Sign Up For A Walking Tour Of Bozeman’s Sunset Hills Cemetery
I can honestly say that I am a sucker for history, especially regional history. Who doesn’t want to know about the people and events that shaped the land and the community that they are in?
The Extreme History Project is hosting a walking tour of the historic Sunset Hills Cemetery this Sunday (and every Sunday through August) from 4 – 5 pm.
The Sunset Hills Cemetery is ‘home’ to some of the oldest and most influential early residents of Bozeman, and southern Montana. The story of Bozeman can be traced through the memorial stones of Sunset Hills, from the Story Family plot to John Bozeman himself.
The Story Family plot is highlighted by Nelson Story Sr. (1838-1926). Nelson Sr. had a prominent role in the establishment of the Agricultural College of the State of Montana (Montana State University), he also was the first person to run a cattle drive from Texas to Montana successfully, doing so in 1866, when he pushed approximately 1,000 head of Texas Longhorns along to Bozeman Trail to Montana. To say that Story was a successful businessman is a significant understatement. He built both Story Mansions, the first on Main Street in 1880, and in 1910 the second, on the corner of Willson and College for his son T. Tryon Story. He was Bozeman’s first millionaire.
John Bozeman was born in Georgia in 1835. At the age of 25, John joined the stream of miners looking to make their fortune in Colorado gold. For John, that didn’t happen. After his claims proved unsuccessful in Colorado, he headed north to Bannack for another shot at riches. Also, to no avail. What John lacked in mining, he made up for in planning. John Bozeman and John Jacobs are responsible for the Bozeman Trail, a route from the Oregon Trail that breaks off and gets miners to Bannack and Virginia City, through the Gallatin Valley. In 1864 he laid out the plans for Bozeman, Montana.
The walking tour will talk about those two individuals in much more detail, as well as other noteworthy inhabitants. This is a great opportunity to learn about our intriguing history here in Montana.
You can sign up for this tour HERE.
Find out more about the Extreme History Project and their varied projects on their website.
