Libby officials celebrate getting listed as one of state's best small towns

Municipal officials keep a framed copy of a 2018 Reader’s Digest article naming Libby “the most charming small town in Montana” up on a wall at City Hall — and it’s soon to get company.

Mayor Brent Teske highlighted last week an entry in an online article entitled “The Best Small Town in Each State.” For Montana, Libby was selected as the preeminent small community to visit.

Teske said former Fire Chief Tom Wood made him aware of the listing. The retired chief passed along an article produced by the staff of the Bozeman-based radio station KISSFM 96.7 celebrating Libby’s inclusion in the national list, which was put together by The Getaway.

“That’s pretty impressive,” Teske said at a June 7 Libby City Council meeting. “We’re being recognized on a national level.”

The entry, No. 26 in the list, underscored Libby’s proximity to “unblemished forests, lakes, rivers and waterfalls.” The region’s beautiful views and bountiful opportunities for outdoor recreation added to its allure, according to The Getaway.

The celebration of Libby’s preeminence may be a bit delayed. While the radio station’s coverage was published on KISSFM’s website in May, the original article on The Getaway is dated October 2019.

Still, Teske took it as welcome praise.

“I’ve got the Readers Digest up on the corner of the wall, but I’ll put this up there, too,” he said. “Got to love our little town.”