This month, July 1923, is the 109th anniversary of perhaps the biggest hyped sporting event in Montana history. The homesteading boom of the first two decades of the 20th century shaped the map of eastern Montana permanently. Shelby, on the hi-line of the Great Northern Railway, had been one of those railroad stops that the boom elevated into a county seat, as Toole County was formed in 1914.

Then the boom busted. Even though oil had been located in Kevin, to the west of Shelby, town boosters aimed for something larger. Why not use the rail connections and host a heavyweight championship fight on July 4, 1923? Jack Dempsey would fight—for a huge guarantee—as would his opponent Tommy Gibbons. Suddenly plans that were perhaps not that serious at first—more of a publicity stunt—became deadly serious. The event would either make, or break, Shelby.

The town and promoters worked together to build a 40,000 seat outdoor venue for the fight. And got that done west of the town center! But then, just days before the fight, the constantly escalating money guarantee fell through and word was broadcast everywhere that Dempsey wouldn’t fight. The buzz surrounding Shelby died overnight.

Then Dempsey changed his mind and the fight took place, but too many people, except for several national sportswriters and many locals, changed their plans. Rather than tens of thousands in attendance, there were an estimated 8,000 to watch the fight. It was a great 15-round fight, one of the toughest of Dempsey’s career, but as a money making event for Shelby it was a disaster, one that few wanted to talk about then or for decades to come.

I started the 1984 historic preservation survey in Toole County. There was no marker then talking about the fight or locating where it took place. No one really wanted to discuss it.

But time passes and it was with great delight that when I visited Shelby in May 2023 its Champions Park stood on the site of the fight. Finally effective public interpretation of a very important event!

Arranged as if you were in the grandstand back then, a combination of statues and kiosks tell not only the story of the fight but also the history of Shelby and environs. Dedicated on July 4, 2013–the 100th anniversary—the park is one of the best outdoor history museums in the state.

The added history background on the town and county adds so much to the experience of exploring Champions Park. Congratulations to everyone who made the park a reality. What had been just a story—and oh what a story it was—now has the place preserved and interpreted. The power of place—Shelby gets it.

When you add the adjacent town carousel, a 2018 project that preserves a 1936 wooden carousel that is still in working order, Shelby has created a new heritage and recreation infrastructure that should serve it well for a generation. Impressive.