Billings, Montana Tidbits

Today's driving brought us to Billings Montana, a city with several connections to Vermont.   The city of Billings was named after Frederick Billings, who was born in Vermont.  He was not from a wealthy family, but made his own fortune and eventually became president of the Northern Pacific Railroad -- a railroad that made its way through the village that became Billings Montana.  

Frederick's wife Julia Parmly Billings was the daughter of prominent New York City dentist Eleazar Parmly, one of four dentist brothers who were all born in Vermont.  (Obscure factoid - Eleazar's brother Levi Spear Parmly is considered to be the "father of dental floss").   

In any event, the Billings family donated $25,000 to the city of Billings in 1902 to build the Parmly Billings library; the structure still stands and is now the Western Heritage Center (www.ywhc.org/).

In the interest of full disclosure, many of you know that I work part time at the Billings Farm and Museum in Woodstock VT, so I couldn't resist posing with good old Frederick himself in front of the Heritage Center.