Montana Moment

In last week's Montana Moment, NBC Montana brought you the story of a secondhand store and pawnshop in Libby. In its tenure of 40 years, this family-owned business may be a reflection of Libby history and its working people. The late Dave Strand opened 'New To You' as a secondhand store, and eventual pawnshop after a career in logging battered his body, especially his knees. He'd worked in the ind...

Hard work and smarts are always assets to success. Doing what you do well, usually brings rewards. But nothing’s ever guaranteed. Sometimes, life throws a curve, and you need to change direction. This is the story of a secondhand store and pawnshop, the generational family that runs it, and the family’s late patriarch who started it all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic...

Along Missoula's Hip Strip, off South Higgins is a go-to spot just about everybody knows. Its back story is about hard work, a love of what you do, and a dedication to local community. Big Dipper Ice Cream is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Not far from downtown, the University of Montana campus and Hellgate High School, it's been a draw for ice cream lovers for generations. Customers come from...

The Payne Family Native American Center on the University of Montana campus houses UM’s prestigious Native American Studies Department. It’s the first academic center of its kind in the country and was designed by Crow Tribe Member Daniel Glenn. It provides services to Native students and offers classes and cultural activities to meet the needs of Indigenous students. It’s named for its primary be...

Montana’s beloved author, the late Ivan Doig, called livestock brands “the classical language of the American West." Doig and his wife Carol gifted the Montana Department of Livestock a donation to make the history of those brands more accessible to the public. If you’d like to learn more about your family brand you can acquire a lot of information online. Brand records have been compiled by the M...

A livestock brand proves ownership. It ties generations of families to their land and ancestors. The practice dates to the ancient Egyptians. But most of us know it as an iconic symbol of the American west. NBC Montana spent a day late last spring with branding crews at the Cross Ranch in the Horse Prairie Valley near Bannack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Livestock brands open windows into history. They uncover stories. They fill in missing pieces to events forgotten or left unrecorded. They shed light on lives long past, and bridge generations. In our Montana Moment season debut, NBC Montana traveled to southwest Montana where we met rancher Debbie Staudenmeyer Tamcke and her family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A thousand years ago, a new life began near present day Seeley Lake. The only witnesses to his youth would have been the Indigenous People. He was already 200-years-old when the Magna Carta was signed, and more than 800 when the Civil War started. But today, this Western Larch tree, affectionately known as Gus, continues to thrive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between Sheridan and Alder stands an inn once known as a major transportation hub. The building has long since been retired as a place of business, and is now one of southwest Montana's most historic sites. After gold was discovered in Alder Gulch in 1863, fortune seekers and other travelers rested here before moving on to their destinations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/ad...

Molten granite formed the Pioneer Mountain Range in southwest Montana about 72-million years ago. As the granite cooled, water carried quartz and other minerals through the rocks and deposited them in veins. With time, the minerals were exposed to air and ground water, leaving a repository of gems. Few places in the country showcase that more than Crystal Park. You will find Crystal Park off the P...

Montana's landscape, its color, and spectacular light have always been an inspiration for artists. Artistry comes in many forms. It's fluid and always changing. Just ask artist and St. Ignatius farmer Kathy Yelsa. Kathy's art can be found in two worlds-one on her farm, the other in Hollywood, where she used to live and work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The neon sign on West Main Street has been inviting patrons for beer, mixed drinks, and hamburgers to the Missoula Club longer than most of us have been alive. Anyone who has spent time in downtown Missoula is certainly familiar with the Missoula Club sign. “The neon sign has been there probably since the 20’s," said Missoula Club bartender Shane Kelly."It’s a classic. People always stop to take a...

In April, The Society of American Foresters brought collegiate and professional logger competitors to Missoula for the 28th annual Forestry Day. College timber sports athletes competed on April 25 and 26. Pro-athletes joined them on Saturday, April 26. It's where you will see how the old-time lumberjacks got the job done. Behind the logger sports show is Montana Historic Equipment Area chairman, S...

