Plentywood, Montana: Outlaw Haven of Yore

Plentywood offers unique history on for Montana Vacations

by Michele Kadison

Plentywood, Montana is an excellent place to visit on your Montana vacation if you are interested in the history of this great state.

Plentywood’s modern history began when a cattlemen coming across the state met some riders coming from the opposite direction.  The cattle outfit needed water and a place to set up camp.  They were told to keep going for a bit until they would find “plenty wood” where timber grew alongside the bank of a creek.  The cattlemen pressed on and set up camp in what was eventually called Plentywood.

The town was made official in 1909 when the railroad arrived.  Before being settled by white men, the area was a hunting ground for the Assiniboine tribe.  It was here too that Sitting Bull and the Sioux tribe surrendered to the U.S. Army.  Then the region became prime grazing land for the white man’s cattle and sheep, until homesteaders arrived and created a town.  Plentywood has many tales to tell, with the Outlaw Trail crossing into Canada just north of town.  The trail was used by rustlers to move stolen horses and cattle across the border.  It was named by Butch Cassidy who made himself a temporary home in the Big Muddy Valley to the west.  Outlaws were the rule of the day in turn of the century Plentywood, making it a legendary town in Wild West lore.

Hard times befell Plentywood over the years, with cycles of drought, starvation, and prosperity.  Today the town is a major trading center for people living in the northeastern corner of Montana.  With exotic animal farm tours, June’s hot air balloon rallies, and nearby sandy breaches lining the banks of the beautiful Brush Lake, Plentywood makes a great vacation destination.

Visit the Sheridan County Museum to learn about Plentywood’s history.  This, along with the Civic Center, completed in 1983, make for an entertaining look into a lively western past.

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