▁by ▁the ▁Mont ana ▁Central ▁Railway ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 8 . ▁N amed ▁for ▁ran cher ▁R uf us ▁Hard y , ▁who ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 6 ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁white ▁sett ler ▁on ▁the ▁west ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁in ▁the ▁can y on , ▁the ▁settlement ▁was ▁given ▁a ▁post ▁office ▁the ▁year ▁it ▁was ▁founded . ▁Although ▁the ▁town ▁had ▁ 5 2 ▁residents ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 0 s , ▁a ▁de pression ▁in ▁the ▁agricult ural ▁sector ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁and ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression ▁reduced ▁its ▁population ▁to ▁near ▁zero . ▁By ▁ 1 9 3 4 , ▁Hard y ▁consisted ▁only ▁of ▁the ▁rail road ▁station ▁and ▁a ▁tool ▁shed . ▁ ▁No ▁road ▁passed ▁by ▁Tower ▁Rock ▁until ▁ 1 9 3 2 . ▁The ▁route ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁M ull an ▁Road ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁only ▁autom obile ▁link ▁between ▁Cas cade ▁and ▁Hel ena . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 1 , ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Mont ana ▁and ▁the ▁count ies ▁of ▁Cas cade ▁and ▁Lewis ▁and ▁Clark ▁joint ly ▁proposed ▁building ▁a ▁road ▁on ▁the ▁east ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁Missouri ▁River ▁between ▁the ▁towns ▁of ▁Hard y ▁and ▁Craig . ▁ ▁The ▁route ▁would ▁have ▁avoided ▁Tower ▁Rock . ▁But ▁this ▁project ▁was ▁never ▁acted ▁on . ▁Begin ning ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 , ▁business men ▁in ▁Great ▁F alls , ▁Cas cade , ▁and ▁Hel ena ▁began ▁pet