(Fort Benton) – The Fort Benton Community Improvement Association takes care of many historical displays in Fort Benton. Henry Schnackenberg tells us about one historical display on the levee.
“The Keelboat Mandan has been on the Levee here in Fort Benton for nearly sixty years and it was originally a movie prop for the A.B. Guthrie Big Sky Book that was turned into a movie by RKO in 1952.”-Schnackenberg
The Foundation for Montana History recently awarded the Fort Benton Community Association $10,000 for restoration of the Keelboat Mandan. Schnackenberg tells us what this foundation recognized.
“The value of not only having a Keelboat so that visitors can see how people came up the Missouri back before the steamboat, but they also recognize the history connection to that Montana author A.B. Guthrie book. The Big Sky.“-Schnackenberg
This is the second year of a three-year restorations project for the Keelboat Mandan. Schnackenberg tells us what they plan to do this spring and summer.
“This year with our ten thousand dollars we will continue a little bit more keel structure construction in the bow area and also hopefully we’ll be able to start with skinning the boat, putting fresh hull material on it.”-Schnackenberg
