The Big Fat Podcast

Dive into the heart of Stillwater County’s epic history with Episode 12 of The Big Fat Podcast’s "They Gazed on the Beartooths" series. Join host Milo Solomon as he sits with Dave Kem, whose quiet inspiration and support sparked a transformative documentary project, Penny Redli, the heartbeat of the Museum of the Beartooths, and filmmaker Tim Lofing, who’s weaving billions of years of geology, Crow heritage, and pioneer grit into a cinematic legacy. From a casual museum visit to a monumental community effort, discover how this project is preserving Stillwater County’s past for future generations. Like, subscribe, and share to support this historic journey!

Thank You to Penny Redli, Executive Director - Museum of the Beartooths

https://www.museumofthebeartooths.com

Tim Lofing can be contacted through https://www.montanaoutlawproductionscom

Chapter Timestamps

00:00 Introduction: A Documentary to Capture Stillwater County’s Soul
01:49 The Spark: Dave Kem’s Visit to the Museum
04:04 From Visit to Vision: The Documentary Idea Takes Shape
08:16 Tim Lofing Joins the Project: A Hometown Filmmaker’s Return
13:45 Building the Archive: Scanning 13,000 Images
16:04 Dave Kem’s Roots: Family History in Stillwater County Since the 1880s
26:00 Funding the Dream: Grants and Generous Support
28:44 A Legacy for the Future: Inspiring Communities Beyond Stillwater County
34:33 The Scope: From 3.2 Billion Years to Modern Times
41:34 Indigenous Insights: Interviews with Shane Doyle and Tim McCleary
45:16 A Database for Generations: Preserving Stillwater County’s Stories
48:17 Bobo Days Memories: A Post-War Celebration
53:40 Wrap-Up: Honoring Stillwater County’s History and Community

Trek into the rugged heart of Montana with Joseph "Skookum" Joe Anderson, a sharp-eyed prospector whose boots carved trails from Stillwater’s creeks to Picket Pin’s iron claims. We sift through his diaries, letters, and the secrets he guarded like gold, revealing a life of grit, rivalry, and frontier hustle. Episode 11 of our "They Gazed on the Beartooths" series uncovers the legacy of a man who shaped Stillwater County’s mining history, in partnership with the Museum of the Beartooths. Like, subscribe, and share to keep these tales prospecting forward!  

Thank You to Penny Redli, Executive Director - Museum of the Beartooths  

https://www.museumofthebeartooths.com  

**Chapter Timestamps:**  

00:00 Introduction: Skookum Joe’s Frontier Legend  

02:00 Obituary Unveiled: A Prospector’s Final Rest  

09:00 Diaries of a Wanderer: Snow, Sweat, and Stillwater  

15:00 Encounters with Legends: Leforge and Hamilton  

20:00 Pack Horse Trails: A Prospector’s Rugged Life  

26:00 Picket Pin Road: Building a Miner’s Path  

34:00 Secret Claims: The Lost Lode Mystery  

41:00 Letters to O’Donnell: A Partnership in Ink  

53:00 Heartache and Legacy: Skookum’s Final Days  

1:01:00 Mining’s Last Echoes: Stillwater’s Enduring History  

1:08:00 Wrap-Up: Preserving Skookum Joe’s Story  

Join us as we continue the saga of Thomas Leforge—Horse Rider—on *The Big Fat Podcast*, digging deeper into his life at the Absarokee Crow Agency. Episode 10, Part 2 of 2 in our "They Gazed on the Beartooths" series, explores Chief Blackfoot’s enigmatic burial, the Crow’s shift to farming, and the artifacts that whisper of a frontier in flux. From Mexican Joe Creek to the scouts’ road to Little Bighorn, we uncover Stillwater County’s ties to a pivotal American tale, in partnership with the Museum of the Beartooths. Like, subscribe, and share to keep these stories alive!  

