LAVINA

Working for the T.C. Power & Bro., Walter Burke selected Lavina as a stage stop in 1882. It lies at the crossing of the Musselshell River, between Fort Benton and Billings; audaciously, Burke named the station after a former girlfriend rather than his wife. Lavina was an important stop on the stage line since, in 1903, it took 12 hours to travel by stage from Billings. The town did not experience significant growth until the arrival of the Milwaukee Road in 1907. The railroad purchased land for a depot east of town. The town that grew up around the depot adopted the name Lavina as well, resulting in the abandonment of Old Lavina in 1908, The new town incorporated in 1920. (Copyright 2009, Montana Historical Society: Montana Place Names from Alzada to Zortman, Montana Historical Society Research Center Staff)Lavina is the center of a farming and ranching community where everyone is considered a friend and neighbor. The Musselshell River is noted for its catfish and trout. Hunting and fishing licenses can be purchased at the Lavina Bar. Stop and fish in some of the lakes and streams, participate in a cattle drive, or hunt the wildlife in the area.