For thousands and thousands of years, it's been a trade that has stood the test of time.

From the Great Pyramids to the Taj Mahal, craftsmen have used this simple material to erect some of the greatest buildings and monuments in history.

Stone is prized for both its sturdiness and beauty.

Karl Marcus is a stonemason.

NBC Montana went with Karl to a riverbed near Virginia City, where he collects river rock from Alder Gulch dredge tailings.

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Back in 1985, the Missoula Mendelssohn Club was performing at a choral festival in France.

The event spurred choral conductor and music professor, the late Don Carey, to start an invitational festival in Missoula.

In 1987, with the help of Missoula's music community he did just that.

Now, 38-years later, the Montana International Choral Festival is one of Montana's most treasured summertime happenings.

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 Interstate 90 traverses the country, from east to west, from Boston to Seattle.

If you travel the freeway through Montana to Idaho, you may have made a stop in a tiny town that's strategic for its location.

Named after a Nez Perce leader, Chief Saltese, the town of Saltese is a landmark.

“Saltese," said resident Terri Mangold, " is the first and last place on Interstate-90 if you’re going east or west.”

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For their well being and happiness, animals, just like humans, want to feel safe and secure.

They like good food, a comfortable place to rest, a chance to have some fun-to kick up their hooves or paws, to bask in the love of their humans.

The animals at Fallons Farm near Arlee love the attention that Wendy and Mike Ramos pour on them.

The couple welcomed NBC Montana to their horse pasture one cool March day, where the animals surrounded them, jockeying for attention, to nibble treats, and to be petted and curried.

Wendy introduced us to the horse the non-profit is named after.

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From our skies, to the mountains, and open fields, Montana's wildlife ensure a vibrant and healthy environment.

As predators and prey, reptiles play an essential role in the balance.

Montana Reptile Rescue's director and chief executive officer,Jeremy Allestadprotects and rehabilitates both native and non-native reptile species.

Jeremy started the non-profit in Great Falls eight years ago.

But his passion for reptiles began long before that.

When he was six-years-old, Jeremy rescued a garter snake from the neighbor's yard.

He brought it to a safe place in the wild and set it free.

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For 105 years, the Natural Pier Bridge in Alberton has been serving the travel needs of its community.

The beloved landmark is a source of pride for its durability and unique design.

It merged human skill and ingenuity with its natural environment.

Montana Highway Department engineers completed the bridge as part of the old Yellowstone Trail in 1918.

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Last winter, NBC Montana brought you a story of the Ninemile Remount Depot's mules and horses that clear trails in our wilderness areas,

From November to May, the animals rest up at the ranch on the Lolo National Forest near Huson.

Now, those hardworking Forest Service crews are heading back to work.

When we met the mules and horses, they were enjoying their hay and getting some deserved R and R after a season packing supplies into the back country,

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Off the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway between Wise River and Polaris is an abandoned mining settlement.

NBC Montana spent timein this ghost town, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, and an important touchstone of Montana history.

Coolidge was the unfulfilled dream of a former Montana Lieutenant Governor.

It's found high in the mountains and stands testament to a way of life long gone.

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A thousand years ago, a new life began near present day Seeley Lake.

The only witnesses to his youth would have been the Indigenous People.

He was already 200-years-old when the Magna Carta was signed, and more than 800 when the Civil War started.

But today, this Western Larch tree, affectionately known as Gus, continues to thrive.

In the Seeley Lake District of the Lolo National Forest, a pathway welcomes visitors through some of the country's largest stands of Western Larch trees.

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American Legion Post 91's 105th annual Corvallis Memorial Day Parade attracted huge crowds Monday.

One of those honored was a WWII veteran, who turns 101 in June.

The number of WWII veterans is dwindling every day.

But WWII United States Army veteran Les Rutledge is in terrific shape.

Les served with the 222nd Infantry, 42nd Rainbow Division in Europe.

He told NBC Montana about some of the final days of the war.

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