Dino Trip 2003 - Glendive - The Search for Isaac Montange

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Sunday night we stayed in the Glendive Super 8. A major attraction for Thomas at the Super 8 was the video game rental business in the lobby, and their Nintendo64 machine. We rented it and Thomas played.

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We ate Sunday brunch and Monday breakfast at CC's. It is a quintessential local restaurant in spite of its right-off-I-94 location - individual style, good value, and cash-only. Dick had barbecue ribs on Sunday - four ribs, mashed potatos, green beans, and salad bar. Thomas and I were out of there for under $10, including tip.

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The city hall is on Merrill Avenue, the main street through town. Along Merrill for nearly a mile is a Burlington Northern switchyard. Glendive is the county seat of Dawson County and has a population of about 5000.

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First thing Monday morning we went to the clerk's office in the courthouse. Louise in the clerk's office found three Montange deaths: Isaac, Dick's great-great-grandfather, his son Earl's wife, Isabelle, and Earl and Isabelle's two year old son Raymond. Isaac died February 3, 1938.

Louise showed me the indexes for property records and I began my search in 1890. In 1915, Isaac and Earl Montange each homesteaded half a section, Isaac the north half, Earl the south half. In 1919, both lost their land, Isaac to a bank, Earl to the tax collector. In the years since, there have been many owners and many oil and gas leases. Their land was Section 14, Township 14 N, Range 54 E, Montana meridian.

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This mural graces the steps at the entrance of the Dawson County courthouse.

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While my copies were being made at the courthouse, Thomas and I went to the library to find if there were any other records. The area with the local newspapers was closed due to carpet repairs, but we happened to bump into Toni, who was working on Dick's research request he had sent in two weeks earlier to Tree Branches, a local genealogical society.

Toni showed Dick the records of Isaac's burial at the Dawson County cemetery, including grave lot E20, and a map of the cemetery.

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Next, we went up to the cemetery,which we had searched in vain on Sunday. From Toni's map, we found E20, but no tombstone. Dick will have to search further.

Here is section E20, GPS coordinates N47°06.666', W104°41.861', 2139 ft elevation.

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We saw this dino cutout Saturday night and Sunday as we drove down Merrill to Douglas. On Monday, the circus had come to town and was setting up in the vacant lot adjacent to this sign.