Billings, Mt

---

We drove west from Deadwood to Billings, Montana which is about a 300 mile drive one way. Billings is a city of about 110,000 and there really isn't much to see there. Our main reason for driving over there was to see the Little Bighorn Battlefield which is located about 60 miles east of the city. Anyway, we decided to see what Billings looked like since we were so close.

We went to the local zoo which isn't much to brag about. It contained a grizzly bear and a tiger along with some other smaller animals. It does contain a wolverine and that is the first time that I've ever seen one of the ferocious little animals. There were a number of ducks waddling around and we saw a few squirrels running throughout the zoo. There weren't many people at the place which made it a peaceful way to spend an hour.

We did visit a beautiful old home named Moss Mansion which is located close to the downtown area of the city. This place was built in 1903 and is in great condition. It is a red sandstone structure and was owned by the Preston Boyd Moss family. Moss and his wife, Martha, came to Billings in 1892 and built the 28 room mansion between 1901 and 1903 at a cost of $105,000. It was inhabited solely by Mr. and Mrs. Moss, their six children, and three servants until 1984. A Moorish theme dominates throughout the entire place. It is also filled with both French and English furnishings. Since the Moss family traveled throughout the world, there are souveniers from places where they traveled. Before the visitor begins the one hour tour, he is shown a thirteen minute video which describes the Moss family and the role it played in the development of Billings.

On the way back we stopped at the Little Bighorn Battlefield and spent about three hours at the site. The visitor center has exhibits which depict the life of the Indians around the 1870s. It also has exhibits which give one an insight into the life of the soldiers around that period. The park rangers also give a talk on the famous battle which took place in 1876. Close to the visitor center is located Last Stand Hill which is a fenced in area containing a number of grave markers. Custer's remains were taken to West Point where he was buried, however there is a marker there with his name on it. Close to this area is a monument to the Indians who were killed at this battle. I was pleased to see a memorial to the horses killed at the battle. The drive across the battlefield is about five miles and it ends at the Reno-Benteen battlefield. I found myself stopping often in order to read the explanations which are posted along the way. I also walked down the dirt paths in order to see the gravestones, both soldier and Indian, of those who were killed on that fateful day of June 25, 1876. Along the way we passed horses grazing alongside the road which gave one a feeling of peacefulness and tranquility.

After leaving the battlefield we drove east and spent the night in Sundance, Wyoming. The following morning we drove 28 miles to a national monument called Devils Tower. One can see this huge rock rising into the sky from miles in the distance. It is almost a mile high and is a majestic site to see as one is driving toward it. After arriving at the site, we walked the 1.3 mile around the base. It was a cool morning when we did this and there were a number of other visitors at the attraction. There were other visitors there also, only they were climbing up the side of the tower. We watched them for awhile and then browsed through the exhibits at the visitor center.

---