Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A • S P R I N G 2 0 1 7 44 Hanging above the pollywog shirt is an equally unique shirt covered with shells and traditionally used by young Blackfeet girls coming of age. Pacific Northwest Coastal Indians used tiny dentalium shells of the scaphopod mollusks as international trade items ("wampum") with Plains Indians. e Blackfeet painstakingly sorted the shells, strung them together, and sewed them to trade cloth or fine leather. Each shirt took thousands of shells to complete. e dentalium shells were so popular with the Indians across North America, that they were almost driven to extinction through their harvest. When asked about a hanging noose casually draped over a doorway, Ramona responds that it was the rope used in Mon- tana's last hanging execution, which happened in Mis- soula County on September 11, 1943. Missoula County Sheriff John Moe was later transporting a prisoner to the Canadian border. On his return, he stopped in Shelby where he helped the Toole County sheriff pull a car out of the snow with a rope. Yup, Sheriff Moe recognized the rope from the hanging and asked if he could have it. He understood the rope's historic significance and donated it to his friends, the Holt's, for their collection. Cases abound with all manner of 1800's tools, spurs, knifes, guns, belt buckles, and jewelry. Book shelves are lined with beautifully handcrafted leather cowboy boots worn by some of Hollywood's most famous silver screen cowboys and cowgirls such as Ronald Reagan, Elizabeth Taylor, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Gene Autry, Buck Owens, Dolly Parton, James Arness, Cisco Kid, Tom Selleck and others. Signed photos of some of rodeo's most famous riders, clowns, and Hall of Famers line the walls of the hardcore ro- deo room. Original sheepherder, chuck, and transport wagons and carriages look sparking new and are parked both inside and outside of museum buildings. Of special note is the full 33-piece collection of Bob Scriver's essay in bronze, e Honest Try. ese intricately detailed sculptures are dedicated to "all those free spirits who have, by their courage, fair play, and honest efforts, created the uniquely Western Ameri- can sport call RODEO." Scriver's focus on the actions, muscles and concentrations of the riders and animals viscerally captures the intensity of each moment: the bronc rider, the bull rider, the rodeo entry queen, the barrel racer, and the list goes on. Dunrovin, a small guest ranch along the Bitterroot River special- izing in personal service and quality horseback riding, has been engaged with the Holt Heritage Museum and fascinated by the life stories of its creators. In the coming months, Dunrovin will work with Ramona and Bill to bring their stories alive online via the magic of our web cameras at www.DaysAtDunrovin.com and to record them for posterity. ey, and we, hope to keep the western culture alive and connect people with the stories, photos, artifacts, and voices of those who have played a role in passing it on to us. Prominent among those people are Bill and Ramona Holt. THE HOLT HERITAGE MUSEUM LOLO, MONTANA CALL 406-273-6743 TO BOOK YOUR PRIVATE TOUR Every museum piece carries its story of origin and how the Holts came to possess it.

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