Betsey decided to come along with me on the day I drove into the Crow Indian Reservation to interview the woman who was becoming famous for her Indian dolls.

Mary Lou Big Day had agreed to an interview, and told me how to get to her house. Directions to locations on a reservation are not like those in town. There are no “Broadway” or “Central Ave.” signs there, and no house numbers. It’s more like, “Go about three miles past the big red barn until you come to that broken boulder. Turn right and go to the third cattle crossing…”

The home of Mary Lou and Heywood Big Day is just like any home in an American city – except for the colts munching grass in the front yard, and the sweat-lodge just outside the front door. Read More→

Back in 1954 some men came up with an idea for a new television series. It was to be called “Gunsmoke.”

The producer offered the starring role, as the show’s hero, Marshal Matt Dillon, to John Wayne, but the Duke was still riding high in movies, and wasn’t about to drop down to television. But he did recommend a friend, a young actor named James Arness.

Up until that day Arness’ biggest acting role had been as the monster in the movie “The Thing,” where he played the part of a giant, horrible carrot-like creature that ran around drinking people’s blood. Read More→

As you may suspect by now I really love interviewing old Montana women — especially old ranch women. I enjoy chatting with the old men too, but in the old days Montana ranchers didn’t live nearly as long as their wives, so there just aren’t that many old-timers left. But the women hang on – and they remember.

Here are some remembrances from a sweet old gal named Beulah Sternhagen.

She talks of rattlesnakes, hail storms, solitude, hard work and sudden death. Read More→