Fort Peck, MT

Fort Peck is a dam-era town beside the upper Missouri River, with an older trading-post story underneath it. Abe Farwell established a trading post here in 1867; the present town was built about two miles north in 1934 for Army Corps of Engineers employees working on Fort Peck Dam. The 2020 census counted 239 residents. During construction, over 7,000 people signed on in 1934–35, and the workforce reached about 11,000 in 1936. Fort Peck’s Original Houses Historic District, theatre, hospital, and administration buildings still hold that planned-government-town chapter in place.

The Corps continues to operate the dam, powerhouses, lake, and recreation areas, while the Fort Peck Interpretive Center and Museum keeps the engineering story close at hand. The Fort Peck Theatre, built by the Corps, is another tangible reminder of the construction years. Fort Peck Lake runs 134 miles and has about 1,500 miles of shoreline, so boating, fishing, hunting, and shoreline access shape the surrounding map. Fort Peck is where a Missouri River trading post, a federal dam project, and a large reservoir share one small townsite.