History of craig montana

• There are more drift boats in Craig Montana than people. There's a campground, a couple fly fishing shops, two taverns, a restaurant, a burger and burrito trailer, a few summer cabins and some rooms to rent. There is no grocery store or no gas pump. This community is a fishing village along the Missouri River.  Craig owes its beginnings to miners and homesteaders. Warren and Eliza Craig filed a gold claim in 1886 and built a log cabin on the current town site.  Then came a Post Office and then the Montana Central Railway provided freight and passenger rail service between Helena and Great Falls.  In 1908 a flood devastated the town when its 25-foot floodwall toppled the iconic water tower that fed the steam engines. The floodwaters scoured the rails off the rims of the river.  Rail service between Helena and Great Falls ceased awaiting new tracks. With time the railbed was rebuilt through Craig. After the flood some people remained some decided to leave.  The construction of the Holter Dam provided some jobs and a new life emerged in the little village by the river especially fly fishermen from all over the U.S. Today the rails are no longer in use. The citizens of Craig are sensitive to the river corridor values of clean viewsheds and clean water. Water is a lifeline to those that work and live in Craig and call it home.  Even though Craig is not an incorporated town, there is a three percent "resort tax".  The town doesn't have curbs, gutters, paved streets or street lamps. The town installed a sewer system to replace the septic tanks.  The Trout Shop, and Headhunter Fly Shop refer clients to a host of local guides that are eager to launch boats, catch huge fish  and put happy faces on fishermen.  In 2016 judging by the out of state license plates outside of "The Shop" the lack of rail service is something they don't worry about.  It's the 6,035 rainbow and 500 brown trout of catchable fish per mile that draws fishermen from all over the world. Chris Goodman has been operating "The Shop" for 28 years and points out the Craig is the epicenter of the upper Missouri fishery.  Craig located off Interstate 15, the outflow of Holter Dam, the bridge connecting the scenic old highway, along with Craig's proximity to Great Falls and Helena with their commercial airport, makes it accessible and the fishing makes Craig legendary.