Fort Owen State Park

Fort Owen State Park is the site of many "firsts" in Montana history and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was home to Montana's first Catholic church founded by Father DeSmet in 1841, and the state's first permanent white settlement. Also located here was Montana's first sawmill, first grist mill, first agricultual development, first water right, and the first school for settlers. Major John Owen arrived in the Bitterroot Valley in 1850 and established the fort and began trading with the Indians and the growing number of immigrants. Period furnishings and artifacts are displayed in the restored rooms of the east barracks. Take your time to browse through a small museum housed in preserved and partially-reconstructed structures. Enjoy the interpretive signs and exhibits that detail the state park's history. Fort Owen State Park is one acre in size and sits at an elevation of 3,398 feet.