Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Fort Benton, considered the oldest town in Montana, is a picturesque hamlet on the
banks of the Missouri. Farther north, on the Milk River, is Havre, a rough-and-tumble rail-
road town, the largest on the Hi-Line, with a colorful history. Tightly knit communities like
Cut Bank, Shelby, and Chinook span the Hi-Line and reflect its boom-and-bust cycle.
Established in 1846 as an American Fur Company trading post, Fort Benton (population
1,460, elevation 2,644 feet) became one of the most important trading centers in the North-
west as a critical inland port. Starting in 1860, each year in spring and early summer some
50 steamboats would arrive, loaded with trappers, traders, gold seekers, and mountains of
supplies destined for places across the West. When the Great Northern Railway arrived in
Helena in 1887, the river traffic to Fort Benton all but dried up. The last steamboat to Fort
Benton left in 1922.
The infrastructure created in Fort Benton's heyday—including a glamorous hotel—still
lures visitors today. In fact, the entire town is recognized as a National Historic Landmark,
and the people of Fort Benton have done much to preserve and promote their storied past.
The old steamboat levee, along what was once known as the “bloodiest block in the West,”
has been transformed into a tranquil walking path. The original fort has been partially re-
built in the center of town, and there are two wonderful museums and one of the best his-
toric hotels in the state.
Sights
Fort Benton has an inordinate number of museums for its population, all of which are worth
seeing. A two-day pass, available for $10 at any of the museums, enables you to visit all of
them.
Dedicated to the region's 19th-century history, the
Museum of the Upper Missouri
(Old Fort Park, 406/622-5316,
www.fortbenton.com/museums
,
10am-5pm Mon.-Sat.,
noon-5pm Sun. late May-late Sept.) has a number of exhibits that hark back to Fort
Benton's glory days as the Northwest's most important inland port. Twice-daily guided
tours take visitors on a walk around the fascinating Old Fort.
The
Museum of the Northern Great Plain
(1205 20th St., 406/622-5316,
www.fortbenton.com/museums
,
10:30am-4:30pm Mon.-Sat., noon-4pm Sun. late May-late
Sept.) pays tribute to the agricultural heritage and homestead era.
The
Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument Interpretive Center
(701 7th
St., 406/622-4000 or 877/256-3252,
www.mt.blm.gov
,
8am-5pm daily Memorial Day-late
