Have You Heard of Square Butte Montana?

What makes the community of Square Butte memorable?  There were actually several things.  We were returning home from Fort Benton and we came upon Square Butte.  We already knew that the post office had closed there in 1962.  So why did we turn off there?  We just were curious and decided to take the tour.  From quite a distance we watched two buttes as we came closer to the community of "Square Butte" named for one of the nearby formations.  Square Butte is visible for about 75 miles.  It is also the home to a herd of Mountain Goats (50-80 head)

In July 1805 Lewis described "Fort Mountain" after observing it through his telescope thirteen miles away.  The laccolith or butte was formed from magma pushing through previous layers of lava.  The process makes a blister on the earth.  According to Joseph Mussulman there are more than 2,000 geologic features in the US known as buttes.





Square Butte was one of Charlie Russell's  favorite laccoliths.  If you look through some of his paintings you will see Square Butte in the background. Look at his painting titled " Charles M. Russell and his Friends" 1922.

A Land of Contrasts

June 10, 2011 we went to Brusett, MT and visited with Dan's sister and husband.  Alven told stories as I took pictures of their property.  Their home is about 25 miles (by road) from the Fort Peck Lake.  The Fort Peck Lake has more shore line than the state of Florida.

Their land is not far from the Charles M Russell Wildlife Refuge.  The north side of their property is on the edge of the Missouri River Breaks.  Our English language doesn't do justice when I tell you the land is rough.

Now contrast these pictures of the "Breaks" with the acres of pine country that is also part of their land.

I have watched deer graze in the field behind their house.  Patsy has told me about watching elk graze from her kitchen window.  It is a land of contrasts.  It's rugged beauty takes your breath away.