Historic Preservation

Historical Museum at Fort Missoula: The Historical Museum at Fort Missoula was established in 1975 to collect, preserve and interpret the history of Missoula County and western Montana for the education and cultural enrichment of visitors and area residents. The museum is a 32-acre historic park with more than 20 historic structures and a collection of more than 50,000 artifacts. Located at Fort Missoula, which was established in 1877 as a permanent military post built in response to requests from local townspeople and settlers for protection in the event of conflict with western Montana Indian tribes, it was also home to the 25^th Infantry Bicycle Corps in the late 1800s and the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. During World War II, it served as an alien detention center, and still holds the Post Cemetery, an active Class IV National Military Cemetery with an estimated 400 gravesites, over half of which are filled. Learn more about the museum on their website.

LaLonde Ranch: Missoula County owns the LaLonde Ranch, one of the last remaining historic ranches in the Missoula Valley. The site, located west of Missoula, is 6.81 acres and consists of a two-story brick ranch house, two wooden barns and a log cabin believed to have been built in the 1870s – among the oldest buildings in Missoula County. In October 2020, commissioners adopted a resolution in support of preservation of the LaLonde Ranch. Over the next few years, the County worked with Adler Architects to renovate and restore the historic ranch house, with a grand opening event in spring of 2023. The County now leases office space in the ranch house to the Community Food and Agriculture Coalition.

Missoula County Fairgrounds redevelopment: The Missoula Board of County Commissioners bought the Missoula County Fairgrounds for $16,000 in 1913. At the time, it was surrounded by farmland, and as Missoula grew, it became centrally located with a variety of uses. It now plays an important role in the community as a focal point and destination with a mission to promote agriculture, education, culture, recreation and community connection, and to reflect the beauty and history of Western Montana. In 2016, after an extensive public process, the County adopted a plan to redevelop the Fairgrounds that will preserve historic ties to community agriculture, develop 19 acres of open space, create more than a mile of trail connections, and more. The new Clouse-Bauer arena grandstands were installed in summer 2024. Visit the Missoula County Voice page to see where we're at in the redevelopment.

Map Missoula: This Missoula County Clerk and Recorder initiative aims to increase accessibility to property information and historical archives. The project will combine digitized archives and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data to connect historic Missoula with the one that exists today. The efforts began with documents contained in the Clerk and Recorder archives, such as hand-drawn tax assessment maps. With the help of community partners, including grants from the Montana State Library and the National Historical Publications and Records Division via the State Historical Records Advisory Board, the collection has grown steadily to include historic photographs and artworks of or inspired by Missoula County. These images will be pinned to digital maps of the area and historic maps will be overlaid on current ones using ArcGIS, allowing the public to browse, interact and engage with the community and its history. Recorded property records are currently being linked to the associated GIS parcel to provide a development background that could serve to inform land use and division decisions.

Waypoints: The Clerk and Recorder's Office also collects historical narratives about Missoula County that blends historical interpretation with the diverse archive of resources housed in Map Missoula, called Waypoints.

Historic federal building acquisition: In early 2023, Missoula County and the City of Missoula acquired the historical federal building, now known as the John Engen Local Government Building, which has sat nearly vacant for several years. The federal General Services Administration deemed the property as surplus, so the two local governments acquired the building at no cost and plan to consolidate local government services in one convenient location while preserving the historic character of the building.

COVID-19 Documentation Project: The Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, in partnership with the University of Montana, has been documenting the COVID-19 pandemic through a community archive project. The purpose of this project is to encourage agencies, organizations and individuals from across Missoula County to document their actions and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and to provide a mechanism for this documentation to be collected, maintained and shared as a community archive. Examples of content the project includes, but is not limited to, are photographs, social media posts, video clips, diaries, newsletters or emails from a business sharing updates with their employees or customers, business records, oral histories and creative works. Visit the University of Montana’s website to find out more. The project received a 2023 National Association of Counties Achievement Award.