Marcus Daly bought his Bitterroot Stock Farm in 1889 and built the Marcus Daly Mansion (406/363-6004, www.dalymansion.org, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. daily Apr.–Oct., $8 adult, $7 senior, $5 youth 6–17) in 1897. After his death, the house was enlarged in 1910 to its present Georgian revival splendor.

Built primarily as a summer home for the Daly family, Riverside, as the mansion was known, looks over the Bitterroot Valley to the rugged peaks in Blodgett Canyon that vie with the Bitterroots for splendor. The house remained in private hands until 1987, when it was acquired by the state.

Riverside is probably the most beautiful estate in Montana. A tree-lined boulevard leads to 50 acres of grounds, which contain an arboretum of specimen trees, a swimming pool, a playhouse, and a tennis court. The 24,213-square-foot mansion contains 42 rooms, 24 of which are bedrooms and 15 are baths. Some of the original furniture and most of the old fixtures remain. The grounds alone are worth a strolling tour.

The mansion is located four miles south of Corvallis and two miles north of Hamilton on MT 269. After leaving the highway, follow a boulevard about one mile until you reach the grounds.

Marcus Daly’s most famous racehorse was Tammany. In keeping with the Daly tradition, Tammany did not simply have a stable, but a brick edifice called Tammany Castle. To see what upscale horses lived in at the end of the 19th century, go one mile east of link Hamilton on MT 269, and look to the south about 100 yards. The stable is not open to the public.