By: Kari Gorder
Havre was established in 1887. It was established on Bull Hook Creek with a small homestead by John T. Bell. Havre's history goes back to when the railroad first arrived. The railroad came in 1890. The owner of the railroad was Jim Hill. By 1893 all the local operations had been moved from near Fort Assinniboine to Bullhook Siding. Hill didn't like the name Bulhook, so some pillars of the community got together to chose a new name. The group that got together consisted of several Frenchmen. After turning down the name France, they decided on Havre, after Le Havre in France. Havre was known as the Honky Tonk Town during its bootlegging days. There was The Montana European Hotel and Grill, known as the Honky Tonk, and the Sporting Eagle Saloon.
Havre is the largest city on the hi-line, having a population of around 10,000 people. Havre has many historical sights around its community.
Historical sights around the community:
- ~The
Whakpa Chu'gun Buffalo Jump located on Highway 2 behind the Holiday
Village Shopping
Center
- ~Bear Paw Paw Battlefield
located 15 miles southeast of
Chinook
- ~Havre
Beneath the Streets on 3rd
Avenue
- ~Fort Assinniboine 6 miles
southwest of
Havre
- ~H. Earl Clack Museum located
in the Holiday Village Shopping
Center
- ~The Badlands,
located on the Milk River road North of
Havre
- ~Bears Paw Mountains, south of Havre