The name "Buffalo" evokes images of great shaggy beasts roaming the prairie in herds of thousands. Looking at the rich grassy plains around Buffalo, it seems fitting that the town should bear the name of one of the west's most iconic animals. Like many Montana towns, the community flourished as a railroad town. It began to dwindle as early as the 1920s when depression struck Montana, forcing the Buffalo bank to shut its doors. The empty bank building still stands, a tribute - like the buffalo - to a different time.
Thick grass and rich topsoil around Buffalo still support cattle ranches, dairies and wheat farms. A section of the Lewis and Clark National Forest extends into the area around buffalo, providing opportunities to hike, hunt, fish and camp.
