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w w w. d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m
Bull train leaving a stacked levee for
Montana's gold fields to the south
lous traders suddenly became very respectable traders, supply-
ing the established Canadian outposts with the legitimate goods
they needed. Since the cost of bringing goods in through Fort
Benton was substantially less than for the overland route used
by Canada's Hudson's Bay Company, they were able to consis-
tently undercut them for these lucrative Canadian government
contracts. River traffic picked up again, as well. The later 1870s
saw 25–50 steamboat arrivals per year with about 30% of that
freight shipped up north.
By 1887 the railroad finally arrived and it was the death knell for
the steamboats. Ironically, the railroad was built, in part, with sup-
plies hauled up river by the steamboats. Cattle ranches began to
spring up to help sustain the town, with their cattle being shipped
to Chicago on the train. But, as Fort Benton quietly slipped into the
20th century, precious little was left of its rowdy past.
The "Birthplace of Montana" was recognized as a National
Historic Landmark in 1965 for its importance to Western Expan-
sion during the last half of the 19th century.
All historical black and white photos courtesy of Overholser
Historical Research Center, Fort Benton, Montana.
Mule train headed north for the
Whoop-Up Trail loaded with whiskey
