Why did Chief Plenty Coups leave his house for all of us to share?

Before Chief Plenty Coups died, he gave up his home; so it would become a nation's park. He also left many of his belongings; so people would be able to learn about the Absaaloga people. Today, everyone can visit his home, a museum and sacred spring where he settled so long ago. The two-story log structure located at Plenty Coups' State Park today was built in a series of separate building projects. The original two-story portion, found in the middle of the structure, was built in 1884. The United States government built this log dwelling specifically for Plenty Coups. The government was building homes for the leading chiefs of the Crow Indian tribe, including Medicine Crow, Pretty Eagle and others. The portion of the house to the south was added on to the original structure in about 1890, and the structure to the north was added on in 1903. The date of the north addition in 1903 is considered accurate because it contains materials from Fort Custer which was dismantled in that year. Some of the door frames and the stairway are more decorative than some of the other portions of the house and are directly tied to Fort Custer prior to 1903. The bricks in the fireplace are also from Fort Custer.

Plenty Coups agreed in 1928 after negotiating with advisors to leave his home as a nation's park. He got the idea when he visited Mount Vernon, George Washington's home. He said that the day he visited Mount Vernon he was very affected by the respect shown by people there. The deep thinking that people did while they were at George Washington's home was also acknowledged. He said a prayer that he tried to fulfill in his later life. He prayed to also leave a small place for all people to visit to think deeply about the course of their nation. He hoped that when they came to his home they would think about the difficulties that all cultures struggle with and about how to deal with those things. From the idea of leaving his home as a nation's park, he also conceived of the importance of leaving his possessions to be used in a museum someday. He left his belongings so that others would learn from the story of the Absaaloga people.

In 1928 with General Harbord accepting on behalf of the United States government, he gave his home as a nation's park. In 1932, Chief Plenty Coups died, and in the Indian way, they say that he went to , as the Crow Indians call it, the other side of the camp to live as Indian warriors were always meant to live. His home was developed later on to be a park that represents cultural understanding and the bridge between different cultures. From: Chief Plenty Coups State Park Museum Tour Content