"Fort Benton, Montana" Fort Benton by jasperdo

The oldest town in Montana, Fort Benton is an interesting place to stop if you're in Central Montana. There are a number of historic buildings, museums, and a nice park along the Missouri River.

Lewis and Clark passed through here on their epic journey to the Pacific Ocean. The town was founded because it is located at the furthest you can navigate up the Missouri River by stramboat. In it's heyday, Fort Benton was a busy, rowdy town full of the hustle and bustle of the steamboat trade. The fortunes of the town declined rapidly when the Northern Pacific was built, eliminating the need for goods and people to travel up the river to Fort Benton.