Treasure County: River, Architecture and History

Treasure County brings together the Yellowstone River, distinctive buildings, sculptures, and traces of the past. For planning your trip, there are two distinct areas of focus: time by the water and cultural history. The range extends from year-round fishing to architectural history and early trading and military posts.

Along the Yellowstone River

The Isaac Homestead State Wildlife Management Area is in Treasure County on the Yellowstone River. Fishing is permitted year-round along approximately 5 miles of riverbank. If you would like to include time by the water in your stay, this offers a clearly identified connection to the river and an activity that is not limited to a particular season.

Directions from Hysham to Isaac Homestead follow Highway 311, cross a bridge over the Yellowstone River, and then continue along a gravel road. Nearby is the Howrey Island Recreation Area, managed by the Bureau of Land Management, which covers approximately 592 acres in the Yellowstone River floodplain.

Sculptures and local history in Hysham

Hysham is home to a group of sculptures honoring Captain Clark, Sacagawea, Jean Baptiste, and an unidentified hunter from the Corps. Local sculptor Bob Schulze created the group from wood. Nearby are sculptures of a woolly mammoth, a saber-toothed tiger, and a white buffalo. The honored figures and animal motifs stand side by side, giving the site a clearly recognizable artistic theme.

The Yucca Theater and its museum complex

The Yucca Theater was built in 1931 by brothers David and Jim Manning and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is an unusual example of architecture inspired by the Southwest in Montana. The Treasure County 89'ers Museum complex includes the theater and the Manning residence.

The Yucca Theater displays historic clothing, uniforms, and equipment belonging to Treasure County veterans of World War II. The building thus combines its distinctive architectural design with a collection of items connected to veterans from the county.

Bridges and early trading posts

The Big Horn River Bridge crosses the Bighorn River at the boundary between Yellowstone County and Treasure County. It was built between 1931 and 1933. Its location on the county boundary sets it apart from the buildings in Hysham; the bridge is a distinct landmark in the region's infrastructure history.

Other traces of history lead to the mouth of the Bighorn River. Fort Pease was a stockade built near the river's mouth in 1875. It served as a defense against a group of Sioux and also as a trading post; remnants still stand at the original site. In 1807, Manuel Lisa established a fur-trading post in Montana near the mouth of the Bighorn River. Fort Cass, in turn, was the first fort built by the American Fur Company on the Yellowstone River, three miles below the mouth of the Bighorn River. These sites represent different chapters in early trading and military history.

Discover more destinations: Bighorn, Hysham, Custer County, Carter County, Richland County, Sheridan County, Big Horn County, Garfield County

For the main travel overview: Montana.