Montana town up for auction

• Tweet

GARRYOWEN, Mont., Aug. 9 (UPI) -- The owner of the Montana town close to where Gen. George Custer made his last stand said the small town will be auctioned next Wednesday.

Chris Kortlander, who purchased the town of Garryowen, Mont., in 1994, said the sale includes a gas station, convenience store, Subway sandwich shop, living quarters and a Custer museum -- but the contents of the museum are not included, USA Today reported Thursday.

Kortlander attempted to sell the town on eBay for $6.9 million, but there were no takers. The town will now be auctioned Aug. 15 on-site and online by Oklahoma-based firm Williams & Williams. The starting price will be $250,000.

"I have taken it as far as I can with the financial resources I have," Kortlander said. "I believe this location could be so much more than it is if the right person or corporation came forward."

Kortlander said there will be a separate auction on the same day for what he refers to as the "Elizabeth Bacon Custer manuscript collection," which is a collection of letters, notes, photographs and other items compiled by Custer's widow.