Lombard

Peaceful mountain road through the Bridger Mountains near Lombard.
A peaceful mountain road through the Bridger Mountains outside of Lombard.

This railroad town sat at the crossroads of the Northern Pacific and the Milwaukee railroads. For years, the only access to the town was by rail as there were no automobile roads to the community. It is the namesake of A.G. Lombard who was the chief engineer of the Montana Railroad during its construction. The town was originally known as Castle Junction and was dominated by the “Jaw Bone” Railroad. In the 1890s, the town had a Chinese mayor named Billy Kee. A man-about-town, he built the famous two-story High Point Inn. The hotel served good meals and featured a bathroom with hot and cold running water. Kee was known as a “flexible” proprietor. When he retired at night, he would leave the light on for any latecomers and the cash register open. The guests would scrawl their name in the register, put their money in the till, and take a key to a room.
Mer. Lewis
July 27, 1805
“we are now several hundred miles within the boseom of this wild and mountainous country, whre game may rationally be expected shortly to become scarce and subsisitence precaious without any information with reispect to the country not knowing how far these mountains continue, or wher to direct our course ot pass them to advantage or intersept a navigable branch of the Columbia.”
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