Lewistown is a city in and the county seat of Fergus County , Montana , United States . The population was 5,813 at the 2000 census . Lewistown is located in central Montana, the geographic center of the state, southeast of Great Falls . First planned in 1882, it was the site of an 1880s gold rush .
History The area that is now Lewistown was once the territory of the Blackfoot Native Americans . In 1874, the Military base Fort Lewis was established there by the Company "F" of the 7th U.S. Infantry to provide military protection for people traveling on the Carroll Trail, the then shortest route between Carroll, Montana and Helena, Montana . Lewistown is named after this fort. The first permanent settlers of Lewistown were Métis . The Metis established Lewiston in 1879. With them came Francis A. Janeaux, the founder of Lewistown. He founded the first public school house in 1883.