Montana Moment

We see them in most Montana towns and cities.

They are the advertisements that you see painted on the exteriors of old buildings.

They've outlasted the products or businesses they once promoted, symbols of the past, reminding us of generations long gone.

They call them ghost signs.

To learn more about these once common forms of advertisement, NBC Montana traveled to downtown Bozeman.

While Bozeman's streets are filled with smart, contemporary signs, a number of its older buildings are decorated with the fading words of commercial marketing from the last century.

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It's harvest time for Montana gardeners.

Produce is ripening and garden flowers are blooming.

Helen and Peter Allen grow just about everything at their Kangaroo House Gardens west of Hamilton.

Peter lists rhubarb, squash, pumpkins, honey berries, and a dozen more fruits and vegetables growing in the half-acre garden.

That's a lot of ground to take care of.

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For decades, we've used synthetic materials made from chemicals of fossil fuels to manufacture clothing.

But many consumers prefer material made of natural fibers.

Wool used to be an essential material for apparel.

In a sign of the times, Montana State University in Bozeman, has opened a new multi-million dollar wool lab to improve Montana's wool industry.

The Montana Wool Lab replaces the original wool lab, which was built on campus in 1947.

Back then just about every land grant college had a wool lab to support the sheep industry.

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In 1864, four prospectors discovered gold in Last Chance Gulch, catapulting Helena into one of the west's most lucrative boom towns.

Montana's Capital City has come a long way from its rough and tumble days as a frontier gold camp.

But the seat of state government blends past with contemporary.

NBC Montana took a ride on the Last Chance Tour Train, which has been continuously operating since 1954.

While riders bought their tickets, conductor Teresa Rose greeted passengers.

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Some of the region's most extraordinary works of religious art can be found at Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Missoula.

Sixty-eight murals, plus other decorative artwork, adorn the interior of the historic building.

But the passage of time has left its mark, and the works of an Italian Jesuit Brother are getting a massive restoration.

The murals surround anyone who enters the church like a canopy.

“Here, we have the story of The Bible, the story of Christ, the story of the saints," said Saint Francis Xavier Pastor, Father Craig Hightower. "They're painted in murals so, at that time, people that didn’t read or write could know what they were.”

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There's no better friend than one who won't leave you when you really need them.

It's that close connection that makes you feel better when you're feeling your worst.

True friendship lightens the load, and makes every day a little more fun.

Cheryl Williams has always loved dogs, especially Labradors.

“We’ve had six different labs," said Cheryl from her home in Missoula. " I had dogs as a child. They've got personalities, and they’re very smart."

NBC Montana spent an afternoon with Cheryl and her husband Jeff, where Cheryl tossed tennis balls for their two happy black labs.

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It used to be just about every small town in America had a local movie theater.

It was a go-to spot for families, teens on dates, and kids on Saturday afternoon.

Today, many if not most of those family-owned and operated theatres, and drive-ins have disappeared, especially in rural areas.

But not all of them.

NBC Montana spent time in Polson, where its downtown theatre is going strong.

On the day we visited, concession workers at the Showboat 6 Theatre were prepped and ready to greet patrons for afternoon shows.

Customers came in from the heat to buy their tickets, and to spend a couple hours watching a first-run movie.

Holly Ekstrom comes to the Showboat frequently.

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It's one of the most intriguing periods in American history.

Few eras have generated more books, movies, and tall tales than stories of the Old West.

Montana holds an important chapter in their telling.

Inside a historic building, on Main Street in Deer Lodge, Don Cappa has housed a lifetime collection of artifacts from that period.

It would be hard to count just how many there are.

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The annual Field Day at the Western Agricultural Research Center brought farmers, students, and scientists from around the state to share and learn more about the work being done at this 119-year-old farm.

Montana State University in Bozeman oversees the Corvallis site as well as six other centers across the state.

Each of the stations is geared to serve Montana agriculture's diverse needs.

NBC Montana attended Field Day at the experimental center for a celebration of scientific research.

Eric Cassetta is a PhD student at Montana State University.

Standing in the bed of a pickup, he showed off a stock of garlic and explained what it was for.

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We see them in fields, alleys, barns, eking out a living as predators, or relying on someone to feed them.

Feral cats, or wild cats, if left unattended, multiply quickly, usually in great numbers,

For years, Fox Hollow Animal Project has been working to reduce the feral population by spaying, neutering, and vaccinating them for free.

When Dr. Alan Applebury sold his small animal veterinary clinic in Hamilton, he still wanted something to do.

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