Let's get smarter about the town we all know and love - Bozeman, Montana. Totally random facts are always fun to learn. Sure, you probably didn't need to know this stuff but it might make for a good conversation starter at a party or something. Plus, we threw in a few general "Montana" facts for good measure.

The Story Mansion Cost $50,000 To Build In 1910 - That was a lot of money back then, but perhaps a bargain now, since in 2023 dollars that's about $1.6 million. The Story Mansion is about 9,000 square feet and has 22 room. It is currently owned by the City of Bozeman as a park.

photo - Michelle Wolfe
photo - Michelle Wolfe
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The Largest Employer In Bozeman is Bozeman Health - Bozeman Health employs between 2,400 and 2,600 people in the Bozeman area. The number fluctuates from year to year but is always growing due to the growth and health needs of the Gallatin Valley.

Beall Park Center Used To Be The "Bozeman Nursery School" - A significant piece of historic Bozeman architecture, the beautiful stone building known as the Beall Park Community Center was built in 1927 by W.R. Plew. "The Bozeman nursery school had been housed in the building from the 1950's until 1983, when it folded. In that year, the Community Art Center won use of the building, chosen from four competing projects.
Although the interior of the building has unfortunately been completely remodeled, the
cobblestone and fieldstone exterior remains in original condition." (National Park Service history document #21)

The Lowest Elevation In Montana Is 1,820 Feet - It's fairly well known that the HIGHEST point in Montana is Granite Peak at 12,799 feet above sea level, but where is the lowest point? According to MontanaKids.com: "The lowest point is where the Kootenai River exits the state in northwest Montana at the Montana-Idaho border, elevation 1,820 feet above sea level."

Photo by Zach Lezniewicz on Unsplash
Photo by Zach Lezniewicz on Unsplash
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Bozeman's Sunset Hills Cemetery Is Digitally Plotted - That means you can look up where a loved one, or a historic Bozeman family is buried. Even in this day and age, it can be difficult to do this kind of research on your own, with just a computer. Cemeteries often resist placing this info online but Bozeman has done it. Odd fact, some of the oldest, coolest areas of Sunset Hills have tons of 'unknown' burials.

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Average Annual In-State Cost Of Montana State Is $23,286 - That number is according to the U.S. Department of Education and is before any financial aid is factored in. Also very interesting, "MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's degrees in 68 fields, and doctoral degrees in 35 fields through its nine colleges."

The Population Of Bozeman in 1870 Was 168 People - The rough estimates Montana town populations is fascinating to compare. The gold rush was on and some little towns were absolutely booming. According to NPS.gov: "The population of the towns in Montana as shown by Blaine in his 1871 report as surveyor general for Montana was as follows: Helena, 3,713; Virginia City (the capital), 867; Deer Lodge, 789; Diamond City, 460; Benton, 435; Bannack, 381; Radersburgh, 311; Bozeman City, 165; Missoula, 119."

The Decorative Steel Garbage Cans in Downtown Cost About $1,000 Each - Next time you throw something away in those good-looking, heavy-duty garbage cans, know that the steel cage that protects the can ain't cheap. In fact, 3 trash cans with lids and 5 replacement lids were just purchased for $6,902.00 by the City of Bozeman. (You can check any accounts payable statement you want, week by week.)

Bozeman Has 46 Individual Properties On National Register Of Historic Places - ...and that's just in the City of Bozeman! Gallatin County is actually packed with many more locations on the register. The city has a cool, interactive map that shows all of the locations. You've seen most of the buildings before, but inevitably you'll learn something new.

Yellowstone National Park Rebuilds After Historic Flooding

After catastrophic flooding damaged portions of Yellowstone National Park in June of 2022, major reconstruction was necessary to make the park passable again. The following are photos of the improvement projects at Old Gardiner Road and the Northeast Entrance Road. All photos are courtesy of the National Park Service, photographer Jacob W. Frank.

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