Thank You to Penny Redli, Executive Director - Museum of the Beartooths  

https://www.museumofthebeartooths.com  

**Chapter Timestamps:**  

00:00 Introduction: Back at Absarokee Agency  

01:00 Chief Blackfoot: A Psychic’s Tale  

07:00 Absarokee Unveiled: Building a New Agency  

14:00 Adobe Bricks: Crafting History by Hand  

17:00 Teacher’s Scalping: A Crow Classroom Clash  

22:00 Mexican Joe Creek: A Name Born in Battle  

27:00 Shane Family: Roots of a Crow Legacy  

33:00 Crow Scouts Enlist: The Road to Little Bighorn  

44:00 Artifacts Unearthed: Beads, Buttons, and Bones  

57:00 Leforge’s Fate: Survivor’s Guilt and Beyond  

1:01:00 Fort Custer: A Post-Battle Outpost  

1:08:00 Wrap-Up: A Living History in Stillwater  

Saddle up for a wild ride into Montana’s untamed past with Thomas Leforge, a white man who became "Horse Rider" among the Crow. On The Big Fat Podcast, we trace his journey from a settler’s son to a Crow warrior, charging through militia mutinies, vision quests, and the thunderous Battle of Pryor Creek. Episode 9 Part 1 of 2 about Thomas Leforge, in our "They Gazed on the Beartooths" series, uncovers a frontier life woven with courage, kinship, and chaos, in partnership with the Museum of the Beartooths. Like, subscribe, and share to keep these epic tales galloping!  

Thank You to Penny Redli, Executive Director - Museum of the Beartooths  

https://www.museumofthebeartooths.com  

**Chapter Timestamps:**  

00:00 Introduction: A White Crow Indian’s Tale  

01:00 Thomas Leforge: From Ohio to Montana  

07:00 Militia Days: Rough Riders of 1867  

14:00 You Should Know: The Wild West’s Lawless Edge  

17:00 Adoption by the Crow: Becoming Horse Rider  

20:00 Mitch Boyer: A Frontier Friend  

25:00 Mission Creek: First Crow Agency Under Siege  

29:00 Dead Indian Drippings: A Gruesome Meal  

34:00 Relocating the Agency: Stillwater Bound  

39:00 Battle of Pryor Creek: Warriors Prepare  

46:00 The Daring Line: Horse Rider’s Challenge  

53:00 Victory March: Return to Absaroka  

58:00 Second Crow Agency: A New Home Unveiled  

Dive into the dusty streets of Park City, Montana, where a simmering feud over irrigation water turned deadly on a quiet July morning in 1953. On The Big Fat Podcast, we peel back the layers of a gritty tale—Walter Caine, a rancher with a .45 revolver, and Lester Lesher, his neighbor, clashed in a fatal showdown on a football field. Part of our "They Gazed on the Beartooths" series, this episode unearths journals, news clippings, and a community shaken by vengeance, in partnership with the Museum of the Beartooths and sponsored by Pinnacle Property of Montana. Like, subscribe, and share to keep Montana’s raw history alive!  

Thank You to Our Sponsor: Pinnacle Property of Montana  

Donna West, Owner/Broker  

https://www.pinnacleproperty.com  

Thank You to Penny Redli, Executive Director - Museum of the Beartooths  

https://www.museumofthebeartooths.com  

**Chapter Timestamps:**  

00:00 Introduction: A Quiet Morning Turns Deadly  

01:00 Park City, 1953: The Journals of Finch Brown  

06:00 Ranchers and Roots: Caine and Lesher’s Lives  

10:00 Masonic Ties: Brotherhood Before Bloodshed  

14:00 July 11, 1953: Shots at Dawn  

19:00 You Should Know: Irrigation Wars of the West  

21:00 The Scene: A Body by the Ditch  

25:00 Coroner’s Inquest: Witnesses Speak  

30:00 Guilty Plea: Second Degree Murder  

35:00 Sentencing: 15 Years for Caine  

42:00 Aftermath: A Farm Auctioned, A Man Unraveled  

50:00 Jovene Vodka: A Distillery Detour  

57:00 Reflections: Stillwater’s Hidden Histories  

Step into the boots of Donald Ruhl, a Columbus, Montana native whose journey from Joliet’s quiet fields to the volcanic sands of Iwo Jima forged a legacy of valor. On The Big Fat Podcast, we uncover the story of a high school dreamer turned Marine hero who earned the Congressional Medal of Honor with his ultimate sacrifice—diving on a Japanese explosive to save his squad. Part of our "They Gazed on the Beartooths" series, this episode brings you raw tales of bravery, heartbreak, and resilience, in partnership with the Museum of the Beartooths and sponsored by Pinnacle Property of Montana. Like, subscribe, and share to keep these stories alive!  

