Billings, Montana

June 2-3, 2018

Billings, with a current population of about 110,000 is the largest city in the Montana and only city with a population over 100,000.  Dave and his family lived in Billings from 1953 to 1956. His sister Susan was born in Billings in 1953 when the city’s population was about 30,000.  Dave’s father worked for Continental Oil which began selling products in Billings (it was called Coulson at the time) in 1876–the same year that Custer was defeated at the Little Bighorn only 60 miles away.  The first refinery in Billings was opened in 1949.

One of Billings three refineries.

Billings was founded as a railroad town in 1882 and named for Frederick Billings, a former president of the Northern Pacific Railroad.  It is situated in the Yellowstone River Valley and is flanked by cliffs known as the Billings Rimrocks that were formed over the last million years as the river carved its way across the plains.

Dave’s family lived in a 4 room log cabin on the outskirts of town under the Rimrocks.

Dave’s home in 1953.

The search to discover if this cabin still existed was complicated by the fact that the streets were the cabin was located had been renamed.  It also wasn’t on the outskirts of town anymore.

The house as it appears today.

The log walls were replaced, the upper floor painted purple and it’s now a little rental surrounded by condos and a nice subdivision.  We talked to a neighbor and learned that its value is the land and that someday it will be torn down and replaced.

While in Billings we drove up to the top of the Rimrocks to explore and get a good view of the entire city.  There is a scenic drive at the top as well as 3 parks, the city’s airport, and Yellowstone Kelly’s gravesite.

Luther Sage “Yellowstone” Kelly was a notable American veteran, scout, author, and scholar and was friends with Buffalo Bill Cody and President Teddy Roosevelt.

Yellowstone Kelly

Views of Billings from the Rimrocks 500 feet above town.

While we were exploring the Rimrocks, Dave checked for geocaches and discovered over 500 in the area. Swords Rimrock Park had an interesting mystery cache that required us to find 6 other caches at various parks around the city to collect clues that would lead us to the final cache location.

A really small geocache.

Looking for the final cache.

We did eventually solve the mystery, find the cache, and have a little fun.

At our campground, Jane made friends with a newly hatched butterfly.

Jane’s friend in the bathroom.