Havre Montana History & Facts

Havre is the county seat and largest city in Hill County, Montana, United States. Havre is nicknamed the crown jewel of the Hi-Line. It is said to be named after the city of Le Havre in France. As of the 2020 census the population was 9,362.

Havre was incorporated in north central Montana in 1893. It was founded primarily to serve as a major railroad service center for the Great Northern Railway (built by James J. Hill) with its location midway between Seattle and Minneapolis-St. Paul. A statue of Hill stands near the Havre Amtrak station to commemorate the key contributions his railroad has made to Havre's and Montana's history. Also next to the station on display is Great Northern S-2 Class #2584, a 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive that served the station while it was in passenger service.

Originally named "Bullhook Bottoms", the town held a series of meetings to determine a new name. The original settlers were given the final decision, and due to a strong French influence, the town was renamed "Havre".

Simon Pepin (1840–1914), the "Father of Havre", was born in Quebec and emigrated to Montana in 1863, where he became a contractor, furnishing supplies for the construction of Fort Custer, Fort Assinniboine, and Fort Maginnis. Pepin purchased ranch land near Fort Assinniboine. When James J. Hill built the Great Northern Railway across northern Montana, he built several locomotive shops on property Pepin owned at the site of Havre. Pepin became a major contributor to Havre's economic growth through his cattle, real estate, and banking enterprises.

Havre is the eighth-largest city in Montana, and the largest city in the Montana section of the Hi-Line. With the nearest larger city, Great Falls, about 120 miles (190 km) to the south, Havre serves as a medical and business center for the Montana section of the Hi-Line. U.S. Highway 87 has its northern terminus at Havre. U.S. Highway 2, running east–west, is the city's main street. The largest employers are Northern Montana Hospital, Montana State University–Northern, and the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (BNSF). Throughout much of the twentieth century, BNSF was the most prominent employer in the city, but the company scaled back its workforce in Havre in the 1990s. The Milk River (tributary of the Missouri River) runs through the town, and the Bears Paw Mountains can be seen to the south.

Havre is located in eastern Hill County at 48°33′N 109°41′W (48.5454, -109.6775). U.S. Route 2 (1st Street) is the main road through the city, running east to west near the city's northern border. Route 2 leads east 87 miles (140 km) to Malta and west 102 miles (164 km) to Shelby and Interstate 15. U.S. Route 87 has its northern terminus in West Havre, 3 miles (5 km) west of downtown Havre. US 87 leads southwest 110 miles (180 km) to Great Falls. Montana Secondary Highway 234 leads south from the center of Havre 30 miles (48 km) to the Bear Paw Ski Bowl in the Bears Paw Mountains.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Havre has a total area of 3.28 square miles (8.50 km2), all land.

Famous Peoples From Havre Montana

Philip Aaberg

Philip Aaberg (born April 8, 1949) is an American pianist and composer. He gained international recognition through a series of successful piano recordings released on Windham Hill Records. Although classically trained, Aaberg incorporates classical, jazz, bluegrass, rock, and new music elements into his compositions and musical structures. Although best known for his solo piano work, he is most at home in the chamber jazz genre. His compositions are noted for their "rigorous keyboard technique, diverse influences, and colorful compositional style."

Aaberg was born in Havre, Montana, in 1949 and raised in Chester, Montana. By the age of 14, he was performing with local bands at dances. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Harvard University, he moved to Oakland, California and played in blues clubs for several years. He also toured and recorded as a member of Elvin Bishop's Group at the time of its greatest popularity, and co-wrote the title song of the band's 1976 Struttin' My Stuff release, an album which also included Bishop's biggest hit, "Fooled Around and Fell in Love," featuring Aaberg on piano.

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