The twists and turns of the mighty Missouri River contain many small islands. Among these are the Yorks Islands near Townsend. The islands were first named by the Corps of Discovery and noted in Clark’s drawn maps of the Missouri. The islands were named for Clark’s slave, York, who accompanied the Crops of Discovery. Although the name “Yorks 8 Islands” appears on Clark’s 1805 map, the name was not officially recognized for 195 years until the U.S. Board on Geographic Names approved “Yorks Islands” in 2000.    

University of Montana | Geography Department