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Select
brief notes about place names
throughout the state,
with an emphasis on towns.
A-B,
C-D,
E-G,
H-L,
M-R,
S, T-Z
Photo above on Left: The community of Landusky is named for
Powell "Pike"
Landusky, reputed to be one of the toughest rough-and-tumble
fighters of the west, who was killed by Kid Curry in 1894.
Place Names of Towns and
Landmarks (T-Z)
County location in parenthesis; place
names are towns unless indicated otherwise.
The listing below is condensed and
edited from a more comprehensive list on the
Montana Railroad History site (compiled from several sources,
primarily The Montana Almanac 1957 edition, published by Montana State
University).
For those interested in more than this
cursory listing of place names, consider purchasing a copy of
Montana Place Names: From Alzada to Zortman, published by the Montana
Historical Society press, or visit the accompanying
interactive website. Also see the 1954 article,
"Montana Place Name Records," by Lucille Childears.
Taft (Mineral) - station/town named after President Taft, early
20th century
Teedee (Carter) - town named for the Tee Dee Ranch, named for the
brand used for stock, T. D.
Teigen (Petroleum) - town named for Mons Teigen, a large sheep
rancher in the area
Ten Mile Creek (Lewis & Clark) - creek named for the distance from
Silver City to Helena
Terry (Prairie) - town, county seat, named for Gen. Alfred H.
Terry, comm. of the 1876 Custer campaign
Teton (Teton) - county, River & mountain, named for Teton or Teat
mountains
Theony (Valley) - town named for J. M. Theony, the postmaster
Thompson Creek (Beaverhead) - creek, named for George Thompson, an
early settler
Thompson Falls (Sanders) - town & county seat, named for David
Thompson, NW Company trader
Three Forks (Gallatin) - town near juncture of 3 forks of the
Missouri-Jefferson, Gallatin, Madison rivers
Three Mile Creek (Lewis & Clark) - creek named for the distance
from Silver City to Helena
Thurston (Dawson) - station named after Charles Thurston, chair of
the board at 1st Nat. Bank in Glendive
Tie Creek (Beaverhead) - creek named because railroad ties were cut
there in 1881-82
Tin Cup Lake (Ravalli) - lake named by an early French-Canadian who
lived here in early days
Tobacco (Lincoln) - station named after Tobacco Plains & River
Tongue River (Rosebud) -river named by the Crow & Cheyenne Indians
Toole (Mineral) - station named after the late John R. Toole,
general manager of Big Blackfoot Mining Co. Toole (Toole) - county
named after J. K. Toole, the first governor of Montana as a state
Torbet (Gallatin) - station named for a local rancher of that name
Toston (Broadwater) - station & town named after Thomas Toston, a
rancher there in 1882
Townsend (Broadwater) - town & county seat, named for an official
of the Northern Pacific Railroad
Treasure County (Treasure) - county so named in effort to attract
settlers
Tregloan (Park) - station named after Thomas Tregloan, from whom RR
right of way obtained
Triple Divide (Glacier) - station named after Glacier Park's
mountains; they divide waters to 3 oceans
Troy (Lincoln) - town named after a civil engineer employed by the
Great Northern Railway Company
Tusler (Custer) - station named for Henry Tusler, early settler,
pioneer and cattle king of Eastern Montana
Twin Bridges (Madison) - town named because two bridges that span
the Jefferson River
Two Dot (Wheatland) - town named after the ranch of H. J. ("Two
Dot") Wilson, owner of the town site
Tyler (Fergus) - town named for C. W. Tyler, a rancher of that
section & postmaster
Ubet (Judith Basin) - town named after A. R. Barrows answer of "You
bet" that he wanted a post office
Ulida (Meagher) - town named by Postmaster General Key's friends
for his sweetheart
Ulm (Cascade) - town named for William Ulm who located his ranch on
the site of the present town
Ulmer (Custer) - station named after George H. Ulmer of Miles City,
who came here in 1883
Underdahl (Cascade) - station named for Andrew Underdahl, employee
of Winston Brothers contractors
Unity (Meagher) - town named fro Unity, ME, from which some of the
settlers came
Valier (Pondera) - town named after Peter Valier, general manager
of the LaCrosse & Southeastern RR
Valley (Valley) - county named on account of the topography of the
country
Vebar (Golden) - station so named because of "V" brand on cattle on
adjoining ranch
Victor (Ravalli) - town named for Chief Victor of the Flatheads
Vincent (Gallatin) - station named after Webb Vincent, rancher
Virginia City (Madison) - town first named Varina in honor of
Jefferson Davis' wife, later Virginia
Vista (Flathead) - station named from the view
Wachusett (Fergus) - station named for Wachusett, Mass.
