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Interesting Facts
- It's all in the name. Billings is named for its founder, Frederick Billings, who was a former president of the Union Pacific railroad. From 1882 through the turn of the century, Billings served as a vital southern route for those heading west, beyond the Rocky Mountains. Today, Billings is still a convenient stop for tourists visiting the Rockies and beyond.
- Billings has always been known for its dramatic setting. It was built at the foot of a towering sandstone cliff of Rimrock. In a much earlier age, the 450-foot walls were chiseled out by the Yellowstone River, which in turn created the present-day Yellowstone Valley.
- Before it was named Billings, the area in the valley beneath the great sandstone cliffs was a traditional hunting ground for the Crow Indians. It later became known as Clark's Fork Bottom. Since the outskirts of this area served as a sacred burial ground, numerous skirmishes occurred between white interlopers and the Native American Crows.
- With a population pushing 100,000, Billings is one of the bigger cities in Big Sky Country. Over the course of its relatively brief history, Billings has enjoyed rapid growth due primarily to the oil, agriculture, and transportation industries.
- In the past few decades, Billings has thrived on tourism. Thousands of visitors pass through the town each year on their way to Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. Numerous outdoor activities abound as well, including skiing, trout fishing, mountain climbing, and rafting.
- Billings has become something of an educational center. The town boasts several institutions for higher learning, including Montana State University, Rocky Mountain College, May Technical Center, MSU-Billings College of Technology, Billings Business College, and the Lincoln Adult Education Center.
- The Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument is the historic site where General George Armstrong Custer lost his life on June 25, 1876. With a band of 225 soldiers, Custer made his legendary last stand against thousands of Northern Plains Indians lead by Crazy Horse. When the fighting ended, Custer's entire 7th Cavalry battalion had been wiped out.
- The famous Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through Big Sky County in 1806. We know this with certainty because Clark carved the following message in the sandstone lookout rock at Pompey's Pillar: "W. Clark, 1806." This is the only known physical evidence remaining of their journey. The pillar was named after the expedition's Native American guide and interpreter, Sacagawea.
- Granted, most people visit nearby Yellowstone National Park for its outdoor wonders. The Yellowstone Art Museum, however, has its own impressive collection of indoor treasures. Recently renovated and enlarged to 32,000 square feet, the museum houses thousands of regional and western works of art. Some of the most noteworthy pieces are by Charles Russell, Joseph Henry Sharp, and Will James.
- Sacrifice Cliff, which is the former site of a large Crow village, lies just south of Yellowstone River. According to local legend, it received its name after a group of Crow warriors blindfolded their horses and rode them over the cliff. It was an attempt to appease the gods that had supposedly stricken the village with smallpox.
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