Winnett,
MT : Overview & Pictures.gif)
"Winnett,
Montana : It's Not the End of the World, But You Can See
It From Here." So
proclaimed the shirt a friend wore when I first visited
Winnett. And
really, that pretty much sums things up for the town.
I first
visited Winnett, MT, during 2003 when some friends and
I went to there on
a hunting trip (the area around Winnett has some excellent
deer and elk hunting. Rumor has it rattlesnake hunting
is also very productive, too).
The
town itself is tiny - population of only 160 or so people.
What is even more interesting is that Winnett is the only
town in the entire county (which is Petroleum County)!
Petroleum County only has a population of 550 people -
and is a sizable county, too.
Winnett
has seen better days. During the 40's and 50's, Winnett
was sort of a mini-boom town when oil and gas was discovered
in the area - and once had a population of over 2000 people.
Today, while some oil and gas is still pumped out, the
boom days
are
long
since
gone.
Moreover,
the decline
and consolidation in the agricultural industry has led
to a drastic "emptying out" of the town and the
county. As such, Winnett
is literally full of abandoned buildings - many
of which
are only half-standing. In some ways, Winnett reminds me
of a "functioning ghost town" - a comment that
almost earned me a cup of hot coffee on my lap when I said
it to my friend
who lives there!
Winnett
is located pretty much next to nothing. Billings is
the nearest major city, and is located about 90 miles to
the
south. Lewistown is located
about 70 miles to the west. To the north lies the vast
and empty area of the Charles Russell Wildlife Refuge and
Fort Peck Lake.
Winnett
is a bit lacking in services. The town has one hotel/motel
called the Northern Hotel - which is best experienced and
not described. The town has one restaurant which is pretty
good, a small general store and, of course, 2 bars.
Overall,
Winnett is most definitely not a tourist spot - something
that the people who live in Winnett probably like. The
good news about Winnett is that the cost of housing in
town is incredibly affordable - although most buildings
fall in the fixer-upper category. Additionally, if you
like to hunt, Winnett is located in a wonderful area. Finally,
Winnett is most definitely located in a remote region.
Anyone in search of a remote area of Montana to explore
- by all means - be sure to head over to Winnett. You'll
find vast expanses of empty prairie, unmarked
dirt roads and the entire Missouri Breaks to explore (see
photo
gallery of the Missouri Breaks).
More
Pictures of Winnett, Montana
Click
on any of the thumbnails to see a larger image
Recently Added : Also view photos of
the Missouri
Breaks in a seperate gallery. The Missouri Breaks
are located about 40 miles north of Winnett.
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