Signs of Livingston, Montana
By Chloe Nostrant
Posted on Monday, March 16th, 2026
If there are two things Livingston, Montana, is known for, besides the fly fishing and wind, it is the picturesque downtown and artistic history. For decades artists and writers like Jim Harrison and Russell Chatham have gathered like moths under the neon signs, hung their artwork in the windows of downtown galleries, and shared meals in one of the area’s many legendary eateries.
Livingston has always been a place that honors its history and maintains an almost-too-perfect Western style downtown. It was a railroad hub for the Northern Pacific Railways starting in 1902 and ending in 1979, funneling tourists to Yellowstone National Park, just fifty miles south.
In a town known for its artists, it’s no wonder that the signs that grace the buildings here are well thought out—and well secured against the wind.
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The sign above the shop door was painted by Russell Chatham, who was painter, lithographer, and writer of the American West, who lived most of his life in Livingston. It’s old and has seen better days, but a cool piece of history.
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Chloe Nostrant is a photographer, writer, artist, and occasional fly-fishing guide from Livingston, Montana. When she isn’t working, she is running around the prairie with her two bird dogs or trying a new bottle of French wine.
