Willard was originally a feed lot known as the 101 Ranch, used by the Standard Cattle Company of Texas in 1888. Large herds of 3,000-5,000 longhorns were driven from Texas to be fattened and then shipped to market in the Midwest. A homesteader, Fred W. Anderson, was urged to establish a post office on his claim in the area and did so giving it his middle name, Willard.
Willard is located in eastern Montana, south of Baker on MT Highway 7 near the North Dakota.