Deer Lodge, Mt

We have been in Deer Lodge for two days due to poor weather conditions. It has been rainy and windy since we got here. It didn't keep us from sightseeing- they have the first territorial prison here that was used up until 1970's. It is an interesting place to visit but it makes you wonder why anyone would committ crime and have to go there. They were one of the first prisons to use the prisoners to do structural work on additions to the prison. It is located on main street and looks like a fort - a well-guarded fort. They also had a very extensive display of carriages, old model cars along with pictures of Yellowstone and how they opened the park up to the first automobiles to tour - they even showed how the tourist camped. In another room they had all the 50's-70's cars restored.

Today we went to see a historical ranch and that proved to be very interesting - the state has perserved it after the grandson donated it them. His Grandfather had the ranch which he bought from the original owner it was then sold off and the Grandson purchased it to keep it the family. The ranger who gave the tour of the house and blacksmith shop actually worked with the grandson and had been in the house when the family owned it. They have the actual bunkhouse, chuckwagon, barns, carriage barn,with actual carriages and wagons, equipment that was used in the 1800's to ranch and a very interesting hay stacker - that we had seen along the road to Bannack Ghost Town - they have a small model so you can see how it works. This is still an active ranch but instead of 30,000 acres and is now only 1,600 acres with a few herd of cattle and some horses.

The state parks department in Montana is unbelieveable in preserving history. They have very friendly and knowledge park personnel.

Since it was raining we have no pictures of Deer Lodge and no golf - bummer. Tomorrow we will move onto Butte and Bozeman - hoping to have good weather so we can stop at three rivers.