Livingston, Montana

Livingston is a city and the county seat of Park County, Montana, United States. Livingston is located in southwestern Montana, on the Yellowstone River, north of Yellowstone National Park. The population was 7,044 at the 2010 census.

History

Livingston evolved from a trading post on the Yellowstone River called Benson’s Landing which was approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) downstream from present day Livingston. In July 1882, when Northern Pacific Railway (NPR) contractors arrived, the trading post was renamed Clark City for contractor Heman Clark. The railroad officially reached Clark City on November 22, 1882. At that time, the community moved to its present location upstream from the trading post and was renamed Livingston in honor of a Northern Pacific Railway stockholder and director, Johnston Livingston (1875–81 and 1884–87). Livingston became the first gateway town to Yellowstone National Park, which the NPR began promoting heavily to visitors from the East. The NPR operated a branch line running some sixty miles south to first the Cinnabar station and later Gardiner, Montana. Livingston was also headquarters for the NPR's Central Division and location for railroad shops to service NPR steam trains before their ascent over the Bozeman Pass, the highest point on the line 5,702 feet (1,738 m).