Distinctly Montana Stories adapts the literary journalism of Distinctly Montana magazine into produced audio episodes. Each story is drawn from the magazine's twenty-year archive of Montana history, culture, and the people who shaped the state. The show is narrated by Joe Shelton, editor-in-chief of Distinctly Montana.
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Episode 8: The Devil's Brigade in Helena
Written by Nick Mitchell · 17 min
In the summer of 1942, a strange collection of Americans and Canadians arrived at Fort Henry Harrison to train for a mission that would never happen. By the time they shipped out, the town of Helena was lining the street as if watching their own sons march away. The Germans would give them their name at Anzio.
Episode 7: I Didn't Die in Montana: Hank Williams Jr. on Ajax Mountain
Written by Nick Mitchell · 14 min
On August 8, 1975, a 26-year-old country singer set out to hunt mountain goats on the Montana-Idaho line. He stepped into his guide's footprint near the summit. Something under his right foot moved.
Episode 6: Conquering the Divide
Written by Joe Shelton · 19 min
In 1911, Montana's mountains were still a frontier — but only from the ground. A handful of daredevil pilots set out to be the first to fly over the Continental Divide. Some of them died trying.
Episode 5: Frank Lloyd Wright's Montana Dreams
Written by Joe Shelton · 21 min
In 1909, America's most celebrated architect arrived in the Bitter Root Valley to design a utopian town that would rival Missoula. He was also trying to escape his wife and six children. Neither plan worked out.
Episode 4: The Last Ride of Long George Francis
Written by Nick Mitchell · 12 min
On Christmas Eve, a blizzard closed the roads. Long George Francis made a choice that would end his life and begin his legend.
Episode 3: The Petrified Man of Livingston Goes East
Written by Nick Mitchell · 11 min
A Montana man turned to stone — or so they said. When the Petrified Man left Livingston for an Eastern tour, the spectacle met an audience that wasn't buying it.
Episode 2: Who the Hell Was Montana Frank?
Written by Joe Shelton · 23 min
He claimed to be a Montana outlaw. The newspapers printed his story. The trail leads through court records, dead ends, and the gap between who we say we are and who we actually were.
Episode 1: Blood on the Wool
Written by Joe Shelton · 15 min
In 1900, there were nearly three million sheep in Montana — and men who wanted them dead. Armed riders circled camps at night, forced a herder to make coffee before the slaughter began, and left thousands of animals dead on the open range.
New episodes are released monthly. Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don't miss one.