Many people question conspiracy theories, and sometimes that’s for good reason. But then there are those stories that seem like maybe, just maybe, there could be a little bit of truth to them. And whether or not you’re a believer, these conspiracy theories in Montana are quite entertaining.

1. Thomas Cover really killed John Bozeman.

John Bozeman was an early Montana pioneer who helped to create the Bozeman Trail and found his namesake city of Bozeman. In 1837 he was killed while traveling along the Yellowstone River with Thomas Cover, a flour mill owner. The story was that both men had been attacked by Blackfeet Indians, killing John and wounding Thomas. But rumor has it that John Bozeman was a ladies’ man, and Thomas Cover was jealous… so he killed him.

2. The Mariana UFO Incident in Great Falls was an alien sighting… and the Air Force covered it up.

In 1950, Nick Mariana was out inspecting the empty Legion Stadium baseball field with his secretary before a game. When a bright flash caught his eye, he looked up and saw two bright rotating silvery objects. Nick ended up getting some footage of the objects, which was inspected by Air Force officials. The objects were determined to be reflections from two nearby F-94 jet fighters, but when Nick watched his film again, he noticed the first 35 frames were missing. The Air Force denied removing any frames, but other people backed up Nick’s claims. Later the footage was watched again and the Air Force officials admitted that the objects were not actually jet fighter reflections.

3. Missoula does not exist.

A man named Skyy Wolford claims that Missoula doesn’t exist because of the Bielefeld Conspiracy, a satire of conspiracy theories.

Skyy asks, "Have you known anyone from Missoula? Have you ever been to Missoula? Do you know anybody who has ever been to Missoula?"

Of course, if you’re a Montanan the answer is "yes" to all three. The original information in this story was shared from a satire site, but a few people believed it. We’re guessing they definitely aren’t from Montana.

4. The Boulder Mountain Contact

In 1940, Udo Wartena, an immigrant and employee of the Northwest Mining Company, reported making actual contact with aliens. He was working near Canyon Ferry Lake when he heard a humming noise. He climbed up to a viewpoint so he could see better, and that’s when he noticed a disc-shaped craft hovering in a field. According to Udo, a staircase descended and a man spoke to him. He invited Udo onto the ship, where he met another man. The men invited Udo to go with them on the ship, but he declined. Naturally, it seems like Udo would be inventing this tale for the attention… except he kept it a secret until he was on his deathbed in 1989.

5. Flathead Lake is hiding a monster.

Many people have reported seeing a large eel-shaped creature in Flathead Lake, similar to the Loch Ness Monster. Is it the same kind of creature? Are there many of them? If it’s all fabricated, why do people always describe the exact same traits?

Have you heard of any other conspiracy theories in Montana?