History of Winifred Montana

Winifred and the Surrounding Area: A Historical Timeline

Thousands of years before Winifred — Indigenous homelands. Human presence in the Upper Missouri River Breaks dates back more than 12,000 years. The broader region served as homeland, gathering places and hunting grounds for numerous Native nations, including the Blackfeet, Aaniiih (Gros Ventre), Nakoda (Assiniboine), Apsáalooke (Crow), Plains Ojibwa and Cree. Other nations traveled into the region to hunt bison and trade. These were overlapping, changing territories rather than the exclusive home of one tribe.

Before European American settlement — A crossroads at Judith Landing. Where the Judith River meets the Missouri, Native peoples gathered at seasonal camps for millennia. The rivers, surrounding grasslands and abundant wildlife made this an important place long before the town of Winifred existed.

May 1805 — Lewis and Clark pass through. The Corps of Discovery camped near the confluence of the Judith and Missouri rivers. William Clark named the Judith River for Julia “Judith” Hancock, whom he later married. Their expedition passed through an already inhabited Indigenous landscape.

1844–1845 — Fort Chardon operates near the Judith River. The American Fur Company established this short-lived trading post near the Judith’s mouth, connecting the area to the expanding Missouri River fur trade.

1846 and 1855 — Major tribal councils at Council Island. Indigenous leaders gathered near Judith Landing to negotiate peace and relationships among tribes. The 1855 negotiations produced the agreement commonly called Lame Bull’s Treaty, which defined hunting arrangements and allowed transportation routes and other United States infrastructure across tribal lands.

1860s–1870s — Steamboats, Camp Cooke and Fort Clagett. Judith Landing became a supply and transportation hub. The Army established Camp Cooke in 1866 to protect steamboat traffic. After its closure in 1870, commercial activity continued through Fort Clagett. Surviving stone buildings recall this river trading era.

1913 — Winifred is founded during Montana’s homestead boom. The town developed at the end of the Milwaukee Road’s Hilger–Winifred branch line. Railroad access made it a shipping and supply center for surrounding farms and ranches.

1913 — The Asbjornson family arrives. Oscar and Thora Asbjornson brought their young family from Minnesota and established a 200-acre homestead near Winifred. Their son Julian, known as “Boots,” would become Norman Asbjornson’s father.

August 1, 1914 — Stafford’s Grocery opens. Brothers James and Peter Stafford established a general store that supplied local homesteaders. Their native sandstone building survived two destructive town fires and continues serving the community as Winifred Grocery. The brothers also farmed and operated a riverside cannery to help supply food locally.

1918 — Winifred incorporates. Winifred became an incorporated municipality, five years after its founding as a railroad town.

1920s–1930s — Difficult years reshape the community. Drought, agricultural hardship and the Great Depression drove many homesteaders away. Families who remained helped sustain Winifred as a small agricultural service community.

1935–1953 — Norman Asbjornson grows up in Winifred. Born in 1935, Norm was raised in the community where his family had homesteaded. He attended Winifred High School, played basketball and football, and wrote the athletic column for the school newspaper. He graduated from Winifred High School in 1953.

1960–1988 — Education and business lay the foundation for future giving. Following Army service, Norm completed his mechanical engineering degree at Montana State in 1960. He later founded AAON in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1988, building the heating and air conditioning business that would make his extensive philanthropy possible.

1990s–early 2000s — Norm begins reinvesting in his hometown. Montana State University’s history places his early community revitalization efforts in the 1990s. Projects included cemetery fencing, swimming pool renovation, support for a community center, teacher housing and school improvements. His goal was to help preserve the community that had supported him growing up.

2009 and the following years — Investment expands into jobs and hospitality. Norm moved Mid-State Signs from Lewistown to Winifred in 2009, investing in a manufacturing facility and local employment. His broader economic development efforts also included the internationally themed hotel originally known as Winifred International Suites, with dining and bowling facilities.

2020–2023 — A major investment transforms Winifred School. AAON approved a $1.25 million donation in 2020 honoring its founder. Norm’s support helped make possible the approximately $40 million school expansion and renovation, adding academic, technical and athletic opportunities. Construction began in April 2021 and was completed in March 2023.

2024 — Support continues through teacher housing. Norm contributed AAON stock valued at just over $2 million to a fund supporting additional housing for Winifred School employees, addressing an important need for recruiting and retaining educators in a rural community.

2026 — Another chapter of community improvement: street paving. New street paving continues Winifred’s investment in its infrastructure, adding another chapter to the history of a community shaped by generations of local effort and hometown generosity.