Montana's 1964 Territorial Centennial Train

Montana's 1964 Territorial Centennial Train. . A 30-car cross-country extravaganza, has been called "Montana's greatest publicity stunt". The Centennial Train, which commemorated creation of Montana Territory, also honored 75 years of statehood. The State commissioned Lyman Rice to paint 150 panels to adorn the 30 train cars with scenes intended to lure tourists to Montana. Within eight months, Rice, with assistance from Bud Wert, pained murals on 14,000 square feet of plywood. , The Centennial Train made the epic public relations journey from Montana to New York, hosted presidents and governors, and awed 380,000 at the New York World's Fair. Montana beef, specifically shipped in for the event, was served at the Commodore Hotel where famous cowboy star Montie Montana and his horse rode the elevator to the banquet hall. , When the fair ended and the train returned to Montana, the cars were distributed to Montana communities large and small. Some were adopted by towns and used as offices for Chamber of Commerce. Some were abandoned in wheat fields, their large painted panels now faded by the sun. The Centennial Car situated next to the Historic Hardin Depot is one of only two surviving Centennial Train cars in Montana. , In 2007, volunteer artists including Harry Koyama, Bob Tompkins, Dick Moulden, Berna Loy Ost, and Joe Trakimas, painted new mural images of the Hardin rail car. The paintings were unveiled in June 2007 during Hardin's 100th birthday celebration.