Armstead is a former community in Beaverhead County,

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

, United States, about south of the county seat of

Dillon Dillon may refer to: People *Dillon (surname) * Dillon (given name) *Dillon (singer) (born 1988), Brazilian singer * J. J. Dillon, primary ring name of American professional wrestler James Morrison (born 1942) Places Canada * Dillon, Saskatchewa ...

. It was named after miner Harry Armstead. Armstead was located in a narrow valley of the

Beaverhead River The Beaverhead River is an approximately tributary of the Jefferson River in southwest Montana (east of the Continental Divide). It drains an area of roughly . The river's original headwaters, formed by the confluence of the Red Rock River and ...

, near the mouth of Horse Prairie Creek. The town was a station stop on the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad is a Railroad classes, Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United Stat ...

line from

Idaho Falls, Idaho Idaho Falls is the fourth most populous city in Idaho and the county seat of Bonneville County. It is the state's most populous city outside the Boise metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population of Idaho Falls was 64,818.2020 Cen ...

Butte, Montana Butte ( ) is a consolidated city-county and the county seat of Silver Bow County, Montana, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. The city covers , and, according to the 2 ...

. There was a

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...

in Armstead from 1907 to 1962. Armstead is perhaps best remembered as the eastern terminus and headquarters of the

Gilmore and Pittsburgh Railroad The Gilmore and Pittsburgh Railroad (G&P), now defunct, was an American railroad located in southwestern Montana and east-central Idaho. Constructed in 1909 and 1910 between Armstead, Montana, and Salmon, Idaho, the G&P served mining and agricult ...

, which operated a line from there to

Salmon, Idaho Salmon is a city in Lemhi County, Idaho. The population was 3,119 at the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Lemhi County. History The Lewis and Clark Expedition crossed the Continental Divide at Lemhi Pass, to the southeast of Sal ...

between 1910 and 1939. The

Lewis and Clark Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * " Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohe ...

expedition traveled past the future location of Armstead during its westward trek in 1805. The construction of

Clark Canyon Dam Clark Canyon Dam is an earthfill dam located in Beaverhead County, Montana, about south of the county seat of Dillon. The dam impounds the waters of the Beaverhead River, creating a body of water known as Clark Canyon Reservoir. The structure w ...

in 1961–1964 created a reservoir that completely inundated the former site of Armstead. The town was still a viable community when the decision to build the dam was made. Because of this, some people do not categorize Armstead as being a ghost town. When the water level is low enough parts of the old highway, railroad, and even some building foundations are still visible.

Notes

1907 establishments in Montana 1962 disestablishments in Montana Former populated places in Beaverhead County, Montana Former populated places in Montana Populated places disestablished in 1962 Populated places established in 1907 Submerged places in the United States {{US-ghost-town-stub