Bozeman History, Montana

With a population of over 27000 inhabitants, Bozeman is the fifth largest city in Montana. Those driving towards Bozeman from Butte or Livingston on Interstate 90 will be pleased to know that the highway follows a historic route: John Bozeman, a gold seeker, founded the Bozeman Trail in 1864.

Bozeman History - The Bozeman Trail

The Bozeman Trail was actually a part of the well-known Oregon Trail and functioned for approximately 4 years, until the Indians closed it. There were several Native American tribes which populated the area long before J. Bozeman or Lewis & Clark: Shoshone, Nez Perce, Blackfeet, Flathead and Sioux. Although the trail later functioned as a military route, the first 4 years were crucial in for Bozeman’s history. Those were years of intense disputes between the US Army, the Indians who were trying to stop immigration and the cattlemen from south, trying to ignore the dangers in search for new lands. In 1876, the Siuox and Chayenne Indians defeated the army in the battle at Little Bighorn (near Billings), but they were soon gradually forced to give up their lands by the increasing amount of immigrants.

Bozeman History – Notable Figures

If it is Bozeman’s and Jacobs’s merit of having discovered and promoted a wheel-wagon practicable route, it was Daniel E. Rouse and William J. Beall who made the plans for a new town on July 7, 1864. Soon, the name of Bozeman was adopted on August 9, 1864. Another notable figure in Bozeman’s history was Jim Bridger, who facilitated the inauguration of the first wagon train crossing in the proximity of the town. And last, but not the least, Nelson Story, a famous cattleman who became legendary for driving 3000 cattle from Texas to Montana is now considered as the founding father of Montana’s cattle industry.

Bozeman History – Landmarks and Museums

The Northern Pacific Railway started running through Bozeman in 1883. Ten years later, the Montana State University was founded under the name of “Montana State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts”. Bozeman is also visited for its proximity to Yellowstone National Park. In the early 1900s, Milwaukee Railroad extended its railroad across Montana so it can carry people closer to Yellowstone. From those days dates the Gallatin Gateway Inn, a luxurious hotel which is now a historic landmark.

Apart from its campus, the centre of Bozeman hosts today a Museum of the Rockies, a Pioneer Museum and as a striking note, a Computer Museum. The city itself still resides numerous reminiscences from the pioneering era, having 8 historical districts, not to mention old hotels and private properties that are officially recognized as historic places

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