Montana Nicknames

I was recently asked why Montana was called Big Sky Country. Apparently, the fact that I lived there for three years qualified me to know the answer. Unfortunately, I did not.
Wanting to sound smart, I did some research and came across a site that I found to be rather interesting.

Passing on my new-found wealth of knowledge, here is a list of Montana nicknames and reasons why:


Country of the Mountains ~ This was a Shoshone expression "Toyabe-Shock-up". It was the first published nickname coined in 1865 by Granville Stuart while publishing the first book to promote Montana.

The Treasure State ~ this was the first nickname to gain acceptance by residents of Montana. It appeared on the cover of a promotional booklet published by the Montana Bureau of Agriculture, Labor, and Industry and was referring to Montana's ranking as the country's foremost producer of metallic treasure--gold, silver, and, most importantly, copper.

Land of Shining Mountains ~ The same 1895 guidebook that introduced The Treasure State nickname also referred to Montana as the "Land of Shining Mountains". This was coined by brothers Pierre and Chevalier Verendrye, French Canadian fur traders and explorers. They gazed upon the snow-capped northern Rockies and dubbed them the "Shining Mountains." According to historian Joaquin Miller's 1894 history of Montana, Native tribes also referred to the Rockies as "the Shining" because of their glittering snow. The Land of Shining Mountains remained in the popular lexicon for several decades, but the Treasure State proved its greater staying power.

Stubbed-Toe State ~ Probably the oddest moniker attached to Montana, the nickname refers to the mountainous region of western Montana where the multitude of rocks might pose a hazard to the novice hiker. This is according to the 1922 World Almanac.

Montana: High, Wide and Handsome ~ One of the most resonant Montana epithets, it first came into use during the 1940s and 50s. Its original source is unknown, although evidence points to C. B. Glasscock, who stated that "Life in Butte was high, wide, and occasionally handsome" in War of the Copper Kings published in 1935.

Big Sky Country ~ borrowed from the book The Big Sky, by A. B. Guthrie, Jr. A bestselling fur trade novel.


P.S. this is all taken from the website. I only summarized.