Shelby, Montana
Shelby was named
after Peter P. Shelby, general manager of the Montana-Central Railroad. In
1891 the Great Northern was making its way to Marias Pass; the builders
threw a box car from the train and called it a station. Shelby himself is
believed to have said that Shelby wouldn’t amount to much. He was wrong;
Shelby grew into a distribution for a trade center for 50 miles in every
direction.
In the late 1890s
the town was a cowboy town with hardly any fences or homesteaders. By 1913
there were 5,000 entries for land in just one office. Homesteaders flooded
into the area. The homesteaders suffered droughts and became very
desperate. By the 1920s there was an exodus of homesteaders. In 1921
Gordon Campbell, a geologist, found oil that stretched all the way to the
Canadian border. New life came to Shelby. Shelby is historically
significant for the Dempsey-Gibbons World Heavyweight Championship
prizefight held there on July 4, 1923. An excellent Indian artifact
collection is on display at the Toole County Library.
The Marias River,
named after Meriwether Lewis’ cousin, winds its way through town, past
the Marias Valley Golf Course and Country Club as well as Williamson Park,
where camping and outdoor recreation can be found. While in town, visit
the Marias Museum of History and Art for a look at area history,
homesteading, a dinosaur collection and more. Nearby, the Sweet Grass
Hills offer hiking and wildlife viewing, although they are almost
exclusively on private property. Deer, antelope, elk, foxes,
golden eagles, grouse and the unique “sweet grass” can be seen in
these hills. North of town, Lake Shel-oole offers camping and outdoor
recreation.
CAMPGROUND ACCOMMODATIONS IN SHELBY
Horizon Trailer Park: The Horizon Park is close to downtown shopping, service stations, restaurants and nightclubs and at $16.00 for an overnight stay, probably the least expensive you’ll find in the area. The Horizon offers 30 overnight sites (10 tent, 20 RV) with full hookups. This is the place to stop and rest up before pushing on to Glacier National Park only seventy miles to the west or across the border to Canada thirty miles to the north.
Horizon Trailer Park
318 Treasure Avenue
Shelby, MT 59474
Phone: 406-434-2211
Local: 406-434-2211
Lewis & Clark RV Park: Open during winter with partial hookups(no water, only electric / sewer / Satellite TV)
We are an overnight park where you can have your mail forward to us (Over night Customers during June thru September only). Catch up on your laundry, Internet,oil changes. Rest up a bit before crossing the boarder. Spend an extra night with us and take a day trip over to Glacier National Park
Lewis & Clark RV Park
P.O. Box 369 / 1535 Oilfield Ave North
Shelby, MT 59474
Phone: 888-434-2710
Local: 406-434-2710
Email: LewisandClarkRVPark@3riversdbs.net
Website: http://www.lewisandclarkrvpark.com
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