Deer Lodge, Montana

We took a drive for a day trip to Deer Lodge, Montana.  Located there is the former Montana State prison, used until 1967.  Now it is one of 6 museums on this site.  We saw the Prison Museum, The Montana Auto Museum, Cottonwood City (old town buildings), Desert John's Saloon Museum, Yesterday's Playthings (a toy and doll museum).  We were tired and did not visit museum # 6, the Powell County Museum.  The original prison was built because during the gold rush days, because of all of the transient miners, traders, and others tha were ruthless and always in trouble.

The old Montana State Prison

One of the guard towers

The Chapel

The Mess Hall

The gray buildings are the original prison

The brick buildings were added later

Cross that line (20 ft from the wall) and your shot dead

The last of the really bad inmates

The Corvette section at the Montana Auto Museum

Debbie with a 1951 Packard

Debbie's Dad had a 1929 Ford Model A something like this one

Vince's Dad had a 1952 Pontiac just like this

                                                                                                                                           



We then went to the Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, one of the largest open range cattle farms in the old west, now owned by the National Park Service.  It is still in operation with a herd of cows, and they have docents to explain every part of the ranch operation. Started in 1857 and still going strong.

 

    

The Ranch's main house

The Chuckwagon

The Chuckwagon cook, Alan teaching Debbie how to cook

One of the bunkhouses

Debbie exiting the Tack Shop

Debbie trying her had at lassoing a horse

Kids in Montana ride their horse to McDonald's for lunch