Future US President Involved in Montana Bar Room Brawl

Montana has a ton of history with all of the "Cowboy" stories and tall tales from days gone by. It's no wonder why Montana was and is a place that people from other places want to come and make their way.

While Montana has seen a surge in growth the last several years, looking at history, this isn't new.  Even before Montana was a state, people flocked here from all over the country to be part of the "Wild West" and partake in that Montana spirit.

One of those individuals was the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt.

Before Roosevelt would become the President, he would spend time in the West. One of those places the future President would write about in his autobiography happened in Mingusville, Montana, and is now known as Wibaux.

Roosevelt had been riding for days when he came across the Nolan Hotel.  He was automatically put on alert when he heard gunshots and loud profanity coming from the Hotel, but as he stated "there was nowhere else to go and it was a cold night."

Teddy entered the hotel only to find a man with two pistols cocked walking back and forth using vulgar language.  Once the man with the guns saw Roosevelt, he automatically called him "Four Eyes" because of Roosevelt's glasses. The angered man wanted alcohol and told Roosevelt he was going to pay for it.

Roosevelt realized that the man was unstable said "Well, if I've got to, I've got to" as the future President rose from his seated position he swung with his right and hit the gunman in the jaw, followed by a left, then finally another right, putting an end to a potentially deadly situation.

Roosevelt would continue to explore southeast Montana during his early years.  After he sold his Dakota ranches, Roosevelt would return to Montana to hunt big game. A cabin was built at the Yellowstone and Big Horn Rivers that hosted many of those hunts.  That cabin is now in Billings and home of the Yellowstone County Museum.

Because of his love for the West, Teddy Roosevelt established the United States Forest Service and is credited with creating National Forests and Parks. This of course has led to millions and millions of people visiting those areas every year, while preserving some of the most beautiful places on the planet.

Credit: An Autobiography by Theodore Roosevelt