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Select
brief notes about place names throughout the state, with an
emphasis on towns.
A-B,
C-D,
E-G,
H-L,
M-R, S, T-Z
Photo above on Left: The community of Landusky is
named for Powell "Pike" Landusky, reputed to be one of the
toughest rough-and-tumble fighters of the west, who was
killed by Kid Curry in 1894.
Place Names
of Towns and Landmarks (M-R)
County
location in parenthesis; place names are towns
unless indicated otherwise.
The listing below is
condensed and edited from a more comprehensive list on the
Montana Railroad History website (compiled from several
sources, primarily The Montana Almanac 1957 edition,
published by Montana State University).
For those interested in more
than this cursory listing of place names, consider
purchasing a copy of
Montana Place Names: From Alzada to Zortman,
published by the Montana Historical Society press, or
visit the accompanying interactive website.
Also see the 1954 article, "Montana Place Name
Records," by Lucille Childears.
MacLees (Gallatin) - station, named because right of
way for Northern pacific acquired from I. S. MacLees
Madison (Madison) - county & river named for
President James Madison, by Lewis & Clark
Malta (Phillips) -city & county seat probably
named from a Mediterranean Sea, by Great Northern Railway
Manhattan (Gallatin) - town named by New Yorkers who
bought land and started Manhattan Company
Marco (Dawson) - town named for an early settler in
the vicinity
Marent Gulch (Missoula) - gulch named after Joseph
Marent, an early settler
Marias (Toole) - river in NW Montana, named by
Captain Lewis June 8, 1805
Marsh (Dawson) - town named for F. H. Marsh,
superintendent of northern Pacific railway, 1882
Martinsdale (Meagher) - town named for Maj. Martin
Maginnis, territorial delegate to congress
Marysville (Lewis & Clark) - mining town, named
for Mrs. Mary Rallston, first white woman settler
Mason (Carbon) - town near Laurel named for S. D.
Mason, principal assistant engineer for NPR
Matthews (Gallatin) - town named for Thomas Matthews,
a farmer who settled there in 1998
Maudlow (Gallatin) - town named for a member of the
R. A. Harlow family, pres. of the Montana railroad
Mauland (Fergus) - own named for Mr. Mauland a
stockman of the section
Maxville (Granite) - town first called Flint, later
named after postmaster & merchant, R.R. Macleod
McCabe (Roosevelt) - town named for local rancher by
that name
McClain (Missoula) - station named because right of
way for NP was acquired from T. A. & J.P. McClain
McClave (Fergus) - town named for Charles R. McClave,
president of the Montana Flour Mills Company
McCone (McCone) - county in northeastern Montana,
named in honor of late Sen. McCone of Dawson Cty.
McCracken (Yellowstone) - town named after a rancher
by that name in that locality
McDonald (Sanders) - station named because of
proximity to Duncan McDonald's ranch
McElroy (Yellowstone) - town named after contractor
McElroy of Billings
McKenzie (Fallon) - town named for Johnny McKenzie,
early settler
McLeod (Sweet Grass) - town named for W.F. McLeod.
McQuarrie (Missoula) - station named for Daniel L.
McQuarrie, resident in Bearmouth in 1893
Meagher (Meagher) - county named for Gen. Thomas
Francis Meagher, gov. of Montana Territory, 1865-76
Melstone (Musselshell) - town named for Melvin E.
Stone, at one time president of the associated press
Melville (Sweet Grass) - town named for Lieutenant
Melville of arctic fame, by H.O. Hickox
Menard (Gallatin) -town named for Telsford Menard, a
farmer near there
Meriwether (Glacier) - town (formerly Bombay) named
to honor Capt. Merewether Lewis
Merriman (Park) - town named for W. H. Merriman,
general agent of traffic department for Northern Pac.
Merritt Mountain (Glacier) - mountain in Glacier Park
named by Gen. W. C. Brown
Miles City (Custer) - city & county seat named
for Gen. Nelson A. Miles of civil & Indian wars fame
Milk River - river so named by Lewis & Clark
because of its whitish appearance.
