Where’s Nichole? Week 1 Location

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Where’s Nichole? Week 1 Location

By Nichole Szemerei

BILLINGS - That's right you guessed it! I'm up here at Yellowstone Kelly's Grave.

Luther Kelly passed away December 17, 1928 and at his request his wife buried him a year later on the rims, or what he used to call the Yellowstone Cliffs. Born in New York, Yellowstone Kelly got his name scouting for the army in the 1870's and 1880's. He spent part of his life in the Yellowstone River Valley hunting and fishing and served as head scout on a mission for Lt. Col. George Forsyth and General Nelson Miles.

Joyce Jensen, a historian from the Western Heritage Center says Kelly was a unique man who was liked by many. "General Miles was impressed with him because when Kelly came to apply for a job as an army scout he had no calling card but miles said he had a large bear paw and he cut his name on the bear paw and sent the bear paw in as his calling card," said Jensen.

Before he was 18, Kelly joined the Civil War and completed his enlistment in the west where he rests today.

"Over the years the gravesite has changed. There have been fences of different types at different times. At the moment there isn't any fence at all," said Jensen.

But when Kelly was buried there was quite a gathering. "They were having a bunch of groups here. A big parade, boy scouts, church groups, all kinds of things for this burial on what became called Kelly Mountain, which is the highest point along Black Otter Trail," Jensen said.

Black Otter Trail and the grave are located about one mile east of the Billings Airport off Highway-3.

Tune in every week for more clues leading up to a new location for "Where is Nichole This Week."

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