Fort Peck in Valley County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

Town Built for a Dam

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 26, 2020

1. Town Built for a Dam Marker

Captions: (top right) Downtown Fort Peck, June 26, 1936. Business shown include Texaco Gas Station, Vornholt's Drug Store, beauty shop, Buttery's Meat Market, Kearney's Newstand, Stewart's Dry Cleaning, Lucke's Shoe Store, Green Hut Café, and the Lutheran church. (middle right) Barracks were built a half mile west of the town, grouped in blocks of 16, Each bunkhouse had a large room with 24 single or double-deck bunks. A bathhouse sat between them at each end of the block. The middle of the block had a mess hall with space to feed 384 men at one time.; (bottom right) Workers ling up at the Administration Building, July 16, 1936.

Inscription. Today, the quiet countryside surroundings Fort Peck Dam is very different from the energy and bustle than once occurred here. During the height of the dam's construction in the mid-1930s, it was a mass of men, materials , and machines.
Before the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could build Fort Peck Dam, it had to build a town to house the thousands of workers needed to construct it. People came from all over Montana and the United States for a chance to work on one of the largest public works projects in U.S. history.

Building a Community
The town of Fort Peck sprang up quickly. Shown here (middle left) in June 1937, it included a 12-store business block, a 40-bed hospital, a town hall, a hotel, a school, a recreation hall, and a 1200-seat theater. The bunkhouses were built for laborers. Dormitories were built for foremen and other skilled labor. Temporary houses in the town were built for managers and supervisors. Big Shot Row is where the Army Officers lived.

Erected by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers.

Location. 48° 0.601′ N, 106° 25.292′ W. Marker is in Fort Peck, Montana, in Valley County.

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Marker can be reached from Yellowstone Road near Winter Harbor, on the left when traveling east. The marker is located in front of the Fort Peck Interpretive Center. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fort Peck MT 59223, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Boomtowns on the Outskirts (here, next to this marker); Powerful Afterthoughts (within shouting distance of this marker); Diverting the Mighty Missouri (within shouting distance of this marker); In Memory (approx. one mile away); Built with Muscle and Muck (approx. one mile away); Fort Peck Dam (approx. one mile away); The Slide of '38 (approx. one mile away); Fort Peck Administration Building (approx. 1.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Peck.

Town Built for a Dam Marker, detail image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 26, 2020

2. Town Built for a Dam Marker, detail

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 26, 2020

3. Town Built for a Dam Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on December 8, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 8, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 120 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 8, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.