The bronze sculpture along Ft. Benton’s Missouri River shoreline salutes a sheep herding dog that has become Montana legend. In 1936 a sheepherder arrived at the Ft. Benton hospital accompanied by his faithful companion. The man died a few days later. His family living in the east requested that his body be shipped to them for burial. A dog followed the casket to the train station  and watched as the body was placed on a train.

For five-and-a-half years the same dog met incoming trains watching for his master to arrive. No one knew the dog’s name so he soon became known as Shep to the Great Northern Railway employees who fed him and allowed him to make the station his home. 

When Shep died he was buried on a hillside above the town. The local Boy Scout Troop served as honor guard and pallbearers with hundreds of Ft. Benton citizens attending the funeral. The railway erected a stone obelisk. A book, Shep Forever Faithful by Stewart H. Beveridge and Lee Nelson relates the story.

SHED “Forever Faithful” sculpture by Bob Scriver

Dedicated June 26, 1994

We start the day with a complimentary buffet breakfast in the hotel’s Union Grille. Under blue skies with scattered clouds we explore historic Ft. Benton, known as the birthplace of Montana. Visitors really should plan a couple of days to absorb all the town has to offer. 

This was Blackfoot territory when Lewis and Clark worked their way up the Missouri River in 1804. A memorial stands in the riverside parkway as well as a replica of the exposition’s keelboat, Mandan. We don’t have time to visit Old Fort Benton and the museums chronicaling the area’s history and development.

On my to do list is the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument Interpertive Center. Is that a mouthful or not? The quiet riverside setting, architecture, displays, information and friendly staff makes this a hidden gem.

Leaving Ft. Benton the road leads to the top of the bluff. Pullouts give us the opportunity for photos of the winding river as it works its way towards Great Falls. Our 42-mile drive to Great Falls takes us through fertile agricultural country.

Additional goals for the day are visits to the Lewis and Clark National Interpretive Center and the C.M. Russell Museum, Home and Studio before dinner at The Celtic Cowboy – Great Falls version of an Irish pub and live music. Lodging for the night at the local Holiday Inn Express.

An hour after leaving Buffalo we cross the border into Montana – Big Montana, Broad Valleys, Wide Open Spaces, Quintessential American West, Big Montana Sky. That is how we see and describe the next two and a half days.

With many miles to drive before we sleep we plan a brief stop at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. Caught up in a compeling presentation by a ranger/historian our visit turns into an hour plus but we leave with a better understanding of this landmark site.

We leave Interstate travel at Billings heading northwest on state and county roads. This is Montana so the speed limit only drops by a few mph. We note that the valleys here are ringed by mountains and always from horizon to horizon Big Montana Sky. Our destination, Ft. Benton, served as a major supply center for the Northwest and Alaska during the gold rush era. Situated on the banks of the Missouri River this was as far as the steamships could navigate so goods, settlers and fortune seekers passed through the region.

This evening the town has a sleepy quality. After-dinner strollers enjoy the paved riverside walkway while the broad main streets carry little traffic. We’ve made reservations at the Grand Union Hotel, Montana’s oldest operating hotel. An award-winning restoration means we sacrifice no 21st-century creature comfort in the 1882 edifice. Sad to say the hotel’s notable dining room is closed on Tuesday evening; The Banque Club across the street provides a dining option. 

A park bench offers a ideal after-dinner spot to contemplate historic events and watch the wide Missouri roll eastward.