The Missouri River is the reason that Fort Benton, Montana exists. It was originally founded as a trading post for the American Fur Company in 1846 and is the longest continuously inhabited community in Montana. The location for the trading post was selected by the Blackfoot Indians. For the traders, its location on the river provided relatively easy transport to St. Louis, Missouri some 2,000 miles downstream. Shown below are some photographs of the Missouri River at Fort Benton.