Stevensville

Stevensville sits in the Bitterroot Valley between the Bitterroot and Sapphire mountain ranges at about 1000 meters elevation. The Bitterroot River flows along the eastern edge of town and shapes the valley's landscape.

The settlement began in 1841 as St. Mary's Mission through Jesuit missionaries, following a request from the Bitterroot Salish for religious support. This marked the first permanent non-indigenous settlement in Montana.

St. Mary's Mission displays early religious structures and farming tools that shaped how settlers and the local Salish people lived together. You can see how these spaces reflected the daily routines of the first permanent residents.

The town is accessible via U.S. Highway 93 and offers access to trails in Bitterroot National Forest. A local airstrip sits a few kilometers northeast and serves as a convenient arrival point.

A Jesuit named Ravalli established the first pharmacy in Montana at the mission, importing medical supplies from back East. The medical knowledge he brought transformed the place into an early center of healthcare in the region.