WOLF POINT HISTORY

A traveler on the river, in 1842, noted in his journals many wolves sighted near old Wolf Point. Several fur trading forts were operated by the American Fur Company. In the 1860-70's when the river steamboat was the principle mode of transportation, Wolf Point was a refueling point as well as an Indian trading post. Winter trappers stacked their wolf hides along the river to wait for spring when the steamboats would transport them to the East. The name "Wolf Point" was here to stay.

The railroad came to the area in the late 1880's replacing the romantic river boats forever. In 1912, the Fort Peck Indian Reservation was opened to homesteaders and the town of Wolf Point moved from the river bank to the railroad about one mile North.

Lewis and Clark spent 35 days in Wolf Point. The Lewis and Clark Bridge (Wolf Point Bridge) crosses the Missouri River six miles southeast of town on Montana Highway 13. The adjacent Lewis and Clark Bridge Park provides access to camping, fishing, and rafting on the Missouri River.

For more than a century, residents have passionately dug for dinosaur bones. Dr. Barnum Brown of the American Museum of Natural History discovered the rich fossil field nearby, uncovering the first Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton in 1902. During dam construction, amateur diggers found fossils, buffalo skulls, and artifacts from Old Fort Peck.

Dinosaur digging hit the limelight in 1997, when one of the largest T-REX specimens was found called Peck’s REX. Dinosaur enthusiasts may see Peck’s Rex at the Fort Peck Dam Interpretive Center where bones and exhibits are on display. The glass lobby offers a stellar view of the Missouri River and features a warmwater fish aquarium, dam construction exhibits, Montana’s abundant fossils, and wildlife displays. You may collect fossils for educational or scientific purposes if you possess an Antiquities Permit.