Melstone and Musselshell, MT

In preparation for the Melstone Centennial Event, we began collecting family stories and information about the origin of old buildings and homes in town. After taking many photos and finding historical pictures, we assembled information for temporary plaques that were placed on over 100 lots around town the day of the Centennial Celebration, for a self-guided walking tour. People commented that they learned many things about Melstone they had never known. We have held two “oral history” dinners to tape the remembrances of small groups of seniors, and more of these are planned. A local recipe book is being compiled, to be published later this year.

Melstone’s Centennial Parade featured classic cars from the car show at Jake’s Garage, horseback riders, teams and wagons, some elaborate family floats, and other interesting vehicles on June 21, 2008. Families displayed or carried signs with the year that they first came to the Melstone-Musselshell area, from the late 1800s to the 21st Century.

Community quilters displayed their handiwork as well as treasured heritage quilts at the Community Center during the Melstone Centennial Celebration on June 21, 2008. An old brass bed and other props served as a showcase for the beautiful quilts. Volunteer coordinators were on hand to describe the patterns and history of the pieces. The quilting show was one of many popular activities during the day. The Community Center is the location for our new Youth Center, city offices, the new Melstone Area Chamber office, weekly senior dinners, and other activities. It got a facelift in November 2007 when the Renovation Committee undertook the huge job of painting the interior.

We are pleased to announce that Along with Melstone public school we will be developing a super fantastic program for our local kids. These grant is $50,000 for 5 years that is a huge amount coming into our little town. Many parnerships are being developed to make this work. From OPI, our school, chamber, local gardeners and citizens, FFA, BPA and the list goes on. Watch for more news on this as things progress.

Melstone Area Chamber is pleased to announce they will be receiving a VISTA worker. Her name is Abbey Brewer and is the youngest daughter of Dan Brewer .Abbey recently graduated New Mexico State and is excited to be back in Montana. Abbey will be working in the community in the arena of community development and is available to all local organizations to assist in developing their programs. We will be hosting a open house to introduce Abbey to the community during the Melstone Mania in August. Abbey will be sworn in July 15th in Helena and then will be to Melstone to get to work.

Workshops and trainings trainings and workshops they go on and on. Everything from Bootstrapping your business, to Rural Community Conference, to assets based communities, how about ecommerce and designing a better web site, Grassroots and Groundworks put on by Northwest area Foundation and then of course supervisor training for our VISTA worker. Well we are getting very well trained if we only had time to put it to use but we will the challenge and oppertunity is their for us to act upon.

Kim Walker and her committee have been very busy keeping the community busy. Starting with a very successful membership drive dinner. The next huge undertaking was the centennial celebration held June 21st with much success.

Fun was held by all the day.The day started with a softball game, kids carnival, quilt show and train display.Fallowed by a  historical program with door prizes just as they did at Melstone Market days in 1927. As written about in the Melstone Messenger. There then was a fantastic parade. Much effort was put in by the parade entries. Dinner  was the Fireman’s BBQ ending with a dance sponcered by both the Firemen and the Chamber with music by Bent Willow. Silent and live auctions were held along with a wonderful bake sale by the EMTs. Pictures and more stories will be posted on the web site. melstonechamber.com

Melstone area Chamber Officers are

Tammy Brewer Pres. 947-2088

Cindy Brewer  Vice- Pres.358-2446

Anne Coles Tres.-358-2413

Katie Keeney  358-2298

Beautification Chair Kathy Eike 358-2232                             Swimming Pool Silvia Metzger 358-2018
Renovation and maintance  358-2298                                    School Chad Johnson 358-2352

Youth Center Cindy Brewer 358-2446

Event Kim Walker 358-2412

Lazy JC Coop Charley Jennaway 358-2296

Any of these people can answer any questions you may have.

THE BIG GIVE in the LITTLE TOWN THAT COULD

We’re known as the Little Town That Could. Melstone, Mt established 1908 

Our ball started rolling in 2006 when our Boys bb team took the state Championship with a team of 12 boys with 6 of  whom were freshman. With only 19 kids in the High School, Melstone became the smallest school to ever take a state championship. The pride in our community was contagious. We knew we had something and that we could use it to improve our community. We started by holding the first annual Melstone Mania. It was a community celebration with a petting zoo and games for the kids, horse drawn wagon rides, community garage sale, splash bash dinner, ending with a karaoke dance. This was a success and lots of fun. Although we wanted it to be something to bring outsiders in,it ended up being mostly locals. However we held it again last year and will do it again this year hoping to expand and bring in people to share in the fun of small town life.

