manning with the western heritage center and jocye jensen wrote a book about the town.ow did billings get its name? >> fredericks got its name from frederick billings, former president of the northern pacific railroad who they honored by naming the town after him. >> the railroad created the town and almost by accident. >> there was a nearby town by the name of colson which expected to be the next great railroad town. because they raised prices and made it inconvenient for the railroad the railroad decided to build their own town. the town of billings. billings basically prosper the. coulson disappeared. >> about the only thing left of coulson is boot hill cemetery. >> this is the burying grounds of coulson. most people buried here died violently. there were murders, suicides and accidents. they died with their boots on. so we call it boot hill. >> when the railroad came in, billings grew so quickly, one rider said like mushrooms after a rain storm. it quickly took on the nickname, the magic city. >> the town's history is dotted with a lot of colorful characters. for ex