DISTINCTLY MONTANA MAGAZINE
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WINTER 2022-23
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RAILS TO TRAILS PAGE 16
LINDSAY TRAN is a freelance copywriter living and
working in Missoula. Originally from Bozeman,
her writing and research interests include history,
health and wellness, literature, and historic preser-
vation. She enjoys gardening, hiking, reading, and
horror movies.
BIG SKY BRAVERY
PAGE 22
HOLLY MATKIN is a native Montanan who lives with her
husband at the foot of the Elkhorn Mountains. She
covers a wide variety of topics as a freelance writer
for multiple local and national publications, and es-
pecially enjoys writing travel, history, and human
interest pieces.
HOGAN'S ARMY
PAGE 28
NICK MITCHELL lives with his wife and two children in
Kalispell and has always been interested in Mon-
tana and Western history. He loves a good book, a
tasty brew, and his family, though not in that order.
He's only recently started writing, so he'd like it if
you'd be easy on him.
WILD WEST WORDS
PAGE 34
CHRYSTI "THE WORDSMITH" SMITH was born some de-
cades ago in Poplar, where she misspent her youth
riding horses and motorcycles. Putting those things
behind her as adult, she turned toward studies in
archeology/anthropology at MSU, where she also
accidentally discovered radio broadcasting. She has been pro-
ducing "Chrysti the Wordsmith" at MSU's radio facility, KGLT-
FM, since 1990.
ALL ABOARD THE MID-CENTURY
EMPIRE BUILDER
PAGE 48
GETTING (UN)STUCK IN MONTANA PAGE 84
SHERMAN CAHILL is a freelance writer who lives in Butte,
Montana. He enjoys film, Westerns, crime fiction, and
residing in the best city in America, if not the world.
JAMES J. HILL, EMPIRE BUILDER PAGE 53
AMY GRISAK is a writer and photographer specializing
in gardening, cooking, and sustainable lifestyle top-
ics, as well as anything to do with the beautiful Mon-
tana outdoors. Her articles appear in the New Pio-
neer, Rodale's Organic Life, Camp Cabela's, Hobby
Farms, The Farmers' Almanac, Horticulture, the Great Falls Tri-
bune, and more.
CONTRIBUTORS
CONTRIBUTORS
CONTRIBUTORS
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