The most famous Indian battle was the Crowheart Butte Battle of 1866. That same year, the first homesteaders arrived and settled just up the river. As more people arrived, a saloon opened up, and the town grew around it. Finally, in 1886, the community applied for a post office, but postal officials considered the name they wanted (Never Sweat, for the ease of life there) too improper. Instead, they proposed naming the town after Idaho Senator Dubois, who was a proponent of homesteader rights. The townsfolk found this agreeable, and the name stuck.

In many ways, Dubois hasn’t changed much since then. You can still spot ranch folk tying their horses to a rail on the main street, Rams Horn, which has a wooden sidewalk. Cattle drives and wildlife can also be seen in the middle of town. Locals can’t feel too far removed from nature with bears and moose wandering into their backyards.