**Thank You to Our Sponsor: Pinnacle Property of Montana**  

Donna West, Owner/Broker  

https://www.pinnacleproperty.com  

**Thank You to Penny Redli, Executive Director - Museum of the Beartooths**  

https://www.museumofthebeartooths.com  

**Chapter Timestamps:**  

00:00 Introduction: A Montana Marine’s Legacy  

01:00 Donald Ruhl: From Columbus to Combat  

05:00 High School Dreams: Baseball and Boyhood  

09:00 Enlisting in the Marines: A Call to Duty  

14:00 Iwo Jima D-Day: Facing the Ninth Wave  

20:00 You Should Know: Camp Rimini’s Tactical Sleds  

23:00 D-Day Plus One: Dragging a Brother to Safety  

28:00 February 21, 1945: The Ultimate Sacrifice  

35:00 Medal of Honor: Honoring a Fallen Hero  

42:00 Letters of Loss: Mothers Connected by Grief  

50:00 The Flag on Suribachi: A Bittersweet Victory  

57:00 Reflections: Montana’s Quiet Courage  

Join us on The Big Fat Podcast as we salute the unbreakable spirit of Stillwater County’s service members who traded Montana’s quiet plains for the chaos of war. From John Matovich’s tactical dog sleds built for a secret WWII invasion to William Arnold’s harrowing survival in the Philippines, these local heroes carved legacies of grit and grace. Part of our "They Gazed on the Beartooths" series, this episode—packed with untold tales of courage—is brought to you in partnership with the Museum of the Beartooths and sponsored by Pinnacle Property of Montana. Like, subscribe, and share to honor their stories!

**Thank You to Our Sponsor: Pinnacle Property of Montana**  

Donna West, Owner/Broker  

https://www.pinnacleproperty.com

**Thank You to Penny Redli, Executive Director - Museum of the Beartooths**  

https://www.museumofthebeartooths.com

Chapter Timestamps:  

- [00:00] Introduction: Honoring Stillwater’s Heroes  

- [01:00] John Matovich: Crafting Tactical Dog Sleds  

- [07:00] Camp Rimini: WWII’s Sled-Building Hub  

- [15:00] Steam-Bending Secrets: Sled Craft Unveiled  

- [19:00] You Should Know: Battle of Hailstone Basin  

- [21:00] William Arnold: From Fishtail to the Philippines  

- [26:00] December 8, 1941: Bombs Over Bataan  

- [33:00] POW Survival: Escaping the Death March  

- [40:00] Hell Ships and Coconut Cargo: A Prisoner’s Journey  

- [50:00] Liberation: American Planes Drop Hope  

- [56:00] Homecoming: Resilience After War  

Step into the rugged history of Columbus, Montana, as The Big Fat Podcast explores the Columbus Quarry—a hidden gem where ancient seabeds became the building blocks of a town and beyond. From the Montana State Capitol to Main Street’s timeless facades, discover how hardworking hands and ancient stone shaped a legacy that stretches across the state. Packed with fascinating stories, geological wonders, and a unsolved murder, this episode from our "They Gazed on the Beartooths" series is brought to you in partnership with the Museum of the Beartooths and sponsored by Pinnacle Property of Montana. Hit that like button, subscribe, and share with your history-loving friends to keep these tales alive!

**Thank You to Our Sponsor: Pinnacle Property of Montana**  

Donna West, Owner/Broker  

https://www.pinnacleproperty.com  

**Thank You to Penny Redli, Executive Director - Museum of the Beartooths**  

https://www.museumofthebeartooths.com 

**Chapter Timestamps:**  

00:00:00 Introduction: Welcome to Columbus Quarry  

00:01:00 The Origins: Ancient Seabeds to Sandstone  

00:03:00 Building a Legacy: From Schools to the State Capitol  

00:07:00 The Stone Masters: Mike Jacobs and His Crew  

00:15:00 The Wimsett Monument: Artistry at the World’s Fair  

00:29:00 You Should Know: Murder at the Quarry  

00:33:00 Hidden Treasures: Unearthing the Monument Yard  

00:39:00 Grinding Stones: Innovation from the Quarry  

00:43:00 Water Woes: The Shane Ditch Solution  

00:48:00 Beyond Columbus: Sandstone Across Montana  

00:55:00 Closing Thoughts: 125 Years of History  

Join us on The Big Fat Podcast as we uncover the remarkable journey of David Thatcher, a local hero from Stillwater County, Montana. From his humble beginnings in the rugged landscapes of Montana to becoming a key member of the historic Doolittle Raid during WWII, David's story is one of courage, survival, and a return to a quiet life of service. Discover how this unassuming man played a pivotal role in one of the most audacious missions of the war, and how his legacy continues to inspire. This episode, part of our "They Gazed on the Beartooth" series, is brought to you in collaboration with the Museum of the Beartooths and sponsored by Pinnacle Property of Montana. Like, subscribe, and share to keep history alive!

