Beaverhead County, Montana 1921
If for no other reason, there would
be much of interest attaching to Beaverhead County, because it
was here that much of the early history of the State of Montana
was enacted. Within its borders, on Grasshopper "Creek, in 1862,
there occurred the first important discovery of gold which
resulted in the settlement of the rich Treasure State and the
unfolding of its vast resources, agricultural as well as
mineral. Likewise Bannack, the first mining camp in Montana, was
the first territorial capital of the state, although today,
shorn of its former glory and romance, it bears little
resemblance to the prosperous and vivid little community of the
days of its prosperity. Today, while mining still is an
industry, as well as farming and lumbering, Beaverhead occupies
a leading position among the counties of the state principally
because of its stock growing interests, in this connection being
one of the most important centers in Montana.
Natural Features and Industries of Beaverhead
Beaverhead County, which derives its
name from the river of the same title, was created February 2,
1865, and les in the southwestern part of the state. Since 1890,
it has shown a slow but steady increase in population at the
rate of about 1,000 every decade, as follows: 1890, 4,655; 1900,
5,615; 1910, 6,446; 1920, 7,369.
With a land area of 5,632 square
miles, Beaverhead County is bounded on the south and west by the
Idaho-Montana state line, and the Continental Divide of the
Rocky Mountains marks the northwestern boundary, while on the
southwest it is flanked by the Beaverheads. In the interior of
the county smaller ranges are found, and between these are
extensive valleys and basins, including the Big Hole Basin,
Horse Prairie, and the Centennial and the Alaska basins, which
are devoted to stock growing and farming. For the greater part,
the soil of the tillable areas is of a clay-loam type, and there
are approximately 30,000 acres of first-class irrigated land in
the county, 130,000 acres of second-class irrigated land and
175,000 acres of non-irrigated farming land, the balance being
grazing, mineral and timber country. While in recent years much
grain, chiefly wheat and oats of high quality, has been produced
on the benches, the favorite crop with the agriculturists is
hay, and the Big Hole Basin, which is twelve miles in width and
about thirty miles in length, presents the appearance of one
great hay meadow. The product of this basin is so high in
nutritive value that for years cattle have been fattened in the
winter on hay alone and shipped to markets throughout the
county, where they have commanded the highest prices. The
altitude of Beaverhead County, 5,098 feet, is comparatively
high, and experience has taught the agriculturists that the
hardier crops are the ones which produce the best results. In
this county irrigated land sells for from $50 to $125 per acre,
non-irrigated land from $15 to $50 an acre, and grazing land
from $6 to $15 an acre.
In addition to the Beaverhead River,
the county has the Wise and Big Hole rivers, which, with the
numerous tributaries that rise in the high mountains to the
south and west, make Beaverhead one of the best watered counties
in the state. Because of its excellent irrigation industry has
taken the leading place, with farming, mining and lumbering in
the order named. As to its mineral resources, the county is
believed to have large deposits of copper, lead, graphite,
manganese, silver and gold, but the proper exploitation of these
metals has been undertaken on a comprehensive scale only during
recent years. Large stands of commercial timber are found in the
Beaverhead and Madison national forests, and of these 1,325,000
acres of the former and oo.fxx) of the latter are in Beaverhead
County.
Transportation and Points of Interest
Traversing the county from the north to the south is a branch of
the Oregon Short Line Railroad from Pocatello to Butte, while
the Gilmore & Pittsburgh Railroad, in the southern part of the
county, furnishes and large and bountiful forage, cattle raising
and cattle feeding as an transportation from Armstead to Salmon,
Idaho. A narrow gauge line runs west and then south from Divide
to Elkhorn, and a good highway, running parallel to the Oregon
Short Line, runs through the county, making possible a
connection with Salt Lake and points west and with Montana
points to the north. For the visitors to this region there are
to be found excellent hunting and fishing in the mountainous
districts. The points of interest are not lacking, as there are
numerous evidences of the early days of Montana when the
desperadoes of the mining camps fought it out with the
vigilantes, and the gulches awarded the hardy and adventurous
miners with streams of golden treasure. In the Big Hole Basin,
also, there are brought back scenes of earlier days, when the
cowboys were in their glory, on some of the big ranches which
have not totally laid aside old-time customs.
