DescriptionChinook was founded in 1871 by Thomas O’Hanlon of County Clare, Ireland, who arrived at the old Fort Belknap trading post located a mile and a half from the present town. He worked as a post trader and served as Chinook’s first postmaster in 1889, the same year the Great Northern Railway arrived. D. R. McGinnis, a newspaperman, suggested naming the community Chinook because of the warm winds called “chinooks” that blew through in the winter. Irrigated agriculture dominated the local economy beginning in 1903 with the approval of the Milk River Irrigation Project, leading to the creation of Blaine County. In 1912, Chinook became the county seat, and the flourishing agriculture eventually led to construction of several sugar beet refineries in the area. Establishment of the Theodore Roosevelt International Highway in 1921 put Chinook on the east-west tourist route to Glacier National Park; this road became US 2 in 1926. Chinook has two 1920s gas stations listed in the National Register: Dave’s Texaco and Young Brothers Chevrolet Garage. Elevation: 2,429 ft. Location: Blaine CountyPersonal NamesO'Hanlon, ThomasMcGinnis, D.R.Other Name(s)Fort BelknapContributing InstitutionMontana Historical Society Library and ArchivesGeolocation[1] Elevation2429 ft.CountyBlaine County
