“Belt!” I pointed to the sign then pointed to the left. My husband made no indication that he was going to turn. “Belt”, I said again. He said, “Yes, the Little Belts.” Emphatically I pointed again to the sign and said, “Belt, turn here.” We made a quick left-hand turn and almost immediately the road seemed to disappear beneath Belt Butte.
We descended to the valley on a curvy road. The little town of Belt, Montana was just before us. We slowed as we entered the little town, passing the historic jail that now serves as a museum, and the Belt Valley Grocery with the parking area lined with potted plants for flower beds and gardens. “There it is! There’s the Harvest Moon Saloon where we are going to have lunch.” We parked in front of the saloon and hopped out of the car. Though the town is not big in size, it is abundant in character. I was fascinated with the old buildings that revealed the architecture of the Finnish and Slavic emigrants who first settled there when the town sprang up. There is a certain air about those small western towns that seems to defy time.
When we entered the saloon, it was just as I imagined. Locals, I guess, sat at the bar spinning their yarns and talking loudly. Upon seeing us, a spry little lady who ran the joint admonished one of the men, “Watch your language! Do you think you’re in a bar or something?” We sat at a table and the lady greeted us with menus and a hello. The whole time we were there, she ran back and forth from the dining area to the grill area to the bar. I took in the whole scene before me – the people, the old relics, the newer technology available, the dim rooms, the neon signs, the old, clouded windows.
At one time, Belt was a coal mining town, the first in the state of Montana. They supplied fuel to Fort Benton, the smelter at Great Falls, powered locomotives of the Great Northern Railway, and heated homes throughout Central Montana. Just as quickly as the town grew, it came to an abrupt halt when other fuel sources became readily available. Yet, the small town never gave up. The people of Belt, as well as the town itself, have survived the years. From a population of 4000 in the 1890’s during its heyday to a population of 564 in 2020, the town has endured. They found other ways to secure their place in living history. Being in grain country and fed by some of the country’s finest water from the Madison Aquifer, it has become a prime brewing place for makers of craft beers. Belt jail was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, and the main section of town was listed in 2004. That continues to draw visitors into the quaint town – including us.
Belt Butte with its dark “belt” of sandstone around its middle, draws travelers’ attention as they pass that way. Not only is the town of Belt named for the butte, but also Belt Creek, and the Little Belt and Big Belt Mountains. Had we not taken the time to turn off the main road, we would certainly have missed another of Montana’s hidden treasure, the little town of Belt, Montana.
