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 Beartoothshttps://www.museumofthebeartooths.comTim Lofing can be contacted through https://www.montanaoutlawproductionscomChapter Timestamps00:00 Introduction: A Documentary to Capture Stillwater County’s Soul01:49 The Spark: Dave Kem’s Visit to the Museum04:04 From Visit to Vision: The Documentary Idea Takes Shape08:16 Tim Lofing Joins the Project: A Hometown Filmmaker’s Return13:45 Building the Archive: Scanning 13,000 Images16:04 Dave Kem’s Roots: Family History in Stillwater County Since the 1880s26:00 Funding the Dream: Grants and Generous Support28:44 A Legacy for the Future: Inspiring Communities Beyond Stillwater County34:33 The Scope: From 3.2 Billion Years to Modern Times41:34 Indigenous Insights: Interviews with Shane Doyle and Tim McCleary45:16 A Database for Generations: Preserving Stillwater County’s Stories48:17 Bobo Days Memories: A Post-War Celebration53:40 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