Since that first year we have been working on leadership training, learning to recognize   our assets and how to use them to display our community strengths. We have started The Melstone area Chamber with several sub-committees. Our youth committee has been very active in getting a youth center up and running with much success.  

We have worked very hard at figuring out how can we bring in jobs for those already living here and how can we bring our youth back to the community. By looking within we feel that we have many talents in the area and it would be to our best interest to capitalize on these, By encouraging residents to market what they know.  By Implementing a Business Incubator, providing the administrative and technical support we can get several home based businesses get up and running. We are already working with our school’s FFA program to develop a steer manure packaging plant. This is a business they are   researching and putting together to get it up and running and then sell it to someone within the community to run. They then will take those profits and work on another business to the same with. These kids just competed at the State Marketing contest this last Friday with this plan and won First place and will be competing Nationally in Oct at the National FFA Convention. We feel our youth are our eyes to the future and by them having a say in what the community represents they are more apt to come back after college .

 We have brain stormed with several individuals and have lots of good ideas and just need something to pull it all together. By having this Business Incubator operating we can be of the assistance to making everyone a success .

By being part of the Billings Big Give the money raised would give us the opportunity to implement this Business Incubator. This would make such a difference in our community.

The Big Give in Melstone,MT

By receiving this opportunity to be part of the BIG GIVE we will take the $1,000 seed money and invest it in promoting a Live and Silent Auction featuring donated big ticket items  along with local items and helping hand services. We hope to acquire a celebrity auctioneer.

 We will also have a Wild game meat cook off. This will be open to anyone wishing to showcase their cooking abilities using wild meat. There will charge to be in the cook off and we will charge spectators a nominal fee to sample food items.  We intend to contact returning hunters to participate with either donations or cooking in the cook off. We will also be contacting an area chef to be featured.

A Coyote Derby is also in the works. There will be fee to enter both as individuals and as teams. Prizes will be awarded in several categories.

 We are known for our extensive hunting opportunities in the area and by doing these feature events we can high light our community.

Week One will be spent letting the community know what is going on and how they can help in being part of the BIG GIVE. We would challenge them all to raise as much cash as they could individually. We will offer some prize for the most cash raised.  We will ask everyone to contact any hunters they know to participate in any way that they can. 

Week Two would be spent gathering donated items for the auction. These items could include a stay at a Guest Ranch, a Cattle Drive Vacation, a Elk Hunt, a Handmade Quilt,

Local Artist Painting, Branding help, Night watch during Lambing, Babysitting, ect…

We will be collecting prizes from both in and out of the area.

Again we will offer a prize for the most auction items collected.

Week Three will be spent gathering participants for both the cook off and coyote derby. Again the person with the most participants registered will receive a prize for their efforts.

Week Four will be spent collecting and putting it all together for the Big Event.

Friday April 11^th registration for the Coyote Derby will be at 6pm with the hunt going until Saturday at 3pm. Categories are still to be determined.

Saturday April 12^th Cook off will begin in the morning with tasting starting at 3 pm

Judging will be by extension homemakers and people’s choice.

Silent Auction will be open at 3 pm with live auction starting at 6pm

We will feature this contest on our web site, registration forms will be on the site also.

We hope by doing these types of events we will both raise a lot of money and recognition for our community.

Melstone is very fortunate to have a public pool. Blessings always come  after the storm. Following the hail storm last June 19 th the liner of the pool was severely damaged but with insurance money a new one will replace the old one. However with the rain of this spring we are still waiting to have it installed. Friends of the pool are still working hard to fund raise for this years operations. They are holding their Monday night dinners on the first and third Mondays at the cafe. Chamber will also be holding their farmer’s market on these evenings. We understand it’s to early for produce but this venue is open to anyone wanting to sell anything homemade. Please contact Beth Spears if you have any questions on this matter. Sylvia Metzger can answer any questions on the pool.