Lewistown is at the geographical center of Montana and is a relatively short distance from two of the state’s largest cities: Great Falls and Billings. The town was founded in the late 1800s as the terminus of the Montana Railroad (an offshoot of the more well-known Northern Pacific line) and was the site of a brief gold rush in the nearby Judith Mountains. Following the short-lived gold rush, Lewistown gained considerable fame for the impeccable sapphires found in the Yogo Gulch. Yogo sapphires are considered some of the most beautiful in the world, and several of them can be found in the Smithsonian museums.