The government is us; we are the government, you and I. -Theodore Roosevelt
The nation's oldest and most influential conservation group continues its second century of service in the heart of the Rockies in Missoula, Montana. The facility, located in the historic Old Milwaukee Depot, houses the Club's administrative offices, warehouse, Visitor's Gallery, and a library holding B&C's permanent collection of books and memorabilia. The buildings—A , built in 1910 for the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railway Company, is on the State and National Registers of Historic Places.
The Club purchased the building in 1992 and relocated its offices from Dumfries, Virginia, in 1993. The headquarters building was named for Club Member George C. "Tim" Hixon. The original ticketing and waiting area of the old train station was completely remodeled and named the "Philip L. Wright" Conference Room and Library, and retains much of its former character. The Club's Permanent Collection of books and memorabilia can be found in the Library, which has a number of book cases that house the Club's book collection, a display gun vault, and an 18-foot long oak conference table.
In 2010, the space connecting the two historic buildings—originally a passenger/ticketing building and a baggage/mechanical building—was opened to the public as home to B&C’s Visitors Gallery. This welcoming entrance to the Old Milwaukee Depot now greets visitors with engaging and in-depth exhibits about B&C’s history along with the history of wildlife conservation, big game records keeping, and an in-depth look at our hunting heritage—along with a section dedicated to the history of the Milwaukee Railroad and the historic depot.
The Conservation Summit Center is centrally located in the city and occupies a well-exposed site on the Clark Fork River, near the Higgins Street Bridge, a main link connecting north and south Missoula. The well-trafficked downtown location is the place where Missoula's trail system commences, and is the center of the city's river front park system. With the Higgins Street Bridge abutting the property, the Center is the focal point and viewscape for the many pedestrians and motorists who cross the Clark Fork River.
The location served as a natural meeting site for centuries. On a picturesque bend of the Clark Fork River, it was first a gathering site for Salish Indians. In 1910, the old Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railway Company chose this location to build its Railway Depot for northwestern Montana. They constructed a castle-like structure, complete with two observation towers, mission-style parapet walls (using brick imported from China), Romanesque windows, and a Spanish-style roof. Surrounded by water on all sides, the building stands as Missoula's leading historical landmark.
Boone and Crockett Club
250 Station Drive
Missoula, MT 59801
Phone: 406-542-1888
Fax: 406-542-0784
Email: bcclub@boone-crockett.org
To learn more about the history of the Old Milwaukee Depot, check this out...
"The wildlife and its habitat cannot speak. So we must and we will."
-Theodore Roosevelt