Fort Owen State Park

Now that we are settled in Hamilton, we had our first family outing to Fort Owen State Park, which is just a 20 minute drive up the valley, in Stevensville.

Fort Owen's claim to fame is a lot of Montana's firsts: First white settlement, first Catholic church, first grist mill, etc.  In 1850 John Owen came out west at a time when the mission was closing down.  He bought the land and over the course of the years he developed the fort.  It became an important haven to those braving the American frontier in subsequent years.  Owen had hoped that his fort would become the central hub for Western Montana, but those dreams did not last.  By the end of the Civil War, Missoula (just a 30 minute drive north today) was booming and becoming the new settlement that was connected to Eastern Washington via the Mullan Road.

As the fort's importance waned, and John Owen became poor in health and mired in debt, the area fell into disrepair.  The land eventually became owned by local farmers, who then donated it to the Stevensville Historical Society, and in turn to Montana State Parks.

Today the East Barracks building is the only original building still standing.  Excavations have taken place to unearth foundations and artifacts of this era of Montana frontier life.  A few replicas have been placed in this small park for visitors to explore on this mostly self guided experience.

If you find yourself in the gorgeous Bitterroot Valley of Montana, and have an hour of time to kill, this small state park is worth checking out if you're interested in American history and learning about the life of our ancestors as they settled the West.