Yellowstone Kelly was a trapper, hunter, and guide in Montana during the late 1860s and 1870s. He is best known as an Army Scout during the closing campaign against the nomadic Native American tribes of the Northern Plains.
A restless spirit during his lifetime, Kelly would accompany military and scientific expeditions. Often traveling alone, Kelly is described as a quiet unassuming man. He survived by cutting wood for steamboats, hunting bison and trapping wolves, all while getting acquainted with the people and places of the Yellowstone Valley and Missouri River region. Kelly experienced more hospitality than hostility while traveling among the people of the Northern Plains.
Yellowstone Kelly guided and explored Montana for private commercial ventures and federal military reconnaissance. Journey with Yellowstone Kelly’s story through the Western Heritage Center’s travelling exhibit Briskly Venture, Briskly Roam: The Life and Legend of Yellowstone Kelly.
