Old paddle wheel boat beginning a new lifecycle

BCJ News

Late July my wife Sherry and I stopped in Fort Benton on our way home from Great Falls. After walking along the river downtown we drove north along the highway (MT 387) that passes by Shep’s grave and the airport, then accesses US 87 northeast of Fort Benton. I did a double take when I realized the old paddle wheel boat that sat along the road for years was gone.

I’d wondered about the deteriorating boat every time we passed through Fort Benton on our way home. I began inquiring what happened to the boat. Here’s some of what I learned about who built the boat and why, how it ended up...