Ashland, MT

Ashland is a Rosebud County census-designated place along the Tongue River, immediately east of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. The town began as Straders in 1881, named for its first postmaster, and took the name Ashland in 1886. Its location places it within a southeastern Montana landscape shaped by the river valley, reservation boundary, grassland, coal, and wildlife.

St. Labre Mission was established near Ashland in 1884 and grew into St. Labre Indian School, serving primarily Northern Cheyenne and Crow students across several campuses. The Cheyenne Museum is located at the mission site. The Custer National Forest's Ashland Ranger District also has its headquarters here; its 436,000 acres form a large block of federal land in eastern Montana. Ashland's story is tied to the Tongue River and to the Native communities, schools, and public lands that meet around it. The nearby Ashland Powwow and museum keep that connection visible in the area. The river road continues through the same cultural landscape.