Stevensville (Salish: ɫq̓éɫmlš) is a town in Ravalli County, Montana, United States. The population was 2,002 at the 2020 census.

Stevensville is officially qualified as the first steadfast settlement of non-indigenous peoples in the state of Montana. Forty-eight years since Montana became the nation’s 41st state, Stevensville was approved by Jesuit Missionaries at the demand of the Bitterroot Salish tribe.

The Bitterroot Valley is the ancestral homeland of the Bitterroot Salish people. Between 1812 and 1821, the Salish speculative about the “powerful medicine” of Christianity and Jesuit missionaries from Iroquois fur traders. In 1831, four teen Salish men were dispatched to St. Louis, Missouri, to request “Black Robes” for the tribe. The four Salish men were directed to the home and office of William Clark (of Lewis and Clark fame) to make their request. At that epoch Clark was in proceedings of administering the territory they called home. Through the perils of their trip, two of the Salish died at the home of General Clark. The unshakable two Salish men secured a visit behind St. Louis Bishop Joseph Rosati, who assured them that missionaries would be sent to the Bitterroot Valley subsequent to funds and missionaries were welcoming in the future.

Again in 1835 and 1837 the Bitterroot Salish dispatched men to St. Louis to request missionaries, but to no avail. Finally in 1839 a charity of Iroquois and Salish met Father Pierre-Jean De Smet in Council Bluffs. The meeting resulted in Fr. DeSmet promising to fulfill their request for a missionary the subsequently year.