Fort Benton, Historic trading post in Chouteau County, Montana.
Fort Benton is a city on the Missouri River in Chouteau County, Montana, situated at 799 meters elevation and serving as the county seat. The city has recreational facilities including a nine-hole golf course, outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts, and riverside access points for visitors.
The settlement began as Fort Lewis in 1846 and was renamed Fort Benton in 1850. It holds the distinction of being Montana's oldest continuously inhabited settlement.
The Schwinden Library holds manuscripts and archives that document how settlers moved across the northern Great Plains. These collections reveal the relationships between European pioneers and Native American communities who lived here.
The city is easy to navigate, with clear access to recreational facilities and the river at multiple points throughout town. Visitors can enjoy outdoor activities year-round, with summer being the best season for water activities and sports.
Until 1890, the city served as the highest navigable port on the Missouri River and a crucial stopping point for steamboats. This position linked distant cities like Saint Louis with remote northern territories across hundreds of miles.
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