Mill Iron (Carter) - town named for "Mill Iron" brand
used by the Harris-Franklin cattle outfit
Millegan (Cascade) - town named for Mr. Millegan who
lived there at the time the post office was created
Miller Creek (Missoula) - creek named for Ezra Miller
who settled on the creek in 1866-67
Miner Creek (Beaverhead) - creek so named because of
a supposed find of gold in the area
Mineral (Mineral) - county so named on account of
many mines & mining prospects with in the county
Ming Coulee (Cascade) - valley named for John H.
Ming, an early settler of Montana, and cattleman
Mission (Park) - station named from old Crow Indian
Agency & mission located there
Missoula (Missoula) - city & county, possibly
named after Selish Indian word meaning "the river of awe"
Mitchell (Lewis & Clark) - town named for Martin
Mitchell, early rancher
Mitchell Gulch (Jefferson) - gulch named for J. F.
Mitchell who had a claim there in the '60's
Moccasin (Judith Basin) - town named after a mountain
range in view, named after the Indian footwear
Moiese (Lake) -town named for a Flathead Indian
sub-chief
Molese (Lake) - small town named for a Flathead
sub-chief, Molese
Molt (Stillwater) - station near Big Lake, named for
R. F. W. Molt, who sold right-of-way to Northern Pacific
Monida (Beaverhead) - town lying near boundary line
between Montana & Idaho ("mon" and "ida")
Montague (Chouteau) - station near Shonkin Lake,
named for Montague, Massachusetts
Montour Creek (Powell) - creek named by Indians near
the mouth of the North Fork of the Blackfoot River
Moore (Fergus) - station named after Mr. Moore of
Philadelphia
Morel (Deer Lodge) - station named for a rancher by
that name who lived in the vicinity
Mossman (Yellowstone) - town & railroad junction
named after P. B. Moss of Billings
Moulton (Fergus) - town named for Ben Molton, rancher
of Grass Range and county commissioner
Mount Hague (Sweet Grass) - mountain supposedly named
for the well-liked Mrs. Hague of Cooke county
Muir (Park) - station named after John Muir,
contractor on the Bozeman Tunnel
Mulky Creek (Beaverhead) - creek named for Cy Mulky,
who had a cow camp on the stream
Mullan (Lewis & Clark) - town & tunnel named
for Lieut. John Mullan, first explorer of Mullan Pass
Murn (Custer) - station near miles City, named for
Pat Murn, one time roadmaster on the Northern Pacific
Musselshell (Musselshell) - county & river in
east-central Montana, named by Lewis & Clark May 20,
1805
Mussigbrod Creek (Beaverhead) - named for Dr. C.F.
Mussigbrod, caretaker of Warm Springs asylum
Myers (Treasure) - station named after Mr. Myers,
civil engineer of the Northern Pacific)
Neihart (Cascade) - town named for J. L. Neihart,
prospectors and discoverer of minerals in the area
Nelson (Lewis & Clark) - town named for Cy
Nelson, one of the first settlers in the vicinity
Nye (Sweet Grass) - town named for the mining camp of
Nye City, in turn named for Jack V. Nye
Ogden Mountain (Powell) - mountain named for James
Ogden, who mined there
O'Keefe's Creek (Missoula) - creek named for C.C.
O'Keefe, who settled there in early days
O'Neil (Custer) - town named for Frank O'Neil who
lived in that section
Opheim (Valley) - town named in honor of Alfred S.
Opheim, the postmaster
Outlook (Sheridan) - town after the view which could
be had from the townsite
Paradise (Sanders) - town that’s name is said to be a
modification of "Pair O' Dise" after a roadhouse
Park (Park) - county so named because of its
proximity to Yellowstone National Park
Pat O'Hara Creek (Carbon) - creek named for an
Irishman who was killed by the Indians there in 1876
Pattee Creek (Missoula) - creek named for David
Pattee, who took up land on this creek in 1865
People's Creek (Blaine) - creek was originally named
"Many Peoples" and is probably of Indian origin
Petroleum (Petroleum) - county so named because of
the production of petroleum at Cat Creek
Philbrook (Judith Basin) - town named by E. J.
