This town was founded by two brothers, M.H. and John T. Lott. A year after it was established, the brothers built two bridges, one across the Big Hole River and one across the Beaverhead River. Assured that this would be the hub of the valley, they proceeded to build roads to and from the town. 130 years later their descendants still occupy the valley. The area today is a farming and ranching community. Alfalfa, grains, and potatoes grow in the fields surrounded by the Tobacco Root, Highland, McCartney, and Ruby Mountains.
Near the Twin Bridges school, four Indian trails converged at a natural ford on the Beaverhead. Twin Bridges is now known as a quintessential Montana fly fishing town and home to R.L. Winston Rod, an internationally known maker of custom fly rods.
The town sits at the conjuncture of four rivers: the Big Hole, Beaverhead, Ruby, and Jefferson. When Lewis and Clark camped near here in 1805, they decided to name the three rivers that formed the Jefferson River for the three "cardinal virtues" of their president and benefactor for whom they had just named the Jefferson River. Unfortunately, the names of Philosophy, Philanthropy, and Wisdom were a little hard for settlers that later came through and the rivers were renamed the Big Hole, Ruby, and Beaverhead.
Photo Gallery Butte Area
