I sat next to the levee, watching the Missouri River tumble by. Leaves on nearby branches clattered against each other like tiny castanets. Sparkles of light dotted the river and the sound of morning visitors to the old fort behind me mingled in with the natural surroundings.

Fort Benton is known as “The Birthplace of Montana,” because it was the northernmost point of the river that steamships could dock in the 1800’s.

The fur, buffalo and gold trading activity of the early years along the riverfront is long gone. These days The Levee Walk borders the river, offering benches, tables, historical markers and exhibits. It’s a place to honor the past and to give present visitors an insight into the history of the area.

The fact that the Grand Union Hotel in Fort Benton, MT, is standing at all is a testament to a building’s ability to survive a remarkable sequence of events. Multiple changes in ownership, combined with almost continuous blows due to various economic upheavals, make the hotel’s history read like a roller coaster ride.

Built in grand scale in 1882, it was only one year before the North Pacific Railroad completed a line into Helena, sending the hotel almost immediately into failure. It was sold in 1884 at auction. It continued to suffer and sold yet again in 1899, at which point restoration efforts kept it on its feet for awhile. Again it was sold in 1917 and struggled until the Great Depression sent it into yet another downward spiral. In 1952 the hotel again changed ownership and acquired addition restoration upgrades, which kept it going for some time. The command changed again in 1979 with another ownership change.

It closed for more renovations in 1983, but these efforts failed and, once again, it sold in 1986 at auction, but sat empty for years. Finally, a massive restoration effort by James and Cheryl Gagnon led the hotel to reopen in 1999, from which point on it has maintained its formidable stature and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

I was given a room on the second floor, with a view of the back gardens and, beyond that, the river. It was a better option than a room in front, which would have looked out over the main street. The preferable choice for future guests would be a corner suite and I made a note to myself to recommend this, as those accommodations were not only more spacious, but bathed in light from several windows, as opposed to the single window in the standard rooms. Still, mine was a perfectly fine accommodation, with all the modern amenities for a comfortable night. And the view was a plus.

I pulled a chair up to the window and looked down on the back garden. A patio below offered outdoor dining for the hotel’s restaurant and a few early customers were taking tables, ordering drinks and perusing the menu. Staff scurried around in preparation for the evening. Torches were lit around the patio’s perimeter and votive candles were set in the center of each table.

Before long, I felt a longing to step into the scene myself. I found my way to the restaurant and took a patio table where, with the help of an excellent server, I enjoyed an Asian stir fry with soy-ginger glaze. In spite of a growing coolness in the evening air, I succumbed to the temptation of a frozen dessert after that. A trio of miniature scoops of ice cream arrived at my table, one each of vanilla, coffee and heath bar with pecans. The atmosphere of the candlelit patio was soothing and I was glad I had opted for the hotel dining, rather than grabbing a quick bite at a local cafe.

Though Fort Benton has a few businesses scattered along its main street, interspersed with historical buildings, it has an authentic small wayside town feel to it, rather than the touristy renovated shine that it could have with some sprucing up and financial infusion. It felt right for an old steamship town. Sometimes less is more.

The levee walk itself has clearly been developed with careful planning. Stretching the entire length of the main section of town, it blends in with the natural setting while still offering benches, picnic tables, regularly placed educational markers and historical displays, including a replica of the keelboat Mandan, used in the movie “The Big Sky.” The original fort is also in the process of being reconstructed.

Canine lovers will enjoy a statue of Shep, commemorating the legend of a steadfast dog that waited faithfully for his master, meeting every train that arrived for five years after watching the master’s coffin being loaded onto a train.

After a good night’s sleep, I took my place again in the hotel’s dining room, this time inside at a booth bathed in morning sunshine. Laminated placemats showed old-fashioned pen and ink sketches of the hotel. Musical jazz selections added some day-starting energy to the air. Beautifully restored tin ceilings hovered high above the room.

It turned out the morning “continental” breakfast included hot trays of frittata and hash browns. A platter of fresh cantaloupe, grapes and nectarine slices accompanied a tiered tray with cinnamon pull-apart rolls and a peach coffee cake that was just short of addicting. And breakfast was included with lodging – a rarity with historic hotels.

Fort Benton is filled with early Montana history, including tributes to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. “Explorers of the Marias,” a statue of the two, accompanied by Sacagawea and her young son, rests alongside the levee, created by sculptor Bob Scriver.

Without a doubt, the Grand Union Hotel is the classy and ambiance-preferred place to stay when visiting this historical town and surrounding area. Bring a camera, an appetite for Montana history and a sweater for chilly patio dining. And ask for a corner suite.