About Us:
Holt Heritage Museum is dedicated to "Cowboys and Indians - Rodeos & Pow Wows" and is located at 6800 Lewis and Clark Highway (Highway 12), Lolo, Montana, adjoining Traveler's Rest on the Lewis and Clark Trail.
About the owners, Bill and Ramona Holt: Bill is a native montanan and Ramona has been in Montana for over 50 years (so she is close to a native). Both were involved with professional rodeo for about 35 years, Bill being an announcer and Ramona a contestant and secretary. They raised their family of four boys on the ranch at Lolo. Besides Rodeo, they have been involved with ranching, logging, agriculture, youth camps, adult camps, Historical preservation and tourism.
They have been collecting for the museum all their married life. The collection tells the story of cowboys, their equipment, including celebrity's western boots and the evolution of different types of saddles and tack. Nez Perce, Salish/Kootenai and Crow are included in the Indian collections. The museum is on the famous Lolo Trail or the Nez Perce (Nee-me-poo) Trail, which was used, by Lewis and Clark in 1805 and 1806.
Stevensville was the first established settlement in Montana, the first sawmill, the first Church, etc., and that story is also told. A territorial land office contains original Missoula County and Missoula City books. Also, a replica of an old Saloon is furnished with an antique back bar cooler, soda fountain and slab bar top.
The collection also includes original artwork both flat and three-dimensional pieces. A complete collection of Bob Scriver's bronze work called "An Honest Try" is a highlight of the main street scene. The grounds are decorated with tipis, various horse drawn vehicles, and a life size welded sculpture of an Indian mounted on his horse by artist Harry Koyama. Claudia Shelhamer captures the image of the Nez Perce crossing Lolo Creek with Lolo Peak in the background in vivid water color(gauche). Come and enjoy remnants of the Old West. Ask about booking spaces in the museum for that special function or meeting. Cowboy Chuck wagon dinners are a specialty.
