Fort Benton, Montana Territory

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National Bank Notes > Montana

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Fort Benton, Montana Territory, First NB, 2476
Fr. 404 $5 1875
Grade: VF +    

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Fort Benton is the county seat of Chouteau County and was established in 1846. It is one of the earliest settlements in the West. Fort Benton was established by Auguste & Pierre Chouteau as a last fur trading post on the Missouri River. As fur trading declined the American Fur Co. sold the fort to the U.S. Army because it had become an important trade link for miners, merchants, migrants, steamboats and the railroad. The fort was named by the US Army for Senator Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri. The bank was chartered on June 15, 1880 and changed its title to Northwestern National Bank of Great Falls on April 15, 1891. There were 5,229 sheets of Territorials recorded and six notes with the second title. C.E. Conrad was the vice president and Joseph A. Baker, Cashier. This rare and elusive Montana Territorial is a lovely reminder of the gold rush and mining in Montana before the West was won. This note is VF + with some weakness on the three folds when it was either 'mad money' or a savings account for a migrant after the European settlers migrated that way.

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