Committee Hears Cowboy Hall Of Fame Proposal

The Montana House State Administration committee considered moving the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame back to Wolf Point during a hearing on Friday, Feb. 14.

House Bill 402 sponsor Frank Smith, D-Wolf Point, explained the history of the Cowboy Hall of Fame during the meeting. Smith said he was approached by county commissioners about 20 years ago regarding that Wolf Point needed a tourism destination. Smith received support from the Fort Peck Tribes for the Cowboy Hall of Fame project.

Smith said the state provided $50,000 for Wolf Point to have the Cowboy Hall of Fame. A few years later, officials in Wolf Point experienced some financial challenges, and the Hall of Fame was moved to Big Timber and then to Great Falls.

Roosevelt County Commissioner Gordon Oelkers said he wasn’t involved in the initial recruitment in Wolf Point, but he feels it would be a positive addition for Wolf Point, Roosevelt County and the Fort Peck Reservation.

Oelkers suggested to reset the program and move forward in a positive direction.

No opponents to the bill testified during the committee hearing.

“It’s been a long, drawn out subject,” Smith said.

The committee didn’t take action on the bill on Friday.