Morrison for his grandfather, John Philbrook of Knox, ME
Philipsburg (Granite) - county seat, named for Philip
Deidesheimer, superintendent of a mining company
Phillips (Phillips) - county formed out of Valley
county in 1916, named for B. D. Phillips, pioneer sheepman
Pike's Peak Mountain (Powell) - mountain named by the
party of miners who discovered gold in 1862
Piniele (Carter) - town named for nearby twin buttes;
mistakenly recorded as "Piniele" instead of "Pinicle"
Plains (Sanders) - town formerly called Horse Plains,
originally a wintering place for Indians
Plentywood (Sheridan) - town named after early stand
of timber on the banks of the nearby creek
Plevna (Fallon) - town named after Plevna, Bulgaria;
many Bulgarians worked on the railroad
Poker Jim Butte (Rosebud) - mountain named for "Poker
Jim", a famous character of the neighborhood
Polaris (Beaverhead) - town named by a mining
engineer for the polar star
Polson (Lake) - town named for David Polson, a
stockman who lived in the Mission Valley south of Polson
Pompey's Pillar (Yellowstone) - rock feature named by
Clark in 1806, after Pomp, Sacajawea's son
Pondera (Pondera) - originally Pend d'Oreille [ear
pendent]; changed to avoid confusion with Idaho town
Pony (Madison) - town named for Smith "Pony"
McCumpsey, who found gold in the gulch nearby
Poplar (Roosevelt) - town named from the nearby
Poplar River, after timber in the area
Potomac (Missoula) - town named for R. S. Ashby, a
resident who came from Virginia in 1893
Powder River (Powder River) - county & river,
named because of the gunpowder-colored sand on its banks
Powell (Powell) - county named after Mt Powell,
named for Major John W Powell, early geologist/explorer
Prairie (Prairie) - county named for the topography
of the region
Princetown (Granite) - town named for Dick Prince, an
oldtimer here.
Quigley (Granite) - town named for a Mr. Quigley from
Chicago, who promoted the mining camp
Rapelje (Stillwater) - town named for J. M. Rapelje, Vice
President of the Northern Pacific Railway
Ravalli (Ravalli) - county named for a Jesuit missionary,
Father Anthony Ravalli
Red Bluff (Madison) - town named for the iron-stained bluffs
in the vicinity
Red Lodge (Carbon) - county seat; named after Crow Indians
in the area or for an Indian medicine man
Redstone (Sheridan) - town so named because of the red stone
formation of bluffs close to town
Reese Creek (Gallatin) - town named for John E. Reese, who
settled there in 1864
Reichie (Beaverhead) - town named for a family of that name
engaged in ranching in the vicinity
Reynold's City (Deer Lodge) - mining camp of the '60's,
named for Jack Reynolds, discoverer of the camp
Richie (Dawson) - town named for Clyde C. Richie, the first
postmaster
Richland (Richland) - so named in order to advertise the
section to prospective settlers
Ringling (Meagher) - town named for John Ringling of circus
fame, who was also a railroad president
Robare (Pondera) - town named for Henry Robert, employee of
the American Fur Company
Rocker (Silver Bow) - town, former placer mining camp, named
for the "rocker" (machine used in panning)
Romey's Lake (Madison) - lake named for Lucien Romey, an
early settler in the vicinity
Ronan (Lake) - town named for Major Peter Ronan, U.S. Indian
Agent; wrote a history of Flathead Indians
Roosevelt (Roosevelt) - county named for President Theodore
Roosevelt
Rosebud (Rosebud) - county, town and river; named because of
the profusion of wild roses along river bank
Ross Peak (Gallatin) - named for Melvin Ross Sr., who
climbed the summit and placed a flag there
Rothlemay (Golden Valley) - town named by George Pirrie
(stockman) for a place near his old Scottish home
Roundup (Musselshell) - county seat and town so named
because it was located in a cattle round-up area.
Roy (Fergus) - town named by W. H. Peck, early settler,
after a family member
Ruby (Madison) - mountains, valley and river; early settlers
found red, ruby-like minerals in the area
Rye Creek (Ravalli) - creek named by the early settlers
after an abundance of rye grass along the stream
Ryegate (Golden Valley) - county seat; named after abundance
of rye in the area
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