MONTANA’S LAST BEST SLOGAN: This comes from a 7/18/05 posting on the New West Network web site out of Missoula: “Robert Struckman of the Missoulian had a great scoop yesterday on the owner of the Paws Up Ranch, David Lipson, attempting to trademark the term ‘The Last Best Place.’ Since that phrase was invented by our friend and Missoula writer Bill Kittredge, and since it's been widely used for years to describe our great state, we find it more than a little offensive that a Las Vegas businessman would attempt to usurp it for his personal commercial benefit. And we're going to try and do something about it. We're planning to mount a formal opposition to Lipson's various trademark applications for the phrase, and we'll need your support to succeed.” The phrase “The Last Best Place” became the title to a well-known anthology of Montana writers. In a 7/21/05 response to the NWN article, Kittredge disputes his role as the sole coiner of the phrase. He says it was a group effort during a gathering of writers at Chico Hot Springs.
