The Story of Montana In 100 Landmarks

America turns 250.

Let's go find the candles.

Looking for a history lesson that doesn't feel like homework? You've found it. At 250history.com, the Semiquincentennial Series brings each state's distinctive landmarks to center stage to tell their fast and fun story.

We've wandered through big cities, tiny towns, muddy trails, and neon-lit highways-uncovering 5,000 historic gems along the way.

The Semiquincentennial isn't just a mouthful-it's a reminder that history is alive, sometimes weird, and always waiting to be rediscovered.

Whether you're traveling by road, by printed page, or by imagination; whether you are a lifelong native or visiting for a week, we invite you to explore 100 Montana landmarks that illuminate the one-of-a-kind story of the Treasure State.

Mullan Road... "Four Georgians"... Montana vigilantes... lime kilns...

Monument Movement... Copper Kings... Spokane... "frozen wa-

ter trade"... mimetic architecture... ghost towns... the CCC... "female

boarding houses"... dude ranches... the golden age of motoring...

The Big Burn... Swiss chalet architecture... mechanized farming... fire

towers... "Crown of the Continent"... Wild Horse Stampde... Red Jam-

mers... airway beacons... Yellowstone Trail... border stations... wel-

come centers... The Manassa Mauler... round barns... atmospheric

theaters... This book will have you telling stories like a native in no time.

The photos and stories collected here are a fast and fun way to learn

the explanations behind the quirks, the traditions and the secrets that

make Montana uniquely Montana. Why was the construction of a fed-

eral prison in Deer Lodge so unusual? Solved. Why is 3% of Yellow-

stone National Park in Montana? A mystery no more. What Montana

town was called "the world's most inland port?" Identified. What build-

ing has been called "the most important building in Montana from a

historical perspective?" Revealed. Was Thomas Meagher's fall to his

death in the Missouri River an accident? No one knows.

It is a story only Montana can call its own. A story told in 100 landmarks. Almost all the selections within are open to the public, or at least visible from public spaces. So, fire up the GPS and see the story of the Treasure State standing in plain sight on Montana streets!