For thousands and thousands of years, it's been a trade that has stood the test of time. From the Great Pyramids to the Taj Mahal, craftsmen have used this simple material to erect some of the greatest buildings and monuments in history. Stone is prized for both its sturdiness and beauty. Karl Marcus is a stonemason. NBC Montana went with Karl to a riverbed near Virginia City, where he collects ri...

Back in 1985, the Missoula Mendelssohn Club was performing at a choral festival in France. The event spurred choral conductor and music professor, the late Don Carey, to start an invitational festival in Missoula. In 1987, with the help of Missoula's music community he did just that. Now, 38-years later, the Montana International Choral Festival is one of Montana's most treasured summertime happen...

For their well being and happiness, animals, just like humans, want to feel safe and secure. They like good food, a comfortable place to rest, a chance to have some fun-to kick up their hooves or paws, to bask in the love of their humans. The animals at Fallons Farm near Arlee love the attention that Wendy and Mike Ramos pour on them. The couple welcomed NBC Montana to their horse pasture one cool...

From our skies, to the mountains, and open fields, Montana's wildlife ensure a vibrant and healthy environment. As predators and prey, reptiles play an essential role in the balance. Montana Reptile Rescue's director and chief executive officer,Jeremy Allestadprotects and rehabilitates both native and non-native reptile species. Jeremy started the non-profit in Great Falls eight years ago. But his...

For 105 years, the Natural Pier Bridge in Alberton has been serving the travel needs of its community. The beloved landmark is a source of pride for its durability and unique design. It merged human skill and ingenuity with its natural environment. Montana Highway Department engineers completed the bridge as part of the old Yellowstone Trail in 1918. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho...

Last winter, NBC Montana brought you a story of the Ninemile Remount Depot's mules and horses that clear trails in our wilderness areas, From November to May, the animals rest up at the ranch on the Lolo National Forest near Huson. Now, those hardworking Forest Service crews are heading back to work. When we met the mules and horses, they were enjoying their hay and getting some deserved R and R a...

Off the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway between Wise River and Polaris is an abandoned mining settlement. NBC Montana spent timein this ghost town, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, and an important touchstone of Montana history. Coolidge was the unfulfilled dream of a former Montana Lieutenant Governor. It's found high in the mountains and stands testament to a way of life long...

A thousand years ago, a new life began near present day Seeley Lake. The only witnesses to his youth would have been the Indigenous People. He was already 200-years-old when the Magna Carta was signed, and more than 800 when the Civil War started. But today, this Western Larch tree, affectionately known as Gus, continues to thrive. In the Seeley Lake District of the Lolo National Forest, a pathway...

American Legion Post 91's 105th annual Corvallis Memorial Day Parade attracted huge crowds Monday. One of those honored was a WWII veteran, who turns 101 in June. The number of WWII veterans is dwindling every day. But WWII United States Army veteran Les Rutledge is in terrific shape. Les served with the 222nd Infantry, 42nd Rainbow Division in Europe. He told NBC Montana about some of the final d...

Montana consistently ranks as having one of the highest suicide rates in the nation. Factors like social isolation and the lack of behavioral health services are of particular concern in Montana's rural communities. One of Montana's most creative artists is doing what he can to help extend a lifeline. NBC Montana met up with Jim Dolan at his studio near Belgrade. He was working on one of his lates...

Montana is certainly known for its massive size and wide open spaces. But it's famous for its small amenities too. In this week's Montana Moment we take you to Giant Springs State Park in Great Falls. There, you will find what The Guinness Book of World Records has called the shortest river in the world. The Roe River measures an average 201 feet in length. It flows parallel to the mighty Missouri...

Missoula's rich soil, climate, and history of agricultural trade, gave Missoula its special title-The Garden City. As we move into planting season, spring is introducing it earliest blooms to Missoula. NBC Montana was there when Rocky Mountain Gardens celebrated its first annual spring opening. Located at the Missoula County Fairgrounds, the public botanical gardens are new to Missoula. The openin...