The beauty of Montana's 147,046 sq. miles of land is an instant attraction to those who call Montana their home. Montana's economy is based on natural resources that can be mined, cut or harvested, with the second largest amount of farmland to be cultivated in the country.
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Lewis and Clark made the first official visit to the land known now as Montana in 1805. They sought to find the Northwest Passage to connect the Mississippi with the Pacific. Two harsh winters passed and they didn’t find the waterway, however Lewis and Clark did successfully map out the entire Western Frontier. This led to increased interest in fur trading, which gave way to the gold rush. The rich agriculture and the populous from the gold rush propelled Montana into a big player in the nation’s marketplace.
World War I, drought and a poor banking system led to an economic crash in Montana in the late 1910s. Many farmers packed up and moved on to seek greater opportunities than the state offered. The 1920s gave new hope to those who remained. Petroleum production and the automobile craze brought new focus. Then, it came crashing down once again with the Great Depression. Franklin Roosevelt brought in the New Deal. This, coupled with the demand for steel, cement and lumber helped stabilize the economy by the mid-1930s.
Montana’s economy is based on things that can be mined, cut or harvested. Beginning in the 1860s, it went through two mining booms. First the Gold Rush, then the hunt for copper. Oil and gas wells were found and the search for new energy sources continues today. Despite its mineral wealth, Montana is still an agricultural state, second only to Texas in the amount of cultivated farmland. It ranks high in the nation in wheat, hay, oats, barley, sugar beets and corn. The buffalo may be all but gone, however they have been replaced by millions of cattle and sheep. Such resources are only a part of its economy. The second largest employer in the state is tourism. The beauty of the land is an instant attraction to many visitors.
Montana does not have a statewide income tax, however some resort communities impose a 3 percent goods and services tax and there is a 4 percent statewide Lodging Tax.
The spacious beauty makes Montana a favorite vacation destination. Two major tourist destinations are Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park. Summer brings the warm weather activities such as hiking, hunting, fishing and swimming. Winter bestows snow at Big Sky and Snow Bowl for the skiing enthusiasts. The state and national park system work overtime to accommodate the tourists that pour into the parks year round.
