Cardwell is 37 miles east of Butte on the Jefferson River. The town was named after Edward Cardwell, an extensive property owner when the town was started. Cardwell was a station on the Northern Pacific Railroad and is just across the river from Jefferson Island. It flourished when the Mayflower Mine was operating. Chet Huntley, famous for his television news broadcasts and development of the Big Sky Resort, was born here. (from Cheney's Names on the Face of Montana, Mountain Press Publishing Company)
Cardwell is a small town located off I-90 with an old brick school building, beautiful patchwork farmland near the mountains, and a quaint country church. Cardwell Bridge Fishing Access Site is located 1 mile south of Cardwell. Nearby attractions include the Lewis and Clark Caverns as well as access to the trail system through the Tobacco Root Mountains in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.
