
11 Of The Oldest Founded Towns To See In Montana
What Is The Oldest Founded Town In Montana?
Depending on who you ask that question to, you will get a different answer, and honestly they might all be right.
One of the reasons for the debate is that record keeping from those days either wasn't as thorough as today, or the records have been lost to time.
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Montana Towns Formed Around Resources
Many of the cities in Montana were formed for the same reasons almost any city gets founded: nearby resources.
Places like Helena and Virginia City were formed thanks to the gold deposits found nearby. While Butte also had a mining background, it was not gold but copper instead.
Other places got formed for their commerce connections, like how Fort Benton got its start as a fur trading post and Livingston was at first a railroad town.
These Towns Are Older Than Montana Itself
While it took until 1889 to make Montana the 41st state in the Union, there were already plenty of people living here and not just in one or two places but all across what was then known as the Montana Territory.
Now when it comes to the oldest towns, you usually will find 3 different answers. Some people will say the ghost town Virginia City is the oldest, while others will say Fort Benton, and finally some will say Stevensville is the oldest.
Technically those are all wrong answers to the question, as one town was founded under a different name.
11 Of The Oldest Founded Towns To See In Montana
Gallery Credit: Nick Northern
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Gallery Credit: Nick Northern
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Gallery Credit: Nick Northern
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