The “Heritage Trail” system we all enjoy was given that name for a reason: The historical assets along our 40-mile paved bike, running and walking trails are abundant and significant. One of the most intriguing and least maintained is that of Yellowstone Kelly’s gravesite. Unfortunately, the neglected Yellowstone Kelly gravesite is an embarrassment to our community and the memory of the veteran buried there. Through the Billings Chamber of Commerce, a steering committee is leading the charge to improve the gravesite and develop an interpretive area as a destination along the Heritage Trail.
The inauspicious concrete crypt in Swords Rimrock Park overlooks downtown Billings. To get there, drive to the trailhead east of the airport and then walk or drive one mile along the Rims toward MetraPark.
Luther Sage Kelly was one of the most famous and fascinating characters to ever call Montana home. In 1959 Warner Brothers released a movie based on his life, and several novels were written about his exploits. In 1865 Kelly joined the Union Army, just in time to see the war end. He found himself assigned to a remote fort in Dakota Territory and it was there that this teenager discovered his love for solitude and the West. When older soldiers refused to carry mail between outposts fearing attack by Sioux warriors, Kelly volunteered. Kelly wandered the river valleys looking for game and hostile Indians.
When his enlistment expired in 1868, Kelly, still a teenager, walked west to explore the region between the Upper Missouri and the Yellowstone, earning a reputation for courage, intelligence and the sobriquet “Yellowstone Kelly.” This was uncharted, dangerous country, and Kelly had more than his share of close-calls working as an army scout, wolfer, trader, and guide. He maintained respectful relations with the numerous Indian tribes that traversed the region.
Kelly was the lead scout for Nelson Miles, the army colonel tasked with the job of locating Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Gall, and other Sioux and Cheyenne chiefs and returning them to their reservations. In 1878 Kelly and Miles chased Chief Joseph and his followers during their epic trek across four states until the Nez Perce surrendered in the Bear Paw Mountains.
Kelly wanted to be buried in Montana, so on June 26, 1929 he was laid to rest with full military honors overlooking the Yellowstone Valley after an impressive funeral procession organized by the Commercial Club, predecessor of the Billings Chamber. In the words of Kelly’s biographer, Jerry Keenan, “If destiny ever decreed a fitting locale for one man’s final resting place, surely this spot was meant for Yellowstone Kelly.”
You can help to restore the legacy! Learn more about the amazing man buried on a scenic scout’s overlook above the Yellowstone Valley at www.YellowstoneKelly.org. Spread the word. Purchase Yellowstone Kelly merchandise. Visit the site. Make an online tax-deductible donation. Together, we can honor this authentic wild west icon – warrior, veteran, and scout – who loved this valley as much as we do.