Early settlers called the Gallatin Valley the 'valley of the flowers,' and John Bozeman dubbed it the 'Garden of Montana.' In this lively narrative history, profusely illustrated with nearly 300 photographs, etchings, and maps, author Phyllis Smith brings to life the rich and colorful past of the fertile valley and its urban hub, the city of Bozeman, Montana.

Quiet fields broken by gunfire, the splash of a body dropping into the Madison River, cries for help cut off into silence and the grim last words spoken on the gallows all color the bloody history of Gallatin County. Cut-and-dried murder charges, unsolved cases and questionable accusations all paint the picture of law enforcement in and around early Bozeman. From the gruesome to the mysterious, sordid accounts of robbery, crimes of passion and fatal self-defense fill the annals of the historic county jail. Gallatin History Museum curator Kelly Suzanne Hartman chronicles each tale, allowing the reader to follow along the path of the investigations and the pursuit for justice.

Lively historic narrative, profusely illustrated with nearly 300 photographs, etchings, and maps.