City of Troy Museum and Visitors Center

City of Troy Museum and Visitors Center Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from City of Troy Museum and Visitors Center, Museum, 629 East Missoula Avenue, Troy, MT.

We would like to share the writings of one of Troys first family members, in her own typed out words, verbatim, Edith Lo...
08/29/2026

We would like to share the writings of one of Troys first family members, in her own typed out words, verbatim, Edith Louise Wood. (We will add as we can throughout the weeks ahead)

The robbery of the post office took place in 1906. A young man about eighteen years of age, who was employed on the Wood Ranch, came to town one night armed with pistol and rifle, and broke into the post office. He rifled the cash drawer of $300, and from the store stole several sweaters and some valuable Meerschaum Pipes (which cached under the steps of a nearby rooming house where they were found several months later). The boy started up the railroad tracks toward Libby. The robbery was discovered almost immediately, and a posse of all available men in town went right after him, and sighted him near Kootenai Falls. He shot twice at D.T. Wood and missed him, then swam the Kootenai River and reached LIbby, but was apprehended the next morning and sent to Deer Lodge for five years for post office robbery.

Museum display of old to***co tins and an old prospectors pipe (not a Meerschaum) currenlty at the Troy Museum.

We would like to share the writings of one of Troys first family members, in her own typed out words, verbatim, Edith Lo...
08/20/2026

We would like to share the writings of one of Troys first family members, in her own typed out words, verbatim, Edith Louise Wood. (We will add as we can throughout the weeks ahead)

In August, 1906, a fire destroyed most of the front street. It started in Mr. Allen's hotel from a lamp being tipped over, with the result that the hotel burned to the ground, along with everything in it. D.T. Wood's hotel, post office, and store burned, along with the Whiting's Saloon. Of course we had no fire department, so everything went up in smoke. H.D Whiting did not build again, but George Allen erected his new hotel the next spring. Stanley Wood, then fourteen years old, started up the post office the day after the fire in a small building near the family home. In three days, his father, D.T. Wood, had started up his business in a tent, and in six weeks a new store building was under construction. The new firm of D.T Wood assumed the name of "D.T. Wood and Son"

We would like to share the writings of one of Troys first family members, in her own typed out words, verbatim, Edith Lo...
08/18/2026

We would like to share the writings of one of Troys first family members, in her own typed out words, verbatim, Edith Louise Wood. (We will add as we can throughout the weeks ahead)

Horseback riding was one of our favorite pastimes in those early days. Those who belonged to our "Riding Brigade" were Mrs. H.D. Whiting, Mrs. D.T. Wood, Mrs. Ed Touney, Mrs. B.H. Reynolds, Mrs. J.P. Bartlett, the Misses Hazel, Mable, and Pearl Whiting (as they grew older), and Stanley T. Wood. Mrs. Harris of Libby, who was a friend of some of the Troy ladies, joined us at different times. Many a mountain gallop was enjoyed by us all. Side-saddles were the order of the day at first, but mountain roads proved too dangerous for them, so men's saddles and split skirts were brought into vogue. The skirts were modest in the extreme, but of course we did not think so in those days!

Recent donation from Ken and Mary Jo McLean of Troy. Backstory: Ken recently remodeled their pump house/storage shed and...
08/11/2026

Recent donation from Ken and Mary Jo McLean of Troy.
Backstory: Ken recently remodeled their pump house/storage shed and while removing boards, discovered this, nailed in the main wall, faced down. It was used by one of the previous property owners in Kootenai Vista, the Blublaugh Family, when the pump house started out as a kids playhouse posssibly around 1978. Thanks Ken and Mary Jo for the neat sign!
Now..any guesses where this sign would have been in the U.S. Forest Service - Kootenai National Forest Troy area?

These two Hoffman cousins have been so full of curiosity of the Troy Museum, they even asked to donate items they person...
08/09/2026

These two Hoffman cousins have been so full of curiosity of the Troy Museum, they even asked to donate items they personally found in Troy to us. It has been fun to have them in; and now they can come visit again and see their own piece's of history! (It's also funny to hear all the Hoffman kids laugh and giggle over their parents' school pictures in the old yearbooks!) đŸ˜†

We are often asked if we have any Troy history books for purchase. Yes..yes we sure do! Help build your own library or g...
08/07/2026

We are often asked if we have any Troy history books for purchase.
Yes..yes we sure do!
Help build your own library or grab for the perfect gift ideas! We currently have the Jim Calvi books 5,6,7 availabe-25$ each. And we have the Marjorie J. Pomeroy 5 pack booklet series for 10$ a set.

