Ringling Montana

Godsowndrunk · Post by **Godsowndrunk** » May 27, 2004 10:06 am

As we all know, Ringling Ringling is about a small, almost dried up town in Montana, north of Livingston! I am wondering if anyone has been there and willing to share any stories or pictures! There is not much info on the net but I am guessing that there will be some of you who follow the songlines to the truest forms!

Any info you could share about your experience to this area would be great! Thanks in Advance!

G.O.D
(Darren)

island_hopper · Post by **island_hopper** » May 28, 2004 2:18 am

Hi G.O.D.

I found this while searching around....you may have already seen it....

Ringling

Yes, it was named for one of the Ringling Bros. of circus fame. John Ringling was also the president and builder of the Yellowstone Park and White Sulphur Springs Railroad which eventually became a branch of the Milwaukee railroad. The Ringlings at one time owned over 100,000 acres in the area and at one time contemplated establishing a circus headquarters here. At one time it was a bustling little town with several businesses as a junction for White Sulphur Springs transfer customers.

After several devastating fires, the last in 1931 and the demise of the railroads Ringling dwindled to a few people and the surrounding ranches. Today it has a post office, school, and restaurant and bar.

The town was immortalized by Jimmy Buffett when he wrote of the town in his song "Ringling, Ringling" on the "Living and Dying in Three Quarter Time" album. And yes, "Livingston Saturday Night" was about Livingston, Montana down the road a piece.

Excerpted from: The Ultimate Montana Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia.

Here ya go:

"Church windows broken
That place ain't been used in years..."

This was just for your entertainment......hopefully someone out there actually has some stories to tell!

J

The Lost Manatee · Post by **The Lost Manatee** » May 28, 2004 6:54 pm

I past through there a couple times a few years ago when I was a trainer for my former employer and we had offices in Great Falls and Cut Bank. Not much to say about it since there's not much there now. I suspect that there was more there when Jimmy wrote about it. I didn't take the time to explore the gas station/store complex but that seemed to be the focus of town now.

And I didn't see 27 years worth of beer cans!

phjrsaunt · Post by **phjrsaunt** » May 28, 2004 9:45 pm

I always wondered about that! Thanks!

livingstonbob · Post by **livingstonbob** » May 31, 2004 9:17 pm

I have been to Ringling and even nearby Two Dot Montana (yes there really is a place called Two Dot - we make a lot of jokes about it in Montana).

There used to be a big ethanol plant there. Ivan Doig has written some very good books about growing up in that area. I remember as a kid the electric train that ran through Central Montana and down to Three Forks (where the Missouri River is formed by the Jefferson, Gallatin and Madison Rivers).

Still not much there. Lots more to do in Livingston, but sadly the old place Buffet used to play are now gone. One is just a restaurant. Buffett's old friend, Russell Chatham still has an art gallery in Livingston and still lives up Deep Creek (where my family has a place) on the same road as the old McGuane place where Rancho Deluxe was filmed. I go by there at least once a week.

Bob
Originally from Livingston Sat. Night Montana