwether Lewis took crash courses in medicine, botany, zoology, and celestial observation. With President Jefferson's permission Lewis asked his friend and former commanding officer, William Clark to be co-leader. Clark brought his skills as an outdoorsman, a geographer and map-maker. Although opposite in temperament, they worked harmoniously throughout the two-year journey.

Erected by Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, National Park Service.

Historic maps of Main Street show that a vendor’s stand occupied this lot in 1891. By 1896, this small but very fashionable commercial building added to Livingston’s stylish downtown streetscape. The building is a fine example of the Western Commercial style of architecture with its tall arched windows and characteristic recessed and transomed storefront. Beautiful decorative brickwork reveals the presence of skilled masons in Livingston before the turn of the twentieth century. Pioneer resident and businessman Alva B. Mayne, who operated The Mayne Store at this location at the turn of the century, stocked “everything in dry goods and shoes.” Mayne was described as a man of kindness and charity who made many donations to the city and county “without comment.” Upon his death in 1913, he was honored as someone who “...did more for the material benefit of the city… than any other one man.” The store continued to operate during the 1910s under the management of W. E. Weber.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

Like much of Montana, the lands of the Mission Ranch still look largely as they did in the days of Lewis and Clark. Ranching, anchored as it is in the land's own natural productivity, is one of the main reasons. The grassland prairies and wooded stream side areas of the Mission Ranch still thrive with fish and wildlife native to the region. Most of the same grasses and other plants still color the view in all directions. Where buffalo once grazed in seasonal migrations, cattle today are managed to achieve similar effects.

Grazed by cattle steadily since the mid-1800s, these lands once bustled as cultural crossroads. On that mid-summer evening in 1806 when Captain William A. Clark and other members of the Corps of Discovery camped across the Yellowstone River from here, the lands of the present-day Mission Ranch already stirred with echoes of human history. Since then, still more events of great moment occurred here.

Today, through a program called Undaunted Stewardship, the Mission Ranch formally preserves its historic sites while sharing them with the public and take other actions designed to maintain the landscape's body and soul. Welcome to a glance of its ghosts, its life and its future-enjoy your visit.

"The Crow country is exactly in the right place. It has snowy mountains and sunny plains, all kinds of climates and good things for every season. When the summers heats scorch the prairies, you can draw up under the mountains, where the air is sweet and cool, the grass fresh, and the bright streams come tumbling out of the snow banks... In the autumn when your horses are fat and strong from the mountains pastures, you can go down into the plains...And when winter comes on, you can take the shelter in the woody bottoms along the rivers...The Crow country is exactly in the right place. Everything good is to be found there.There is no country like the Crow country." - Chief Arapooish (a.k.a. Sore Belly), Crow Tribe, circa 1830s

Erected by Undaunted Stewardship.