Grain Elevators
Photo courtesy: John Ansotegui
Carter Ferry
Community Hall
A few miles southwest of Fort Benton on US Highway 87 sits the small town of Carter, Montana. Present day Carter sits on the west bank of the Missouri on the site of an old ferry crossing called Sidney. In 1905, the Great Northern Railroad changed the name of the town to Carter in honor of Montana's first congressman, Thomas Carter.
Today this agricultural community is in the heart of Montana's 'golden triangle' of grain production and is well known for its outstanding wheat and barley crops. A free river ferry operated by the county, one of only three still in use on the Upper Missouri, carries vehicles and passengers across the river at Carter. It's worth the short detour off of US 87 for this unique experience.