1876 artwork by Henry Mitchell, via Wikipedia Commons
Montana ranks 28th among states and provinces with markers in this database. Montana is a state in the United States of America located in the American West. It is also in the Mountains region. Montana is some 147 thousand square miles in size with a population of around 1.1 million people. The state is divided into 56 counties and 55 of them have entries in this database. In Montana we have discovered historical markers in 211 cities and towns lying in 202 different ZIP Codes.
There are at least 2,176 historical markers in Montana, by our count. We have cataloged 2,176 historical markers and 34 war memorials—each individually presented on 2,198 illustrated, annotated, and searchable pages of the Historical Marker Database. Pages for historical markers from this state make up 1.0% of our total. Our correspondents have been finding and adding hundreds of markers a month to the database from all over the world, so next time you visit this page you will probably find that the numbers here have changed.
Click or scan to see this page online.
The first Montana marker in the database, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, was added December 20, 2007. It was photographed in Crow Agency in Big Horn County. The last one added was submitted on May 9, 2024, and titled The Bonanza or Bozeman Trail. It is in Big Timber in Sweet Grass County. Keeping in mind that the erection date of many markers in the database is not known, one of the earliest historical markers we know of in Montana was erected in 1908. More than one was erected that year. This one of them: Spanish-American War Veterans Memorial, and one of our correspondents found it in Butte in Silver Bow County on February 22, 2020.
Montanans don’t want to forget their Notable Buildings history. How do we know? Because there are more historical markers in the database from Montana about Notable Buildings—636 of them—than about any other historical topic. A close second is Industry and Commerce with 586 markers.
The first marker added to the database with the Notable Buildings topic was The Ninemile Remount Depot, added September 7, 2018. It had been erected in Huson in Missoula County. The last one submitted was submitted on April 28, 2024, and titled Wolf Creek Hotel. It had been erected in Wolf Creek in Lewis and Clark County.
What is the most interesting historical marker in Montana? What we know is that Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument is the most viewed entry in the database from Montana since it was added in 2007. This year so far, the most viewed Montanan entry is located in West Yellowstone in Gallatin County. It is Sleep Interrupted.
Counties, Cities and Towns
The Montana county with the most historical markers listed in this database is Lewis and Clark County, with 171 of them. It is followed closely by Silver Bow County with 169 markers. The Helena area of Lewis and Clark County has the highest number of markers within its limits, 133. In Silver Bow County the area with the most markers, 167, is Butte.
Checking the database for the city or town in Montana with the most markers we again find Butte at the top of the list with 167 markers in or near it. And Helena also shows up again in next place, with 133 markers. For the ZIP Code with the most markers it’s 59701 at the top of the list with 166 markers in its delivery area. (ZIP Code 59701 is assigned to Butte MT including the Rocker, and Walkerville delivery areas.) It is followed by ZIP Code 59601 with 130 markers. (59601 is assigned to Helena MT.)
Historical Markers Near These Montana Cities and Towns
Getting back to Lewis and Clark County, the first marker added to the database from there, Record Cold Spot, was added May 8, 2014. near Augusta. The last one submitted was uploaded on April 28, 2024, and is titled A Perfect Defile, near Wolf Creek. The earliest marker erected in Lewis and Clark County that we have listed was erected in 1927. It was Gates of the Mountain, found in Helena on April 14, 2020.
By Barry Swackhamer, August 20, 2022
Latest Entry from Montana “The Bonanza or Bozeman Trail”
The Montana Department of Transportation, in cooperation with the Montana Historical Society, is currently in charge of official historical markers found all over the state. You will also find official markers erected by the Montana Highway Commission, a predecessor. They erected their first marker in 1935, and we have 206 of their markers in the database.
In addition, the Montana Historical Society—not government affiliated—also erected numerous historical markers, and we have 1,129 of their Montana markers in the database. Also, a number of counties have erected historical markers on their streets and roads and within their public areas, as have some cities and towns.
By Cosmos Mariner, July 2, 2013
A Montana Department of Transportation, in cooperation with the Montana Historical Society, Historical Marker
Then there are federal government agencies that put up historical markers, especially in national parks and other areas under their jurisdiction. And finally, there are the numerous public and private organizations and individuals that erect markers. Some do this as a continual endeavor, and others once in a while, to mark something, someone, or someplace they find important or interesting. When one of our correspondents comes across one that satisfies our criteria, we add it to the database.
Off the Beaten Path
You’ll find that even the smallest, least populated, or most rural areas of Montana have been marked with history. Check out Sheridan County, Musselshell County and Fallon County. We've only found one historical marker in each. Visiting one or more of these parts of Montana might make for a pleasant road trip, and maybe you’ll discover more historical markers while you’re there. If you do, perhaps you’ll take the time to photograph them and, when you get home, become an HMdb correspondent by adding them to the database. Happy Hunting!
