Lewis and Clark in Fort Benton, Montana

Established in 1846, Fort Benton, Montana rose to prominence as a fur trading post with its strategic location on the Upper Missouri River. Fort Benton was also well known at places across the border, like at Fort Walsh now in modern day Saskatchewan, where trading occurred between merchants and the North West Mounted Police on the western frontier.

Prior to the settlement of Fort Benton, the Lewis and Clark Expedition camped nearby at the confluence of the Marias River and Missouri River in 1805. They spent nine days exploring the area to determine which river was actually the Missouri and the way to the Pacific Ocean. A large statue by artist Bob Scriver commemorates this history in Fort Benton, depicting Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea with her infant son overlooking the river.