BILLINGS, Mont. – A Facebook group dedicated to preserving and celebrating the history of Billings has gained significant attention and membership over the past two years. The group, "Billings, Montana... As She Was and Is," was created by Rebecca Heimbuck with the goal of fostering emotional connections to the area's rich history.

Heimbuck is passionate about honoring the history of Billings and promoting what makes the city special. "I feel like Billings history needs to be preserved," she said. "I want to do more stories on the history than just facts, you know, make people let people care about the stories."

The group has attracted more than 20,000 users who browse content and honor a time gone by. Heimbuck noted that many members experience nostalgia for a slower time and appreciate learning new things about their city. "Lots of nostalgia, people remembering what feels like a better time," she added.

Unlike many online comment sections, the discussions on Heimbuck's page tend to be filled with kindness, compassion, and appreciation. "Hopefully kindness and tolerance and everything that makes Billings a special place," she said.

Heimbuck believes that education and understanding can help people become more appreciative of different perspectives. She is currently working on documenting the history of the Western Bar on Minnesota Avenue, a building with a rich past that some people believe should be preserved. "Take that down, you kind of touch something that you can't get back," she stated.

As Billings continues to evolve, Heimbuck's page plays a role in honoring the city's past. "I don't want to be a city of just a bunch of box stores," she said. "You want some character and some flavor to the city that makes Billings, right.

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