This town was founded as a company town for the Northern Pacific Railway in the early 1920's. Colstrip provided coal for the steam-driven engines of that time.
The Montana Power Company purchased the mine and the town in 1959. Times have changed. Montana Power Company is "gone". But, the current owners of the Colstrip power company still use the coal reserves to fuel their coal-fired power plant. Important to eastern Montana, and our nation, is that the area sits on the top of a "lot of coal". Technologies in synthetic fuel use of coal could make the future of the town "very bright". State government leaders has been promoting the use of coal to help reduce the nation's energy problem.
Food and lodging facilities are available.
a sid blair sketch
See Disclaimer @ Eastern Montana .. a perspective