A Billings, Montana Area History

By: Joyce Jensen and Arle Lohof Illustrated By: Danielle Wilson

Between Rims and River

A Billings, Montana Area History

By: Joyce Jensen and Arle Lohof Illustrated By: Danielle Wilson

Between Rims and River

The City of Billings, Montana, turns 125 years old in 2007; but people have lived here for thousands of years. We know this through paintings on rock walls, stories told by parents and grandparents, photographs, artifacts, letters, diaries, and books. All of these histories are reflected in our city.

The Western Heritage Center is a museum that collects, preserves, and shares our history through exhibits, speakers, and our website (www.ywch.org). Our building is our best artifact. Built in 1901 of sandstone blocks from the Rims, it is the former Parmly Billings Library.

This coloring book will introduce you to people, places, and events that shape us today. Enjoy!

The Western Heritage Center, Billings, Montana 59101

© 2007, by the Yellowstone Western Heritage Center, 2822 Montana Avenue, Billings, Montana, 59101, U.S.A.All rights reserved. Published 2007.

Published in the United States of America.

Design by the Western Heritage Center.

ISBN: 978-0-9628215-3-0

The Western Heritage Center gratefully acknowledges the support of RBC Dain Rauscher for the costs of production of this volume.

Western Heritage Center Mission Statement: The Western Heritage Center, in order to promote an appreciation of history and culture, tells the stories of the Northern High Plains, centered on the Yellowstone River Valley.

Billings, Montana Began

A long time ago, the railroad came to the Yellowstone Valley. The town of Billings began in March of 1882. It was named for the president of the railroad, Frederick Billings. He never lived here.

The first buildings were like wooden sheds and some were tents. Horses, oxen, cattle, and sheep used the dusty streets. People paid 25¢ for a big can of water from the river. They used it for drinking, cooking, cleaning, taking a bath, and putting out fires. They threw their garbage on the ground outside.

Have you seen the statue of Frederick Billings outside the Western Heritage Center?Billings is more than 100 years old. How old is Billings now?

The Yellowstone River and the Rims

The Yellowstone River flows through our valley. It starts in Yellowstone Park and ends close to Canada. It has no big dams on it.

The Rims are cliffs north of most of Billings. The Rims are made of sandstone. From the top you can see Billings, our valley, the river, and lots of mountains.

There are three roads to the top of the Rims. The airport is up there. There are also parks and hiking and biking trails on the Rims and along the River. It is fun to be on them.

Have you been on one of those trails on the Rims or by the River?The Rims are north of downtown. Can you show which way is north, south, east, and west?

The Western Heritage Center

Long ago, blocks of sandstone were cut from the Rims. They were used to make this building. It used to be a library. It was named for Parmly Billings. His father was Frederick Billings. When the library got too many books, it moved. This old building is downtown by the railroad tracks. It looks like a castle with towers and a red roof.

Now this building is a museum called the Western Heritage Center. Inside are stories about people of the Yellowstone Valley. There are things to see and do to learn more about this area.

Look at your library card. What is the library’s full name?Why did they use sandstone blocks from the Rims?Has your class gone to the Western Heritage Center? It was built in 1901.

The Fair

The fair used to be called the Midland Empire Fair. People came from all around to go to the Fair, to shop, and to have fun. A long time ago, the first Fair was at North Park. Now it is at MetraPark. People bring animals, plants, food, and art to get prizes and show everyone what they have done. There are many things to do at the Fair like rides, seeing shows, and horse races.

What do you like at the Fair?Have you or your family entered anything in the Fair?If you want to know: METRA means Montana’s Entertainment, Trade, & Recreation Arena

Wagons to Planes

In the early days, people rode horses or drove wagons. Many took trips on the train. The train brought food and supplies from far away. After a few years planes, cars, and trucks were invented. Workers paved the dirt roads. The airport was built on top of the Rims. Some things still go by train from Billings. Billings is the biggest city in Montana. Lots of things and people stop here before they go somewhere else.

When you take a trip, do you go by car or plane?Would you like to take your trip on a horse? Could you go as far as you could in a car?

Schools

Before Billings began, there was a one room school by the river. Kids rode on horses and went to school only in the summer. There were not many school children. All the classes were in the same room with one teacher. After the railroad came, men built a school on the edge of town. The Lincoln Center is there now. The oldest school building in Billings is McKinley School. It was built a long time ago, in 1906. Now there are lots of schools here.

