Montana Business in Big Sky Country

Montana is known as the “Big Sky” state. It is a huge state, running from grass plains in the East, to the beautiful mountain chains of the North Rockies in the West. Its population is over 900,000, Helena is the capital, and Billings, population 100,000 is the largest city. The active agricultural sector and mining sector are possibilities for your Montana Incorporation. Also, tourism, enjoying National Parks and Forests and the great outdoors is a big business. Much of Montana's western boundary is marked by the heights of Bitterroot Range, along which runs the Continental Divide. The state receives millions of visitors per year to its spectacular natural formations, from Glacier National Park, to the Yellowstone National Park. It has many and varied ski resorts and winter sports areas, as well as summer fishing and hiking through incredible parks and mountain passes.

Montana has twenty wildlife reserves and eight National Forests. There are seven Indian reservations in the state. The state was the home of Cheyenne, Crow, Sioux, Blackfoot and Nez Perce. Custer’s Last Stand took place at the Little Big Horn, near Billings, Montana. Agriculture is the number one economic activity in the huge state of Montana, with livestock breeding making up 2/3 of the agricultural activity of the state and wheat and other crops are grown in the state.

The other major economic activity, historically and at present, is mining. Montana mined copper, silver, gold, platinum, zinc, lead, and manganese in the mountainous western areas. In the east, Montana has petroleum and natural gas, and vast coal deposits. Its industries process forest products, its agriculture accounts for processed food facilities, and its oil allowed for refining of petroleum.

Montana’s history and current nature of its cities – and its 50 ghost towns! -- reflects a wild history of gold rushes, silver mining and massive copper extraction. .The current capital of Montana is Helena, which was founded during the gold rush of 1864. Over $35 million in gold was extracted from its “Last Chance Gulch”, over a twenty year period. Beautiful mansions, the St. Helena’s Cathedral with its towering 232 ft towers, and the newly restored state capital, were all built during the 19th century in Helena.. Today, the city is the center of state and county governments.

Butte, Montana, neighboring Anaconda and nearby Great Falls (with its 5 hydroelectric dams) all grew as part of the biggest copper finds in the country in the 1890s. The area was mined by the famous Anaconda Mining Company. Unfortunately, Berkeley Pit in Butte is now the biggest Superfund, environmental reclamation project in the country.

The railroad was critical in the history of Montana, and today, the state’s largest city is Billings, Montana, named for a president of the Northern-Pacific Railroad, Frederick Billings. Billings currently has a population of over 100,000 people; it is the commercial, health, and energy center for a 500 mile radius. Billings is close to some of the natural wonders of the country – Yellowstone Park is nearby, and the Little Big Horn Battle field is also near. Missoula is the home of the University of Montana, and Bozeman is the home of Montana State University. Montana has no sales tax. Its income tax is graduated up to 6.9%. Its property tax includes livestock and other machinery as property.


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Howard Giske writes about how to get your
Montana Incorporation
and other business info at Inc Paradise