Thank You To Our Sponsor Pinnacle Property Of Montana

Donna West Owner/Broker

https://www.pinnacleproperty.com

Thank You to Penny Redli, Executive Director - Museum Of The BearTooths

https://www.museumofthebeartooths.com

Also In Studio: Cole Waltner 

https://www.youtube.com/@chasingthewildoutdoors

Chapter Timestamps:

[00:00:00] - Introduction: David Thatcher's Life and Legacy

Overview of David's journey from Montana to the Doolittle Raid.

[00:01:00] - Early Life in Stillwater County

Discussion on David's childhood, education, and family connections in Stillwater.

[00:03:00] - Enlisting in the Army Air Corps

Details on how David joined the military and his initial training.

[00:06:00] - The Doolittle Raid: Preparation and Mission

Insights into the secretive training, the USS Hornet, and the mission objectives.

[00:10:00] - The Raid and Its Aftermath

The journey, the bombing, and the crash landing in China; survival stories.

[00:16:00] - Post-Raid Heroics

David's actions post-crash, receiving the Silver Star, and the trek to safety.

[00:23:00] - Life After the Raid

David's continued service during WWII, his return to civilian life, and marriage.

[00:30:00] - Personal Reflections and Artifacts

Personal anecdotes from interviews, and the significance of memorabilia.

[00:38:00] - Legacy and Memorials

How David's story is remembered locally and nationally, including the Thatcher Memorial Highway.

[00:45:00] - David Thatcher's Humility

Reflections on David's character, his modest nature, and contributions to history.

[00:52:00] - The Doolittle Raiders' Reunions

The camaraderie among the Raiders and their annual gatherings.

[00:56:00] - Educational Impact and Community Memory

How David's story educates and inspires, especially in local schools.

[01:02:00] - The Museum Exhibit

Description of the museum's exhibit dedicated to David Thatcher.

[01:08:00] - Conclusion and Acknowledgements

Join us on The Big Fat Podcast as we dive into the sizzling world of Josh Severs, the mastermind behind Hangry Hero. From his journey of transforming a food truck into a community staple to his philosophy on business, family, and success, Josh shares his story of grit, growth, and the power of local entrepreneurship. Discover how he balances the intense demands of running a food business with raising a family, all while keeping the spirit of competition friendly and fun. This episode is a testament to what dedication and a bit of humor can achieve. 

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode!

Check out The Hangry Hero right here! https://thehangryhero.square.site/?

You can find Cole here! https://www.youtube.com/@chasingthewildoutdoors

Chapter Timestamps:

[00:00:00] - Introduction to Josh Severs: The Hangry Hero

Meet Josh, the man behind the food truck turning into a local institution.

[00:10:00] - The Evolution of Hangry Hero 

Insights into moving from a mobile food truck to a fixed location and the impact on business.

[00:20:00] - Life Behind the Grill: Family, Business, and Breakfast Burritos

Josh discusses the challenges and rewards of working with family and the early mornings of the food industry.

[00:35:00] - Entrepreneurial Spirit and Community Impact

Discussing how entrepreneurship shapes community and personal life, including overcoming obstacles.

[00:50:00] - The Competitive Edge: Food Trucks and Friendships

Exploring the dynamics of competition versus collaboration in the food truck scene.

[01:00:00] - Online Ordering and Customer Engagement

How technology has changed the game for Hangry Hero, focusing on customer experience.

[01:15:00] - Looking Ahead: Plans and Dreams for Hangry Hero

Future visions for the business and Josh's philosophy on continuous improvement.

[01:30:00] - The Heart of the Hangry Hero

Josh's take on what it means to serve the community with love and a hint of humor.

[01:45:00] - Entrepreneurship and Life Lessons

Reflections on daily resolutions, the importance of a supportive community, and the mindset of success.

[01:55:00] - Conclusion: Celebrating Local Success

Wrapping up with thanks to Josh, a call to support local businesses, and a reminder to check out Hangry Hero's offerings.