w w w. d i s t i n c t ly m o n ta n a . c o m
75
This freshly revised and
expanded book has the texts
of all 251 markers around the
state. Published by the Mon-
tana Historical Society Press,
it was compiled and edited
by Jon Axline. See www.
montanahistoricalsociety.org
for more info.
big sky CountRy
u.S. 212, MP 79, BroaduS rESt arEa
Don't fence me in,
Gimme land, lotso' land
Stretching miles across the West.
Don't fence me in,
Let me ride where it's wide
And that's how I like it best.
I want to see the stars,
I want to feel the breeze,
I want to smell the sage
And hear those cottonwood trees.
Just turn me loose,
Let me straddle my old saddle
Where the Rocky Mountains rise.
On my cayuse,
I'll go siftin', I'll go driftin'
Underneath those Western skies.
I gotta get where the West commences,
I can't stand hobbles;
I can't stand fences.
Don't fence me in.
Montana's big sky has inspired many poets. The
verses above were penned by Bob Fletcher, father
of the state's historical highway markers, which
were first erected in the 1930s. In 1934, Cole Porter
bought this poem from Fletcher, and it became one
of Porter's greatest hits. It was not until 1954 that
Fletcher got credit for composing the famous lyrics
that inspired the hit song, "Don't Fence Me In."
Locations of Highway Marker
placement across the state