Dillon, the County Seat Dillon, the
county seat of Beaverhead County, was founded in 1880 by the
late Gov. B. F. White, who, with Howard Sebree, purchased the
ranch of William Deacon, comprising 400 acres, and platted the
town. There are a few of the old-time buildings still standing,
one of the oldest being the former Opera House, which recently
has been remodeled and made into a rooming-house. The cabin of
William Deacon stood until 1920 when it was torn down and the
logs used in the building of a barn, and practically all of the
old landmarks of this thriving city have disappeared, no effort
having been made to preserve them. At Dillon is located the
State Normal College, a part of the University of Montana; the
Beaverhead County High School, and two large public schools.
These latter are conducted under the auspices of the normal
college and are known as training schools. The condition is
considered unique, it being as far as is known the only case in
the United States where an entire public school system is
conducted in connection with a normal college.
The State Normal College
The act of Congress under which the
State of Montana was admitted to the Union set aside 100,000
acres of the public domain tor the establishment and support of
a State Normal School. In pursuance of the same plan the
Legislative Assembly of Montana established the State Normal
College in 1893. The committee having in charge the election of
a building began work in that year. The Legislature of 1897
created an executive board which selected a president and
faculty, the first session of the school opening September 7,
1897. By an act of the eighth Legislative Assembly, which became
a law February 25, 1903, the name of the institution was changed
to the Montana State.
Normal College
The State Normal College prepares
teachers for the public schools of Montana. It accomplishes its
work through professional courses, directed observation of
expert teaching, and actual teaching under expert supervision in
a public school. The two years curricula permit specialization
in kindergarten, primary, intermediate, grammar grade or rural
work. The Normal College diploma authorizes its holder to teach
in any public school in the state for six years without
examination. After twenty-seven months of successful experience
in Montana, graduates are granted life certificates by the State
Board of Education. A student who completes a third year of
Normal College work has opportunity for greater specialization
and is better prepared for junior high school teaching.
Graduates of the two years curriculum
are granted junior standing in the State University. Students
who earn credit after receiving the diploma are granted hour for
hour credit up to a maximum of one year in subjects of college
or university character. Graduates of either the two or three
years curricula who transfer to the State University must
satisfy restricted elective and major department requirements;
they are exempt from the required work in English composition
and physical education.
The Normal College offers no
certificate at the close of the first year, but students who
find it necessary to teach before earning a diploma are able to
secure a second grade certificate valid in the state for two
years by completing courses in the required subjects. According
to law, Normal College (University of Montana) grades in such
subjects are accepted upon certificates in lieu of grades earned
by examination. Certificates acquired in this way represent no
loss of time since all work done is credited toward a diploma.
The Normal College buildings are well
constructed and arranged. The main building with its class
rooms, library, laboratories, gymnasium and auditorium, is
situated less than 100 yards from the Residence Halls in which
nearly all out-of-town students live. These halls, three in
number, provide comfortable home "life for women students and
excellent accommodations at cost. The campus, upon a slight
elevation at the edge of Dillon, is of ample size and well
supplied with shade trees. Dillon is well supplied with
churches, maintaining congregations of the Catholic, Episcopal,
Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Latter-day Saints and
Christian Science denominations, and there being a movement on
foot in 1921 to organize a Danish Lutheran Church.
There are four banks at Dillon, the
First National, State Bank of Dillon, Security State Bank and
the Beaverhead State Bank. The first named is the richest
institution in the United States in comparison with the
population of the town, its deposits being over $4,000,000.
There are two weekly newspapers, the Examiner and the Tribune,
and four hotels. Every line of business industry made necessary
by the needs of a growing city is represented, and Dillon's
stores are conducted in a modern way. As the county seat of
Beaverhead County, Dillon is the site of the court house, and
also has a large city hall and a Carnegie library. It is an
incorporated city, with a mayor and eight aldermen. The main
streets of the city are paved and lighted, a municipal gravity
water system is in operation and a private electric system is
used.
Montana Counties 1921

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Montana AHGP
Source: Montana its Story and Biography,
by Tom Strout, Volume 1, The American Historical Society, 1921
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