Winifred in Fergus County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

The Judith Landing

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 24, 2020

1. The Judith Landing Marker

Inscription. Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark arrived at the mouth of the Judith River on May 29, 1805 and named it for Clark's sweetheart, Julia Hancock. Lewis described it as a "handsome river" and noted the recent evidence of Indian encampments there. The fur traders who followed on the heels of the Corps of Discovery were well acquainted with this area. Beginning in the 1860s, Missouri River steamboats en route to Fort Benton often tied up here to buy fuel from "woodhawks" who cut timber on the surrounding bluffs. In 1865, the U.S. Army established a fort called Camp Cook on the west bank of the Judith. It was one of the most remote military posts in Montana with access to it so difficult that even the "Indians moved away and left it alone." The army abandoned the post in 1869. In 1872, Fort Benton entrepreneur Thomas C. Power erected Fort Clagett near the month of the river. By 1885, it was the site of a bustling community that included a stone warehouse, saloon, hotel, stable, blacksmith shop, and store.

Erected by Montana Department of Transportation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic

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lists: Exploration • Forts and Castles • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is May 29, 1895.

Location. 47° 43.57′ N, 109° 38.079′ W. Marker is in Winifred, Montana, in Fergus County. It is on PN Bridge Road (State Highway 236), on the right when traveling south. The marker is about 1 mile south of the PN Bridge and Missouri River. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Winifred MT 59489, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in andspecifically entral Montana in Russell Country. It is also in the American Mountain West

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Camp Cooke (here, next to this marker); Claggett Hill Trail (approx. 0.9 miles away); The Anglos Are Coming (approx. one mile away); Welcome to the Mountain Ranges (approx. one mile away); Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 24, 2020

2. The Judith Landing Marker

(approx. one mile away); Naturally Sustained Productivity (approx. one mile away); Tale of Two Treaties (approx. one mile away); a different marker also named Camp Cooke (approx. 1.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Winifred.

Also see . . . Judith Landing, Montana -- Legends of America. Judith Landing, a recreation area located Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River in Montana, has a long history of early exploration. (Submitted on December 6, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

Credits. This page was last revised on July 4, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 6, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 987 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 6, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.