History
of Big Sky
Lone Mountain Ranch~
First homesteaded in 1915 as a working
ranch. In 1926 it was sold to Mr. Butler, a Chicago paper tycoon,
and his daughter’s family. They built most of the buildings. Later
Chet Huntley of Chrysler Corporation with other corporations bought the ranch
and most of what is now know as the mountain and meadow villages and began
developing the area. In 1977 Bob and Vivian Schaap began developing the
ranch as a world class cross country ski resort.(info from LMR website)
Crail
Ranch ~
Frank
Crail and his family arrived in 1902 to Big Sky. His family operated a
large hay cutting operation. His son Eugene was a carpenter
and built the Crail House out of hand chiseled logs. The home is now
furnished with décor that would have been used by the Crail family at the end
of the 19th century. (info from visitmt.com)
Soldier’s
Chapel ~
In 1955
the Story family dedicated the Chapel as a WWII memorial. It is open daily
during May through September. Wedding ceremonies are also popular events
at the Chapel.
Chet Huntley and Big
Sky Resort ~
Chet Huntley was born in Cardwell, MT
in 1911. He spent much of his career as a newscaster. When he retired
in 1970 he moved back to his native Montana and began the
development of what is now Big Sky resort. His creation has grown to be
one of the top ski resorts in the country. Big Sky first opened in 1973
and in 1976 Boyne USA Resorts purchased the resort and is still the operating
management today. Big Sky boasts their non–existent lift lines and offers
3600 acres of accessible terrain.
Buck’s T-4 Lodge ~
The original lodge was a hunting
camp established by Buck and Helen Knight in 1946. Setting up a saw mill
in the forest on the property and skidding out the timber on horseback,
the Knights constructed the first buildings themselves and opened for hunters
with lodging, meals,
and a horse and guide costing $12 a day. With road traffic not measuring up to
the anticipated levels in 1950, two of the
cabins were converted into the present lounge bar. With Buck being behind
the plank and Helen in the kitchen, Buck’s
T-4 became a favorite watering hole and eating establishment for locals,
hunters and tourists to Yellowstone National Park.
With the initial
construction phase of Chet Huntley’s Big Sky Resort underway,
Buck and Helen retired and sold the business in 1972 to the Scholz
family. The business has been managed and expanded with the same pride of
ownership displayed by the Knights. Over the last 30 years,
Buck’s T-4 has evolved into a full service resort complex. A large dancehall
and a Laundromat were added the first summer or new ownership. In 1975,the
grill and game room were added and that building was extended to enclose the
original bar, known locally as Buck’s lounge. A new dining
room was constructed in the fall of 1977 on the site of the original dining room,
and a 41 unit Best Western Lodge with meeting facilities was completed south of
the main building in 1979.
The 80’s
saw the addition of a state liquor store and gift shop,
a large deck for summer gatherings and a private dining room,
along with extensive remodeling throughout the entire facility. In the
last decade, Buck’s has added 34 more guest rooms,
a second dining room and new state of the art kitchen and a new lobby in the
lodge. The restaurant at Buck’s T-4 has become known throughout Montana and the skiing
community for its superior cuisine.
