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Send me an email if you would like to know something about the town or people: nancynellis@yahoo.com - should get my attention!

Tucked away in the Tobacco Root Range of the Montana Rockies is the village of Pony. Often referred to as "The Last Best Town In The Last Best Place," it rests peacefully in the shadow of 10,000 foot Hollowtop Mountain. Less than one hundred families live in Pony today, though during the height of the gold rush days the population exceeded 5,000. Remnants of those prosperous times - buildings, ruins, mining claims and the hearty attitude of the remaining residents - serve as a living memorial to "The Wild West" of yore.

In 1860-1870, settlers coming west for the gold rush made their camps in and around the area that was to become Pony. According to local legend one such miner, Tecumseh "Pony" Smith, threw his pick into a patch of wild strawberries. Upon recovering the tool, he discovered he had struck gold. Whatever happened to the diminutive Pony Smith remains a mystery, as the man for whom the village is named simply moved on before making his fortune.

Today, Pony is a place of beauty and solitude, known for it's magnificent views, excellent hunting and it's infinite mountain trails and alpine lakes. The fishing is good, the people are friendly, and don't be surprised when the moose or deer drop by for a visit. In the good ol' days Pony boasted of a creamery, two Chinese laundries, a Chinese restaurant, real estate offices, hat and tailor shops, a blacksmith shop, rooming houses, a movie house and an electric power plant. At one time, there were twelve saloons, a slaughter house on the outskirts of town, a music band and a baseball team.

Much has changed over the years, and yet the feeling of bygone days remains. In 2002, the one remaining business in town is the world famous Pony Bar, noted for it's inclusion by both Playboy magazine and Men's Journal as "one of the best bars" in America.

Pony is listed as a ghost town, but the spirit of the residents is very much alive. Tourists come from all parts of the country to walk the streets, take pictures, explore the old trails and mines or just enjoy the clean air, brilliant blue sky and majestic mountains. In the spring, the hills are full of color from wild flowers. While most ghost towns of the gold rush days are now little but forgotten memories, Pony continues to endure. There is a reason. As one writer put it..."Pony is the town too pretty to fail."