LOCATION | THINGS TO DO | RETURN TO ABOUT THE AREA

The Madison Valley was home to various tribes of Native Americans for centuries. The Blackfeet, Nez Perce, and Shoshone all found the surrounding area to be fertile grounds for hunting, fishing, and agriculture.

When gold was discovered in southwest Montana in 1863, small towns and mining camps began appearing almost overnight. The gold rush brought thousands of fortune-seeking settlers to the area, and in 1864 the population of Virginia City grew to more than 10,000. In contrast, the population of Virginia City was only 130 as of the 2000 census.

In the later part of the nineteenth century, the upper Madison Valley became home to farmers growing crops to feed the mining populations a bit farther to the north in communities like Virginia City, Alder, and Ennis.

Addison and Josie Cameron established the town of Cameron in the 1890s. At that time, the "Cameron Store" was the only building in town. In addition to selling retail goods, it housed the Post Office and a dance hall.

Today, the town of Cameron is surrounded by farms and ranches in an agriculturally rich community. Because of Cameron’s proximity to the Madison River and prime hunting areas, many outfitters have opened businesses catering to an internationally diverse, year-round clientele. Tourism is abundant given Cameron’s location midway between Yellowstone National Park and historic Virginia City.