1805 saw both the American Lewis and Clark expedition and the French Larocque expeditions exploring what later became Montana and gauging its suitability for the fur trade. It was very suitable. From then until the height of the fur trade in the 1830s, both national and international interest in furring inspired the creation of both organized companies and solo adventurers to trek and trap Montana's wilderness. To support this, multiple and often transient trading Forts were established, these being abandoned when attacked by Indians or when the local fur supplies ran low.

    Fort Maddock was established by an enterprising trapper turned merchant, Victor Maddock, in 1845, near the Smith River. Maddock hoped to provide an outpost for the adventurers trapping in the Little and Big Belt Mountains.
    Eventually, he envisioned, the town would also serve as the Smith River port for barge travel up to the Missouri River and the other trading Forts located thereby. Unfortunately, Maddock's grand plans never saw fruition for the fur trade was, by 1850, virtually extinct. When he abandoned Fort Maddock for greener pastures farther west, Maddock left a small but self-sustaining village comprised of those permanent residents who could provide services to the few mountain men who remained in the area. Maddock boasted a post office, a church, several general stores, stables, and a tavern called White Horse Tavern.
    Gold revived Fort Maddock. In 1857, a prospector found what appeared to be gold in one of the side canyons off the Smith River Valley. This dust was sent to St. Louis, pronounced gold, and the first claim, "My Fair Lady", was drawn up for the area. Already having an established road and boasting previous settlement, Fort Maddock was ripe for the growth it saw in the next few years.
    Hopeful gold-seekers flocked to the area followed by a new set of equally hopeful merchants and service providers. With them came their families. The arrival of women, children and more eastern traditions, evolved the trading post into a town and the title 'Fort' was dropped from Maddock's name.

    By 1858 the first ranching family, the Quintans, arrived along with their base herd of 100 head of cattle. Karl Quintan quickly purchased the finest tracts of land and rented grazing rights on adjacent areas and allowed prospecting on his land in exchange for partnership on claims. Though gold has not yet been found in his lands, his cattle ranching has been hugely successful and he has long been involved in local town political and business matters. In 1861 the Civil War drew his oldest son away and in 1864 Martha Quintan, Karl's wife, was killed in a horsebackriding accident.

    The years between 1860 and this writing (1877) have seen Maddock 
grow fairly consistently. A schoolhouse was erected for the town's 
children, a library was built and stocked very well for a frontier 
town, new businesses have come to town at a decent rate, and 
homesteaders have begun to move into the area.

The owner of the White Horse Saloon was killed in a violent feud 
Which also burned the saloon to the ground. A new saloon, the Grey 
Horse, was established soon after. Maddock's original Catholic 
church was burned, and a new church was established near the old 
site. A Reformed Church was built south of town, which also holds 
regular services. The Golden Star Hotel was built in 1860, and 
proudly boasted the best accommodations in town.

This growth was cut short, however, by a devastating fire which 
savaged the town and most of its buildings in the winter of 1877.
Those who have made their home and life here have vowed to rebuild,
but it will be a long journey to bring Maddock back to its once 
grand state.