Montana

Montana is ranked the 4th largest among
US states.

In 1804, the Lewis and Clark Expedition spent much of their trip in what is now Montana, likely because its size took time to traverse.

Montana is the only state whose waters drain into 3 oceans: the Atlantic (via the Gulf of Mexico), the Pacific, and the Arctic (via Hudson Bay).

Fur-trading was the original commerce in Montana.  Gold was discovered in 1862, and boom towns and general lawlessness followed.  In 1864, Congress created the Montana Territory to establish order.

During the 1870s, cattle were driven up from Texas to graze on Montana's open range; cattle ranching was thriving until 1886, when a harsh winter combined with a drought to kill the cattle.  

Also in the 1870s, copper deposits were found; by the 1890s, Standard Oil had bought up all the copper mines and essentially controlled Montana.

Montana applied for statehood in 1884, but Congress was evenly divided politically and refused entry until 1889, when 3 other territories joined Montana in achieving statehood.

Montana's record lowest temperature is also the record low for the entire lower 48 states: -70° near Rogers Pass in 1954.  Loma, MT, experienced the most extreme temperature change in the US during a 24-hour period: from -54° to 49° on January 15, 1972.

Montana's 1972 rewrite of its constitution made it one of the most progressive in the US declaring, for instance, that each individual has the right to privacy, that all waters - even those on private land - are under state control, and that the state commits to preserving the cultural integrity of the Native tribes (a constitutional provision found only in Montana).

Giant Springs falls

The Great Falls area boasts one of the world's largest falls (Giant Springs) and the world's shortest river (Roe River).

Montana is the #1 US producer of talc, #4 in copper, and #6 in both silver and gold.  Montana's coal deposits are the largest in the US.  Montana also has the world's largest lead smelter.  Sapphires from Montana are in England's royal crown jewels.

Out of 70,000 miles of public roads in Montana, only 25% are paved.

Montana is the only state with a tribally-controlled college on each of the 7 reservations.

Flathead Lake is Montana's largest natural lake and the largest freshwater lake in the western US.

Flathead Lake