Cascade, Montana

Cascade was once the home of Charles Marion Russell, one of the greatest of America's Western artists. It was in Cascade in 1896 that he met and married Nancy, the wife who handled his business affairs, made him famous and watched over his legacy after his death in 1926.

Cascade had several names between the time of the first building in 1879 and when the Great Northern Railroad built their line up the Missouri River Valley in 1886-1887. A siding was built at the site of Cascade and housing was constructed for the railroad crews. In 1888, a townsite was surveyed and platted by Thomas Gorham (the local postmaster and one of the town's first retailers). The rapid influx of new settlers caused the town fathers to add to the original plat as a grain elevator, creamery, drug store, more retail stores, stockyards, shearing sheds, banks and saloons were added to Cascade's inventory of business buildlings. In 1893 a bridge was built across the Missouri River and what was the settlement at St. Clair (across the Missouri from Cascade) migrated into Cascade (even some of the buildings). When Cascade County was first formed, Cascade was a rival for the honor of being the county seat (which eventually went to the younger town of Great Falls).

Cascade saw plenty of growth until the 1920's arrived. By 1930, only half the former businesses in town were still operating. Shortly after that, a good road was built to connect Cascade with Great Falls and folks saw a lot of their business move up that road.

These days, Cascade is still a quiet, agrarian community. There are many spots nearby along the Missouri River that give anglers access to good fishing. This is also a popular area to begin float trips down the Missouri.