Although the large sign along Highway 200 says "Welcome to Wild Horse Plains," the town of 1,200 people in the northwest corner of Montana never officially donned that name. The unofficial name dates to tales of area tribes wintering their horses in the mild valley near the Clark Fork River. The town incorporated as Horse Plains and the post office opened in 1883. The name was shortened to Plains in the early 1900s.
Many local businesses have emerged over the years but the longest running business is McGowan's Grocery, which opened in 1883 as the J.A. McGowan General Merchandise. From a female sharp shooter who competed with the Smith and Wesson shooting team to a woman raising tri-colored horses, the small town of Plains has many unique people and stories. During the third year of the Montana Town Project, School of Journalism students documented some of the stories that define this Sanders County town.