Wahoma (Musselshell) - station originally named Waldheim, changed
to Wahoma ("home of the forest")
Walkerville (Silver Bow) - town named after the Walker Brothers of
Salt Lake City, owners of Alice Mine
Walrath (Gallatin) - station named after A.J. Walrath, secretary of
the H. S. Buell Land Company
Waltham (Cascade) - station named after the Waltham ranch in this
vicinity
Walton (Glacier) - station named in honor of the famous author of
"The Great Angler"
Ware (Fergus) - station named after owner of land at this point
Warm Springs (Deer Lodge) - town named for location near hot
springs; home of state Insane Asylum
Weber (Jefferson) - town named for M. W. Weber, postmaster of the
village
Weekville (Sanders) - station named after I. S. P. Weeks, locating
engineer
Welch (Jefferson) - station named after J. Welch, from whom right
of way of NP Railroad was acquired
Welter (Fergus) - town named for Nicholas Welter, postmaster &
rancher of that section
West End (Gallatin) - station so named because of its location at
the west end of the Bozeman tunnel
West Gallatin (Gallatin) - station named for the West Gallatin
River
Westby (Sheridan) - town originally western-most in North Dakota,
later moved to Montana
Wheat Basin (Stillwater) - station named after abundance of wheat
in area
Wheatland (Wheatland) - county named for the rich wheat land in the
area
White (Gallatin) - station named because right of way for Northern
Pacific acquired from John F. White
White Sulphur Springs (Meagher) - town & county seat named for
medicinal white sulphur springs
White Tail Deer Creek (Lewis & Clark) - creek named by the miners
for deer in the area
Whitefish (Flathead) - town named because of its location near
Whitefish Lake, named after white fish
Whitehall (Jefferson) - town named from a large white ranch home
belonging to Major Brooks
Wibaux (Wibaux) - city & county, named after Pierre Wibaux, Montana
pioneer, owner of large cattle ranch
Wickes (Jefferson) - town named after W.W. Wickes, mining engineer
from Brooklyn, NY
Wickett (Yellowstone) - station named after F. H. Wickett, from
whom Northern Pac. right of way acquired
Wilder (Fergus) - town named for a man named Wilder, partner of
C.A. Broadwater in his enterprise.
Wileys (Mineral) - station named after a Mr. Wiley who had a
sawmill here at one time
Willie (Missoula) - station named after an old-timer in this
vicinity
Winifred (Fergus) - station & town named after Miss Winifred Sewall,
daughter of E. D. Sewall
Winnecook (Wheatland) - station named for the Winnecook ranch,
Indian word for "beautiful waters"
Winnett (Petroleum) - town & county seat, named after Walter J.
Winnett, rancher & owner of town site
Winston (Broadwater) - station named after P. B. Winston,
contractor on construction of Northern Pacific
Wilsall (Park) - named after son & daughter-in-law of town site
owner Walter B. Jordon, Will and Sally
Wisdom (Beaverhead) - named after Wisdom River, itself named by
Lewis & Clark for Jefferson's wisdom
Wisner (Gallatin) - station named for Montgomery Wisner, a farmer
who settled here in 1880
Wolf Creek (Lewis & Clark) - creek named from Old Indian name
"Creek-Where-the-Wolf-Jump-Too"
Wolf Point (Roosevelt) - town & county seat named for hill shaped
like a wolf, or a stack of wolf pelts
Woodside (Ravalli) - station named for Rev. L. L. Woods, rancher
and store owner, and nearby trees
Woodworth (Powell) - town named for for C. E. Woodworth, the first
postmaster
Wordon (Yellowstone) - town named after Senator Joseph Dixon's
wife's maiden name (or her father)
Yale (Wheatland) - town named by W. A. Hedges, a first settler from
Yale University
Yates (Wibaux) - station named for an army officer by that name
Yegen (Yellowstone) - station named for Chris Yegen, Montana banker
& merchant
Yellowstone (Yellowstone) - county, river, translation of French
name "roche jaune" "yellow rock"
Young's Point (Stillwater) - station named after Forest Young, a
settler who came here in 1887
Zortman (Phillips) - town named after O. P. Zortman, once a mine
operator in Alder Gulch
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