We would like to share the writings of one of Troys first family members, in her own typed out words, verbatim, Edith Lo...
08/07/2026

We would like to share the writings of one of Troys first family members, in her own typed out words, verbatim, Edith Louise Wood. (We will add as we can throughout the weeks ahead)

The railroad men who ran into Troy at this time were: Pete Brokaw, Jack Conway, Owen Jones, Lon Carle, Ed Munson, Charley Buckley, Robert Larter, Jack Crook, and Jim Paul. Most of these men died in the performance of their duty as engineers. The icy and treacherous waters of the Kootenai River have closed over many of them...it was said that Charley Buckley was once asked why he never brought a train into Troy on time. He answered, "I'd rather be late reaching Troy than "on time" in the Kootenai River!

Photo from Olga W. Johnson book, Flathead and Kootenai Series, Early Libby and Troy Montana. Photo insert courtesy Mrs. Ellen Metz. First section foreman for the Great Northern at Troy was Andrew Halverson of Minnesota, who was also a carpenter and for many years the towns photographer.

08/05/2026

We would like to share the writings of one of Troys first family members, in her own typed out words, verbatim, Edith Louise Wood. (We will add as we can throughout the weeks ahead)

Our first butcher in Troy, who was also Justice of the Peace, was James McGrath. Albert Swesey and George Moore ran a livery stable here for a few years. A baseball nine (note: a "baseball nine" means a 9-man team in this time) was organized in 1898 by Louis LaFoe and Henry Whiting. The nine team was composed of F. B. Callow, Louis LaFoe, Al WIlliams, Bob McEvert, Marsh Roberts, James Lynch, Charles Brawley, Henry D Whiting, and some others I could not recall their names. They ordered their uniforms from Chicago and were exceedingly proud of them-and known to have the finest ones anywhere on the line.

We would like to share the writings of one of Troys first family members, in her own typed out words, verbatim, Edith Lo...
08/04/2026

We would like to share the writings of one of Troys first family members, in her own typed out words, verbatim, Edith Louise Wood. (We will add as we can throughout the weeks ahead)

Chester Smith, roundhouse foreman, and his wife and daughter made Troy their home for several years. Mrs. Smith was a church and Ladies Aide worker, and greatly added to our town circle. Mr. and Mrs. Doonan and three daughters arrived later. "Duffy," as everyone called him, was a master mechanic, and was known for his jovial and pleasant personality.

Patties, Charley Hurd, Coxes (who ran a dairy farm), Redeyes (rancher on Lake Creek), Swansons, at the foot of a high mountain near Savage Lake, Savages, who owned Savage Lake and later a pleasant resort called "Linger Longer," were all ranchers in the area.

Our first wedding was that of Annie Stanley to John Cummings on April 30, 1894, in our little log schoolhouse. The reverend Mr. Stull of Kalispell officiated.

Troy Museum Picture of the J. W. Redeye Ranch on Lake Creek before 1914.

We would like to share the writings of one of Troys first family members, in her own typed out words, verbatim, Edith Lo...
08/01/2026

We would like to share the writings of one of Troys first family members, in her own typed out words, verbatim, Edith Louise Wood. (We will add as we can throughout the weeks ahead)

Many more families were coming in to make Troy their home. Monios settled on a beautiful ranch on Keeler Creek. Rouses made their home in the Iron Creek Valley. The F. C. French family owned a ranch named "Mountain Cove," a lovely setting. Mrs. French was always dubbed the "life of the party." Frank Baggs and family ran a fine hay ranch in the Iron Creek district.

In June, 1900, a terrible tragedy occurred. Owing to high water at the time, Callahan Creek had overflowed its banks. Mr. and Mrs. Baggs had started to cross the creek, but the horses became unmanageable, and in the struggle the bolts came out of the wagon. The wagon floated away with Mrs. Baggs in it, down the raging torrent. Finally landing against a huge boulder, and killing Mrs. Baggs. Besides her husband, she left four young daughters.

Photo's donated by Darrell W. Baggs. Darrell is the son of John McConnell Baggs (Born in Troy in 1907) and Frances Jane Ford Baggs (moved to Troy as an infant in about 1909) Writing on back: Harry Ford Ranch-Iron Creek, Lincoln County, MT. About 1912.

NOTE: We are uncertain as to where this ranch is present day, we have asked some locals that still reside in the Iron Creek farming areas, and it is still being discussed and researched. We will update you as soon as we know more. Also, often the older cameras did not capture all the background, as these did not. These photos look "socked-in" with fog possibly.

Address

629 East Missoula Avenue
Troy, MT
59935

Telephone

(406) 295-4540

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