Basics About Belt April 3, 2023
Belt, Montana is on the United States’ National Register of Historic Places, the nation’s list of heritage properties worthy of preservation, and includes the Belt Commercial Historic District. As you explore Belt, look for interpretive markers to learn more about its history and architecture.
History of Belt
The Belt Museum captures another essence of Belt, the history. Housed in the old town jail, the Belt Museum includes a jail cell, a coal mine exhibit, records, photos, and the work of local artists.
Annual Rodeo
Belt hosts an annual rodeo, one of the most popular in Montana, spanning three days and attracting competitors from across the west. The annual Belt PRCA Rodeo features saddle and bareback bronc riding, team and tie down roping, steer wrestling, bull riding and women’s barrel racing.
Beer in Belt
Settled as a coal camp by Finnish and Slavic immigrants, today Belt is better known for its beer than its coal. In the heart of Montana’s grain country, and kept lush by wells and streams supplying some of the world’s finest water, it comes as little surprise that Belt has attracted the attention of makers of fine craft beers. In their beers at Harvest Moon Brewery, they’ve captured the pure, fresh essence of the Belt area. Be sure to check it out!
8 Fun Facts About Montana
- The name Montana has a Spanish origin, with the earliest settlers naming the state “montaña,” which means mountain in Spanish.
- Montana has two popular nicknames: “Big Sky Country” and “The Treasure State.”
- There are more cattle than human beings in Montana. Of the state’s 56 counties, 46 have average populations of just 6 people or less per square mile and are known as “frontier counties.”
- Part of Yellowstone National Park is located in Montana. The park experiences 1000-3000 earthquakes annually and is also home to super volcanoes.
- The grizzly bear is the state animal of Montana, as it is home to a large population of grizzlies – an estimated 1,800!
- Montana is the only state in the U.S. to share an international land border with three Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan).
- You can fit the states of Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia into Montana.
- Montana has a unique feature called a Triple Divide, that allows water to flow into the Atlantic Ocean, the Hudson Bay, and the Pacific Ocean.