Fort Benton

Download or read book Fort Benton written by Ken Robison and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2009-07-13 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fort Benton, the head of navigation on the Missouri River, is known as the Birthplace of Montana. Its history spans every era in Montanas development. Founded in 1846 as a fur-trading post, it is Montanas oldest continuous settlement. Arrival of the first steamboats and completion of the Mullan Road in 1860 heralded the steamboat era, bringing gold seekers, merchant princes, scoundrels, soldiers, North West Mounted Police, and eventually women and children to the wild frontier. Then came the railroads, open-range ranching, and homesteaders by the thousands. Today Fort Benton serves the agricultural Golden Triangle and presents its colorful history through cultural tourism.