Montrose is a former village in Sioux County, Nebraska, United States.[1] The townsite is located near the intersection of the Powder River Trail and the Cheyenne & Black Hills Stage Road [2] and is now a part of the Oglala National Grassland. All that remains of the town is the historic Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, built there in 1887.

History

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During the Battle of Warbonnet Creek on July 17, 1876, Buffalo Bill Cody shot, killed, and scalped a Cheyenne warrior near the townsite-to-be, which he later often celebrated during his Wild West shows in a reenactment he entitled "The Red Right Hand, or, Buffalo Bill's First Scalp for Custer".[2]

Montrose was established in 1887 on a ford across Hat Creek by immigrants from Austria, Germany, and Luxembourg.[2] It was named from its lofty elevation (mont) and native rose bushes (rose).[3] That year, the settlers built Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.[2] In 1890, fear of the Ghost Dance cult led the settlers to construct a fortified bunker.[2] Omaha Bishop Richard Scannell confirmed 46 Catholics at the church in June 1899.[2] By 1904, the settlement had a school, a blacksmith, and a general store.[2] In 1910, the settlement's population peaked at 24 inhabitants.[2]

Montrose had a post office from 1887 to 1948.[4] In 1953, the schoolhouse was moved away from the townsite.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Montrose, Nebraska
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Louis Berger Group (August 2005). Nebraska Historic Buildings Survey Sioux County (PDF). Nebraska State Historical Society. Archived from the original on November 16, 2006. Retrieved June 26, 2017.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ Fitzpatrick, Lillian L. (1960). Nebraska Place-Names. University of Nebraska Press. p. 137. ISBN 0-8032-5060-6. A 1925 edition is available for download at University of Nebraska—Lincoln Digital Commons.
  4. ^ "Sioux County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved August 23, 2014.


42°55′21″N 103°43′44″W / 42.92250°N 103.72889°W / 42.92250; -103.72889