Find the cornerstone at your school that tells the year it was built.McKinley was a President of the United States. Where did the name of your school come from?

I. D. O’Donnell

Mr. O’Donnell was a very important farmer. He helped people get homes and farms at Huntley Project close to Billings. He planned ditches to bring river water to farms. At his farm, he showed others which crops grew best here. Farmers learned how to grow sugar beets. He helped build the sugar factory over 100 years ago. It still makes sugar from sugar beets.

Boothill Cemetery was here before Billings. Mr. O’Donnell saved it and gave it to our city. He saved a lot of our early history.

Have you smelled the sugar factory? It is the smell of money because farmers and others get paid!Have you seen a sugar beet? You need two hands to hold one beet!

Will James and the Yellowstone Art Museum

Will James wrote stories and drew pictures about horses. He also painted pictures of horses. His best book is called Smoky, the Cowhorse. He lived in Billings for a few years. Will James Middle School was named for him. Some of his pictures are at the Yellowstone Art Museum.

The Art Museum started out as a jail. When a new jail was built, it became the Yellowstone Art Museum. Later a new part was built to make it bigger.

Do you know where Will James Middle School is?Has your class gone to the Yellowstone Art Museum?If you love horses, read some of Will James’ books.

Mayor Willard Fraser

In Billings we choose a mayor to help run our city. Willard Fraser was mayor a long time ago. He helped make Billings a better place to live. He wanted to make Billings safe for bikes. He really liked to ride his bike all over town. Back then not very many adults rode bikes. Now we have many miles of bike paths. There is a bridge named for Willard Fraser. The bridge is on the bike path over Alkali Creek.

Have you ridden your bike on a bike path?Have you seen Willard Fraser’s bridge near MetraPark?He was mayor from 1963 to 1969. Who is mayor now?

Calamity Jane and Liver Eating Johnston

Calamity Jane and Liver Eating Johnston lived in early Billings. They were two rootin’, tootin’, shootin’ people. Sometimes they shot guns up in the air just for fun.

Calamity Jane sometimes dressed like a man and did men’s work. She could drink, and swear, and smoke. She helped many people when they were sick or hurt or hungry.

Liver Eating Johnston sometimes ate raw liver. He was a policeman who took care of bad people. He also lived in Red Lodge.

Would you like to have been Calamity Jane’s friend or Liver Eating Johnston’s friend? Why?

Pictograph Cave

People have lived here for thousands of years. American Indians hunted buffalo and other animals. Animals gave the people food and clothes and everything they needed to live. Buffalo ate all the grass in one place. Then they walked to another place. The people had to follow. At first people used dogs to help move. Later horses were used. When they got here, the people used caves. They painted pictures to tell their stories. These drawings are in Pictograph Cave. Now they are hard to see.

Have you been to Pictograph Cave State Park? What did you see?Where did people get paint for the pictographs?Draw some pictographs on the cave wall.

Chief Plenty Coups

Chief Plenty Coups was a brave and well-loved Crow Indian leader. He helped the Crow people make a very hard change in their lives. In the old days they hunted buffalo and lived in teepees. Then the buffalo were gone. The people had to stay in one place and be farmers. He told his people to go to school and learn all they could. His friends were people from many different places. His house and his land became a park when he died. Now it is a friendship park.

Have you been to Chief Plenty Coups State Park 30 miles from Billings?How would you feel if you had to make this kind of change?

Pompeys Pillar

There is a great big rock near the Yellowstone River. Long ago Crow Indians named it “Where the mountain lion sleeps.” Some Indians painted on the rock. Captain Clark named it Pompeys Pillar after Sacagawea’s baby. He also wrote his name and the date on the rock. When you go there, you have to climb steps to see his name. If you climb more steps, you can go to the very top.

Have you been to Pompeys Pillar? It is about 30 miles from Billings.Why was Captain Clark here about 200 years ago?

Little Bighorn Battlefield

In 1876, the United States was 100 years old. That year some American Indians and the Army had a big fight. General Custer and Sitting Bull were two of the people in that fight. The place they fought is called Little Bighorn Battlefield.

You can drive through the Battlefield and take short walks. You can see things that honor the people who fought and were killed in that battle. The Battlefield Museum helps tell the story.

Have you been to Little Bighorn Battlefield? It is about 65 miles from Billings.When you go, look for paintings, crosses, and the big wall about American Indians.

A Billings, Montana Area History

By: Joyce Jensen and Arle Lohof Illustrated By: Danielle Wilson

Between Rims and River

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