Montana is also known as Big Sky Country. Our grand views and vistas stretch from horizon to horizon. We are also known for our grand mountains. The great Rocky Mountains are amazing.
Back in the day, Billy Joe Royal, a singer, sang about being from “Down in the Boondocks!” I always wondered where the” Boondocks” was. We could assume that they were from the wrong side of town, or somewhere less than where everyone else was from.
It turns out that Montana could be considered the Boondocks!
The term originated during the Filipino wars in 1899. American soldiers fighting the local guerillas, had to travel back into the Boondocks where the enemy was from. The word “Bundok” is a Filipino word that translates to mean “mountains” People from the “Bundoks” were known as “Mountain Men”, hillbillies, and ——————–.
Later, the spelling was changed and Boondocks always referred to areas that were less inhabited, remote, backwards, less sophisticated, and thinly settled. This American expression could relate to Big Sky Country.
Our history and uniqueness are based on being rural and remote. We certainly get plenty of visitors that want to come to the Boondocks, but they leave after enjoying our wild and remote places. The Boondocks is simply not a place where everyone wants to live or be from. Our population hovers around one million residents. Thats’ is just a third of the average number of tourists that visit Yellowstone National Park, which is Down in the Boondocks!
There is certainly some great fishing, hunting, skiing, and recreation found Down in the Boondocks. Maybe I need to change my name to “Boondock Grant”!
Montana Grant
