ONE NIGHT TOUR
Forsyth, Montana

In October of 2006, the Forsyth Improvement Committee turned the events in ONE NIGHT IN A BAD INN into a tour to benefit the visitors’ center. Participants on the One Night Tour, undeterred by the snow and cold, rode in horse-drawn wagons to three historic sites from the book (photos seen here by Del Fisk). Teams Clyde and Dale, and Tic and Toc, pulled the wagons to the Sarah Hughes house (home of the protagonists), to the cemetery (the scene of some unlikely events in 1913), and to the courthouse (where it all culminated). At each stop author Christy Leskovar did a short reading from her book. There were five tours throughout the afternoon. The generous sponsors of the event were Palomino Mercantile, 1001 Main Street, 406-346-9011, which is the store that sells the book in Forsyth; First State Bank of Forsyth; Lasting Impressions Bed & Breakfast; Rosebud Health Care Center; Shy Ann’s Gifts; Speedway Café; Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home; Forsyth Area Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture; and the Forsyth branch of Wells Fargo Bank. During the tours, the Speedway Café nourished visitors with Welsh cakes and tea, the library displayed books about Rosebud County as well as historic photographs, and the museum, normally closed for the season, opened. That evening after the tours author Christy Leskovar gave a talk in the Rosebud County courtroom. The 1913 trial in Part 1 of ONE NIGHT IN A BAD INN was the first trial held there. Artifacts from the case were displayed in the jury room. Many residents of Forsyth were generous with their time and money and made the day a big success.

On April 23, 2007, the Forsyth Improvement Committee hosted the One Night Street Tour, another fundraiser for the visitors' center. This time participants rode in a 1950s troop carrier and a 1940s fire engine through the streets of Forsyth to the historic homes and offices of the people in ONE NIGHT IN A BAD INN, among them Sarah Hughes, Judge Crum, Coronor Booth, Sheriff Moses, Henry Beeman, Fritz Haynes, and the site of John Kiernan's tragic death. Author Christy Leskovar provided background on their lives and explained their roles in the story. Sponsors of the event were Brown's Excavation, First State Bank of Forsyth, the Forsyth Branch of Wells Fargo Bank, the Forsyth Improvement Committee, Heberle Ford, the Miles City Speakers Bureau, Palomino Mercantile, Quilt Zone, and Spirit of Women.

The top picture shows Tic and Toc pulling their passengers followed by Clyde and Dale. In the center picture, the wagons are in front of the Sarah Hughes house. In the bottom picture, the wagons are leaving the cemetery.
Photos by Del Fisk of Forsyth, Montana.