Since I moved to town and discovered that Billings is called the Magic City, I have wondered what is behind that name. I can sit back and name a few things that I think make this name an appropriate one but what does Google say?

A friend of mine told me to go incognito on Google and search this. He said you may be surprised what comes up. Well, being the curious individual that I am, I did and here is what I found.

Billings was nicknamed the Magic City because of its rapid growth from its founding as a railroad town in March 1882. The city is named for Frederick H. Billings, a former president of the Northern Pacific Railroad.

Also,

From a tent town located on the banks of the Yellowstone River to an urban sprawl, Billings got its nickname, The Magic City, because it seemingly grew overnight into the largest distribution center in Montana.

And,

Aug 21, 2013 - The Magic City officially turns 125 years old this month. ... It's also been called the Midland Empire because of its proximity to Minneapolis.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. My search resulted in a lot of information, too much to include in the blog. Nonetheless, I like to know the history of where I live and this is very interesting to me.

Billings was basically an overnight success.

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