Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • FA L L 2 0 2 6 10 W E LOVE STORIES. Everyone does, but we like to think we love them more than most. They are our stock in trade, and every issue of the magazine is full of them. Sad stories as well as triumphant ones. Quiet ones, and loud, bombas- tic ones too. Intimate stories, and stories as big as our famous Big Sky. So once again, we've got a beautiful harvest of Montana stories for you of every shape and description. In One Handshake at a Time: JFK's Courtship of Montana we explore a battle the future president couldn't possibly win, but which he fought with smiles and public ap- pearances, and which still shapes Montana today. And in The Ballad of George Bruffey, we are privileged to witness a fascinating swath of our state's history through the eyes of one of her remarkable but largely forgotten pioneers. In A Homecoming for Edmonia and Samuel Lewis at Tinworks and Sugar Beets and Tumbleweeds: Billings Through an Artist's Eyes, we see how the state gets under the skin of artists in the 19th century and today, and how her resources can be shaped into beautiful new constructions. In Searching for Initial Points, a personal quest becomes a historical discovery. And in Some Notes on the Metaphysics of the Ninepipe Reservoir Painted Turtles, we try to figure out how much a Western painted turtle's soul is worth, relative to a sparrow. Then, Best of Montana is a kind of story as well, the triumphant story of a lot of local businesses getting the recognition they deserve. For the fifth year in a row, Best of Montana has asked you, our readers, to nominate and vote on what you think the best busi- nesses in the state are. To each of the Winners and Elite Top Three we offer our heartiest congratulations. As always, our deepest thanks to the advertisers who make all of this possible, and if you were one of those folks who voted, we thank you too. This Fall, as you take your kids or your grandkids trick-or-treating, or as you gather around the table for Thanksgiving, or even in those quiet moments when you are sitting by yourself somewhere, waiting for something to happen, we are so honored to be even a small part of your story. A N O T E F R O M T H E P U B L I S H E R P U B L I S H E R CHRISTOPHER MUHLENFELD, PUBLISHER chris@distinctlymontana.com ©2002-2026. Distinctly Montana is owned and published by Thunderstruck Media LLC, a Montana company. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in any form, in whole or in part, without our written permission is prohibited. Distinctly Montana welcomes freelance contributions—please contact us to inquire about submitting your work. DISTINCTLY MONTANA IS DESIGNED AND PRINTED IN THE USA. Published by Thunderstruck Media LLC • 280 West Kagy Blvd, STE D286 • Bozeman, Montana 59715 www.distinctlymontana.com • info@distinctlymontana.com • (406) 600-7660 WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS! The paper content of this publication has been certifiably reforested via PrintReleaf – the world's first platform to measure paper consumption and automate reforestation across a global network of reforestation projects. LEARN MORE AT PRINTRELEAF.COM photo: flickr.com/nicholas_t | CC BY PUBLISHERS Christopher & Pattra Muhlenfeld EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joseph Shelton ART DIRECTOR Robert Rath COPY AND PROOF EDITOR Shannon Page SALES EXECUTIVES Larry Sem, Jesi Donaldson and Toni Savarese PRODUCTION MANAGER Juliana Widman PRINT MANAGEMENT Pam Koehler, Koehler + Co. fb.com/distinctlymontana instagram.com/distinctlymontana twitter.com/distinctlymt S U B S C R I B E S U B S C R I B E T O D AY T O D AY W E D E L I V E R ! W E D E L I V E R ! SUBSCRIBE TO SUBSCRIBE TO DISTINCTLY MONTANA DISTINCTLY MONTANA MAGAZINE MAGAZINE DISTINCTLYMONTANA.COM/SUBSCRIBE SEND A CHECK FOR THE AMOUNT MATCHING THE SUBSCRIPTION PERIOD YOU'D LIKE: 1 YEAR - $39.95 2 YEARS - $69.95 3 YEARS - $99.95 MAIL CHECKS TO: DISTINCTLY MONTANA PO BOX 84, BOZEMAN MT 59771 TO SUBSCRIBE BY PHONE, CALL 406-600-7660 TM SCAN TO SUBSCRIBE 2026 o f BEST M O N TA N A A S V O T E D B Y R E A D E R S O F

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