by Trenna Sue Hiler

Created on: December 23, 2011   Last Updated: December 25, 2011

Victor, Montana is a small town located in heart of the Bitterroot Valley in Southwestern Montana. The Bitterroot Mountain Range and the Bitterroot River are on one side and the other side has a view of the Sapphire Mountain Range.  

The town was established August 20th 1881, and was originally named Garfield, after President James A. Garfield. When they applied for a US post office they found that the name had already been taken.

So on August 20th, 1881 the town was named after Chief Plenty Horse a chief of the Salish tribe. Chief Plenty Horse became a devout Catholic and was christened Victor. This is where the town found it’s name. Every  year there is a celebration “Chief Victor’s Day”.

There are around 127 small businesses that call Victor home. It is a thriving little community. There are fishing and hunting guides in the area. There are several restaurants and Bed and Breakfast options.

There are five churches to attend in Victor.  There are schools for grades K-12. There is a lot of  community involvement with schools. The town is proud of the high school sports featuring “the Pirates”.

The Victor Heritage Museum is housed in the Old Railroad depot. The museum is operated with volunteers and open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.   The museum celebrates the rich heritage of the area including mining, railroad, Native American exhibits, schools, churches, business, ranching and natural resources.    

Like most small towns Victor had a Volunteer Rural Fire Department. They serve with the greater area of 100 miles. There is a fire station on Main Street and a substation located at the junction of Bear Creek Road and Red Crow Road. The Victor Fire District was established in 1950 on September 28th. Each volunteer is required to have 40 hours of training a year to stay with the department.

If you are looking for a home in Victor the median range is right around $200,000.  There are some that are a lot more and few that are a little less.

Many people who live in Victor  commute to Stevensville or Hamilton for work. Both of those communities are a little larger and have more employment opportunities.

So why would someone live where they had to drive to work? There is something special about the heart of a small town and Victor embraces that sentiment. They are proud to say they take care of their own and have a safe and beautiful place to call home.

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