History of Billings, Montana, USA

1877 - Billings is founded

1895 - Billings
Billings, a city, capital of Yellowstone co, Montana, on the Northern Pacific Railway, 917 miles from St. Paul, and 238 miles E. by S. of Helena. It has 4 churches, 3 banks, and 2 newspaper offices. Principal industry, cattle and sheep-raising. Pop. 1500.
Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott

1909 - BOAT CAPSIZES; 4 PERSONS DIE.
Billings, Mont., July 25. - (AP) - Four lives were lost this afternoon by the capsizing of a boat filled with Sons of Hermann picknickers on the Yellowstone River, two miles south of this city.

Among the drowned is JOHN STAFFELL, a Montana pioneer. He was dragged to his death by three young girls, who seized him when the boat overturned, and perished with him. They were PRESSIE WEST, aged 16; MINNIE TAGGONER, aged 15; and a child of 6, not identified.

Although the craft was capable of safely bearing but three persons, eight picnickers, under the guidance of MR. STAFFELL, got into the boat, and when it was about 150 feet from the bank the 15-year-old daughter of J. C. Bland leaned over the side of the boat, causing it to ship water. This frightened the girl, and with a scream she leaped from her seat into the water, capsizing the boat and throwing all into the swirling current, which quickly bore them into midstream.

The Bland girl managed to cling to the boat and was rescued, ... Read MORE...

1916
Billings, a banking city, capital of Yellowstone co., Mont., on the Northern Pacific and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Rs., 917 miles from St. Paul and 238 miles E. by S. of Helena. Principal industries, wool and cattle- and sheep-raising. Pop. in 1890, 836 ; in 1900, 3221. Billings is one of the most important interior wool- markets of the country.
Lippincotts New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns, Resorts, Islands, Rivers, Mountains, Seas, Lakes, Etc., in Every Portion of the Globe, Part 1 Angelo Heilprin Louis Heilprin - January 1, 1916 J.B. Lippincott - Publisher

1938 - ONE KILLED IN PLUNGING TRANSPORT. TWO OTHERS INJURED THREE MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF FROM BILLINGS AIRPORT TODAY.
Billings, Mont. - (UP) - A woman passenger was killed and two others were injured early today when an east-bound Northwest Airlines transport plane crashed three minutes after taking off from the Billings airport.

The dead woman was MRS. N. S. McKAY, Bismarck, N.D. The injured were N. S. McKAY, husband of the dead woman, suffering from bruises and shock, and W. J. TISDALE, Slocum, British Columbia, suffering from a minor head injury and bruises.

Pilot WALT BULLOCK and Co-Pilot L. S. DOAN and five other passengers on the plane, P. S. BRISLAWN, Wallace, Idaho; C. V. GARY, Chicago; W. C. BELLENGER, Bremerton, Wash.; A. L. NEIMEYER, representative of the Department of Commerce, Seattle, Wash.; and G. B. TUSSUM, Billings, were not injured.

The plane, one of the line's new twin-motored Lockheed "Zephyrs" took off from the airport at 2:35 a.m. (P.S.T.) It gained an altitude of 1,000 feet and headed northeast into the wind. Then it plunged to earth.

The craft seemed to stall... Read MORE...

1953 - November 9 - KTVQ TV channel 2 in Billings, MT (CBS/NBC) begins broadcasting

historyorb.com

1955 - April 3 - Record snows fell in north central Wyoming and south central Montana.
Billings MT received a storm total of 42.3 inches, and on the 4th reported a record snow depth of 35 inches.
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Here's a list of places to go and things to do in and around Billings:
Pictograph Cave State Park:

Explore the Pictograph Cave State Park to see ancient rock paintings and learn about the Native American history of the region.

ZooMontana:

Spend a day at ZooMontana, home to a variety of animals, beautiful gardens, and educational exhibits.

Moss Mansion:

Visit the Moss Mansion, a historic house museum that provides a glimpse into the lavish lifestyle of early 20th-century Montana.

Yellowstone Art Museum:

Check out the Yellowstone Art Museum for a dose of contemporary and regional art.

Billings Depot:

Attend events or just admire the architecture at the Billings Depot, a historic train station turned event venue.

Western Heritage Center:

Discover the rich history of the Yellowstone River Valley and the Northern Plains at the Western Heritage Center.

Swords Rimrock Park:

Hike or drive to the top of Swords Rimrock Park for panoramic views of Billings and the surrounding landscapes.

The Rimrocks:

Explore the natural ... Read MORE...