Trego

History

The Fortin Family The Fortin's are the most notable family in Trego's history, being the first homesteaders to the region. In 1894, Octave Fortin and his family settled on 160 acres of meadowland just east of where "Trego" would eventually stand. This homestead would eventually become to be known as the OF Ranch (what today is known as Blarney Ranch). Octave's brother, Phillip Fortin, also homesteaded in the region, about four miles north of Octave's claim (what today is known as the Dunlap Hay Ranch). The Fort Steele/Kalispell Trail bordered the Fortin Ranch along the eastern boundary, and remnants of this original Native American/horse/wagon trail are still visible on the ranch, as are the remnants of the original buildings the Fortin's constructed. Today, much of the trail was filled over and paved for modern day "Ant Flat Road." Octave Fortin, and wife Lena, had five sons, Edward and Walter Ritter (Lena's sons from a previous marriage where their father, William Ritter, died), as well as Oscar, Philip, and Henry. The family primarily raised cattle on the ranch, but also produced other goods such as butter, milk, hay and grains. Fortin to Fortine The confusion arises from an unnamed railroad engineer who mounted the sign "Trego" on what was supposed to be the Fortine station/siding, and mounted the "Fortine" sign on what was supposed to be the Trego station/siding. Once the mistake had been realized, the Great Northern Railway had already printed all of their maps, publications, and informational flyers detailing their new rail line from Kalispell/Whitefish to Eureka, so instead of re-printing everything and the great expense involved, they opted to just leave the names, which has remained to this day. The Fortin Family Legacy on the Region In 1905, Octave…

Geography

Trego is in northeastern Lincoln County and occupies a large portion of the valley of Fortine Creek and surrounding countryside. U.S. Route 93 runs along the northeast edge of the CDP, approximately northeast of the original railroad-station community of Trego, while the CDP extends southwest from the rail station up Fortine Creek for . US 93 leads northwest to Eureka and southeast to Whitefish. Trego is located about 25 miles south of the Roosville Border Crossing with British Columbia, Canada, 16 miles south of Eureka, Montana, 5 miles south of Fortine, Montana, and 7 miles north of Stryker, Montana. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Trego CDP has a total area of , of which are land and , or 1.78%, are water. The Trego area is characterized by dense coniferous forests, open meadowlands, and abundance of small creeks and lakes. The landscape is dominated by the Whitefish Range, which lies just east of Highway 93, punctuated by Stryker Peak and Mount Marston. Dickey Lake is the largest lake in Trego, followed by Murphy Lake, both of which offer recreational activities including boat ramps, campgrounds, hiking trails, and swimming beaches. Fortine Creek, the largest in Trego, offers recreation opportunities with public access.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  144
• Red-breasted Nuthatch

  Sitta canadensis Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  126
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  121
• Dark-eyed Junco

  Junco hyemalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  101
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  78
• Pine Siskin

  Spinus pinus (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  76
• Swainson's Thrush

  Catharus ustulatus (Nuttall, 1840) · Aves
  69
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet

  Regulus calendula (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  66

Most recent

• M 2.9 — 2026-03-13
  32 km S of Pincher Creek, Canada
• M 3.1 — 2025-11-21
  20 km N of Heron, Montana
• M 2.6 — 2023-09-17
  4 km NW of Happys Inn, Montana
• M 2.9 — 2022-09-26
  4 km N of Elmo, Montana
• M 2.5 — 2022-07-14
  6 km WNW of Bear Dance, Montana
• M 2.6 — 2021-03-01
  7 km WSW of Whitefish, Montana