Montana ranks 28th among states and provinces with markers in this database. Montana is a state in the United States of America located in the American West. It is also in the Mountains region. Montana is some 147 thousand square miles in size with a population of around 1.1 million people. The state is divided into 56 counties and 55 of them have entries in this database. In Montana we have discovered historical markers in 211 cities and towns lying in 202 different ZIP Codes.
There are at least 2,176 historical markers in Montana, by our count. We have cataloged 2,176 historical markers and 34 war memorials, each individually presented on 2,198 illustrated, annotated, and searchable pages of the Historical Marker Database. Pages for historical markers from this state make up 1.0% of our total. Our correspondents have been finding and adding hundreds of markers a month to the database from all over the world, so next time you visit this page you will probably find that the numbers here have changed.
Click or scan to see this page online.
The first Montana marker in the database, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, was added December 20, 2007. It was photographed in Crow Agency in Big Horn County. The last one added was submitted on May 9, 2024, and titled The Bonanza or Bozeman Trail. It is in Big Timber in Sweet Grass County. Keeping in mind that the erection date of many markers in the database is not known, one of the earliest historical markers we know of in Montana was erected in 1908. More than one was erected that year. This one of them: Spanish-American War Veterans Memorial, and one of our correspondents found it in Butte in Silver Bow County on February 22, 2020.
Montanans don’t want to forget their Notable Buildings history. How do we know? Because there are more historical markers in the database from Montana about Notable Buildings, 636 of them, than about any other historical topic. A close second is Industry and Commerce with 586 markers.
The first marker added to the database with the Notable Buildings topic was The Ninemile Remount Depot, added September 7, 2018. It had been erected in Huson in Missoula County. The last one submitted was submitted on April 28, 2024, and titled Wolf Creek Hotel. It had been erected in Wolf Creek in Lewis and Clark County.
What is the most interesting historical marker in Montana? What we know is that Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument is the most viewed entry in the database from Montana since it was added in 2007. This year so far, the most viewed Montanan entry is located in West Yellowstone in Gallatin County. It is Sleep Interrupted.
Counties, Cities and Towns.
The Montana county with the most historical markers listed in this database is Lewis and Clark County, with 171 of them. It is followed closely by Silver Bow County with 169 markers. The Helena area of Lewis and Clark County has the highest number of markers within its limits, 133. In Silver Bow County the area with the most markers, 167, is Butte.
Checking the database for the city or town in Montana with the most markers we again find Butte at the top of the list with 167 markers in or near it. And Helena also shows up again in next place, with 133 markers. For the ZIP Code with the most markers it’s 5 9 7 0 1 at the top of the list with 166 markers in its delivery area. (ZIP Code 5 9 7 0 1 is assigned to Butte MT including the Rocker, and Walkerville delivery areas.) It is followed by ZIP Code 5 9 6 0 1 with 130 markers. (5 9 6 0 1 is assigned to Helena MT.)
Getting back to Lewis and Clark County, the first marker added to the database from there, Record Cold Spot, was added May 8, 2014. near Augusta. The last one submitted was uploaded on April 28, 2024, and is titled A Perfect Defile, near Wolf Creek. The earliest marker erected in Lewis and Clark County that we have listed was erected in 1927. It was Gates of the Mountain, found in Helena on April 14, 2020.
The Montana Department of Transportation, in cooperation with the Montana Historical Society, is currently in charge of official historical markers found all over the state. You will also find official markers erected by the Montana Highway Commission, a predecessor. They erected their first marker in 1935, and we have 206 of their markers in the database.
In addition, the Montana Historical Society, not government affiliated, also erected numerous historical markers, and we have 1,129 of their Montana markers in the database. Also, a number of counties have erected historical markers on their streets and roads and within their public areas, as have some cities and towns.
Then there are federal government agencies that put up historical markers, especially in national parks and other areas under their jurisdiction. And finally, there are the numerous public and private organizations and individuals that erect markers. Some do this as a continual endeavor, and others once in a while, to mark something, someone, or someplace they find important or interesting. When one of our correspondents comes across one that satisfies our criteria, we add it to the database.
Off the Beaten Path.
You’ll find that even the smallest, least populated, or most rural areas of Montana have been marked with history. Check out Sheridan County, Musselshell County and Fallon County. We've only found one historical marker in each. Visiting one or more of these parts of Montana might make for a pleasant road trip, and maybe you’ll discover more historical markers while you’re there. If you do, perhaps you’ll take the time to photograph them and, when you get home, become an HMdb correspondent by adding them to the database. Happy Hunting!
Montana ranks 28th among states and provinces with markers in this database. Montana is a state in the United States of America located in the American West. It is also in the Mountains region. Montana is some 147 thousand square miles in size with a population of around 1.1 million people. The state is divided into 56 counties and 55 of them have entries in this database. In Montana we have discovered historical markers in 211 cities and towns lying in 202 different ZIP Codes. 
