Three Forks and Willow Creek

Three Forks is yet another small town we want to highlight, not too far from Bozeman and located near the headwaters where the Jefferson, Gallatin, and Madison rivers (named after President Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State James Madison, and Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin) flow together and become the Missouri River. This confluence was discovered in 1805 by Lewis, Clark, and their guide Sacajawea. The town was named after this natural wonder many years later. The first settlers of the area were trappers and hunters. Fort Henry (also known as Fort Three Forks), which allowed the hunters and trappers to do business, was operational between 1808 and 1810. But long before that, the area was battle and hunting grounds for a number of tribes, such as the Blackfeet, Crow, Nez Perce, Shoshone, and Flathead.

The town was created as a part of the effort to expand the Milwaukee Railroad when John Quincy Adams (no relation to the president) was tasked with buying land for the project and forming a settlement. The purchase was completed in 1908. For that reason many consider 1908 to be the year of town’s founding, though Three Forks would not get its first mayor or be officially incorporated until the early 1910s.

Beyond its old, western town energy, one popular attraction in Three Forks’ is the historic Sacajawea Inn, established in 1910 by John Quincy Adams in order to give travelers a rest stop. Most of the building was designed by architect Fred Wilson, though the heart of the hotel (the Queen’s House) was originally an 1882 private residence that was moved for the hotel’s construction. The Inn faced many hardships over the years and was eventually boarded up in 2001. But, in 2009, the Folkvords, a third generation Montana family, bought the hotel and revitalized it. Today, the Sacajawea Inn boasts 29 luxury guest rooms, two full-service bars, and a beautiful wedding venue. There is also the Pompey Grill, one of this area’s premier steakhouses.

Not too far from Three Forks, you can find yourself another small community in Willow Creek. Originally called Philosopher’s River during the Lewis and Clark expedition, settlers eventually renamed the settlement Willow Creek after all the willow trees in the area. In the early days, a stage route from Virginia City to Bozeman and Helena passed through the Upper Willow Creek area. Both the Northern Pacific and Milwaukee railroads would eventually pass through as well. Like many Montana settlements, the town drew in people who were looking for mining and farming opportunities, as well as those dissatisfied by the conditions brought about by the Civil War. The town’s population has fallen dramatically over its history, largely due to droughts in the 1920s and the Great Depression. Nevertheless, Willow Creek is still worth the trip for the beautiful scenery. And even though it only has one restaurant, the Willow Creek Cafe and Saloon garners praise and attention from all around.