John Clayton and Carbon County Historical Society | Red Lodge

Published: May 29, 2008

From the worst coal-mining disaster in the state’s history to the zigzag construction of the Beartooth Highway, John Clayton tells the history of Red Lodge through photographs, mined from the archives of the Carbon County Historical Society.

Red Lodge, from its scenic perch at the foot of the Beartooth Mountains (a photo shows the snaggled outcropping for which the range is purportedly named), has been home to a colorful array of characters. European immigrants, including Finns, Italians, Scots, Irish and Yugoslavians, were drawn to the mines and settled in compact neighborhoods, where their cultural traditions flourished. The town still celebrates its ethnic heritage each summer during the Festival of Nations.

Early settlers also pursued ranching and agriculture (despite the high elevation and thin soils); a cannery even produced Red Lodge Vintage Brand Peas. Dude ranches flourished, and the community’s Home of Champions rodeo continues to honor the legacy of the saddle-savvy Greenough and Linderman families.

Clayton, who resides in Red Lodge, also wrote The Cowboy Girl: The Life of Caroline Lockhart.

— Kristi Niemeyer