1903

Taken around 1903 by John Dunn, this was the horse race track in Missoula, Montana. It included a two-story wooden structure, which was filled with people when the photo was shot. can be seen. Look closely and you can see the horses running.

According to legislative notes submitted in 2020 accompanying Senate Bill 183, "Horse racing in Montana can trace its roots back to the 1800s with stories of the settlers and traders matching their horses against one and another. Horse racing was also part of the Tribal Nations.

"In 1889, a horse foaled near Twin Bridges, raised and trained in a round barn went on to win the Kentucky Derby. Marcus Daly's thoroughbred, Scottish Chieftain was a horse bred in Montana that went on to win the 1897 Belmont Stakes. Daly's farm in Hamilton Montana recorded over 200 mares at one time, including Standardbreds used for harness racing.

In 1965, the Montana legislature passed statutes to create the Montana Board of Horse Racing. By he 1980s, Montana racing had reached its pinnacle in terms of the number of days of racing along with amounts of dollars wagered at the tracks.

The end of the run for the Missoula track came in 2013, when the county commission approved a management and development plan for the fairgrounds, which didn't include horse racing.