the history of Manhattan, Montana

In the 1800's, families from the Netherlands moved here to grow barley for malters near the little town of Manhattan, named by a group of New York City investors who operated the Manhattan Malting Company.  They settled together in a tightly knit society that continues to flourish today.  By 1898, Manhattan had become quite important to the Valley, with about 150 inhabitants and a school enrollment of 75.  There were two hotels, a general store, one meat market, two blacksmith shops and one saloon.  Today, Manhattan's most productive industries center on seed potatoes, dairy and wheat farms, commercial beef and registered cattle.  In addition, Manhattan is a host to woodcarvers, artisans and antique dealers.

Born from a need to help revive the town, Manhattan Days grew into what is now the Annual Potato Festival. Once a thriving town between the late 1800’s and early 1900s, Manhattan had exploded under the success of the Manhattan Malting Co.  A successful group of businessmen formed what became the first Manhattan Chamber of Commerce. During 1913, the first Chamber of Commerce, with the support of local businessmen, spent $100,000 in improvements to the Town; $50,000 of which had been spent on sidewalks and water systems. With the slump of the early 1970’s, the Chamber of Commerce disappeared, but by 1984, Manhattan was growing again with a newspaper report indicating “1985 was looking brighter for Manhattan.” At that time, Manhattan was a little over 988 residents, and ready for a centennial celebration. The centennial celebration helped ignite the town again, which led to Manhattan Days, eventually morphing into the Potato Festival in 1987. 

On Jan. 12, 1985, the Chamber held its first annual banquet and membership drive meeting; the rest is history. Andy Malby reported, “throughout its 145-year history, Manhattan has been an important center for commerce and trade, and through all its ups and downs, the business community has been at the helm of the town's prosperity.”