Ismay in Custer County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Ismay Jail
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 12, 2020
1. Ismay Jail Marker
Inscription.
Ismays bustling business, wicked ways, and itinerant population of cowboys and railroad men earned it the nickname “Little Chicago.” This town, born with the construction of the Milwaukee Road across Montana, began in 1908 with the name of Burt. Burt became Ismay a few months later, taking its new name from Isabelle and Maybelle, daughters of railroad official George Peck. At the start of the heady settlement boom of the 1910s, Ismay had need of a deterrent for its rougher element. Bids were taken for construction of a local jail and W. T. Perham won the contract for $676. The utilitarian brick jail, of squat and sturdy construction with small windows and iron bars, was built in 1910. This type of lock-up was once common in rural settlements. Over the years, the building largely accommodated rowdies who overindulged at local saloons and served as a holding facility for prisoners awaiting transport to the county jail at Miles City. It is the only public building that remains from Ismays early period. Today the community is Montanas smallest incorporated town, and in 1993 its twenty-two residents took an unprecedented
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gamble. In a public relations stroke of genius that won national attention, Ismay conditionally changed its name to Joe in honor of football player Joe Montana. This entrepreneurial enterprise netted enough capital to build a new fire hall, acquire a fire truck, and restore the jail. It stands today as a reminder of the times when Ismay was the “Little Chicago” of the West.
Location. 46° 29.808′ N, 104° 47.663′ W. Marker is in Ismay, Montana, in Custer County. It is on Jail House Lane near North 1, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Ismay MT 59336, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Montana, in Custer Country and in the Powder River Basin. It is also in the
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 12, 2020
2. Ismay Jail and Marker
American Mountain West, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, on the prairies, on the Great Plains, and specifically on the Northern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least one other marker is within walking distance of this marker: Site of Station Creek Station (approx. 0.6 miles away).
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 12, 2020
3. Ismay Jail
Credits. This page was last revised on January 8, 2021. It was originally submitted on January 8, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 367 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on January 8, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
