Across Montana and up and down the branch lines, this guide will take you where the Milwaukee dared to go.

Of interest to the casual hiker, bicyclist, historian and railroad enthusiast, Includes the Route of the Hiawatha. Greatly expanded.

For nearly 150 years, railroads have been transforming the Montana landscape, from Continental Divide peaks to windswept prairies. Steel rails arrived on May 9, 1880, when the narrow-gauge Utah & Northern reached Monida Pass south of Butte. At the zenith of rail line construction during the 1890s and early 20th century, all major transcontinental railroads crisscrossed Montana: the Union Pacific; Northern Pacific; Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q); Great Northern; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul (Milwaukee Road); and Soo Line. Through the years, many original railroads evolved into the Burlington Northern Railroad, Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), and Montana Rail Link with unique short lines along the way. Though routes and operations have changed, the scenery of Big Sky Country remains the same. Take a journey across Montana rails, from the mountains to the prairies.

Distributed by the University of Nebraska Press for the University of Idaho Press The Milwaukee Road's route from Three Forks, Montana, to Spokane, Washington, touched many lives. Johnson reminisces about the way the railroad affected his youth. Johnson takes the reader on various train rides, some during the vibrant springtime and others during the deadly winter.

During the 1930s in the United States, the Works Progress Administration developed the Federal Writers’ Project to support writers and artists while making a national effort to document the country’s shared history and culture. The American Guide series consists of individual guides to each of the states. Little-known authors—many of whom would later become celebrated literary figures—were commissioned to write these important books. John Steinbeck, Saul Bellow, Zora Neale Hurston, and Ralph Ellison are among the more than 6,000 writers, editors, historians, and researchers who documented this celebration of local histories. Photographs, drawings, driving tours, detailed descriptions of towns, and rich cultural details exhibit each state’s unique flavor. Montana, one of the Great Plains states, is finely portrayed in its WPA guide. Originally published in 1939, the spirit of the Wild West shines throughout this guide to the Treasure State. During this time period, the population of Montana was rural and cities small, with most of the economy tied to the land, mining, or cattle. With 10 hiking trails outlined for Glacier National Park alone and 18 driving tours throughout the state, this book is an excellent resource for history and nature buffs alike.

Montana offers a wealth of outdoor fun for the active traveler, from skiing and snowmobiling to fly fishing and horseback riding. With stunning scenery and colorful history, the state is one of the most appealing in the US. And the best part: it's rarely crowded!

Among Montana’s most enduring legacies are the names assigned to its geographic features and places found on the state map. As long as humans have inhabited Montana they have named places. While the past two centuries have changed the way people live in Montana, the names given to some rivers, mountain ranges, cities, and towns have persisted, while others have changed with time. Naming Montana explores the origins of more than 1,000 Montana place names, drawing upon the knowledge of Montana Historical Society historians and the expertise of local historians from across the state. This new publication includes both geographic features, selected historic sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, historic photographs, and maps. The authors’ extensive research illuminates the stories behind the names of places that we call home.