Great Falls

I like these kinds of patches because I get to find out about the symbolism, or in this case what the scenery means.

On the left of the patch is Lewis & Clark. They discovered a series of waterfalls along the Missouri River and had to portage around them. That's how Great Falls was named.

Montana is knows as "Big Sky Country" and we see the wheat field in the center of the patch. I always thought big sky referred to the Montana mountains instead of the vastness of the sky.

To the right of the wheat field is the "Big Stack" which could be seen for miles. That stack was part of the copper smelter which was the primary source of employment for many years until it was closed down. The smelter was demolished in the 1980s.

The bison skull on the right side of the patch is the logo for the western artist Charles Marion Russell who lived in Great Falls.   

 http://www.greatfallsmt.net/fire