Blaine County, Montana 1921
Among the counties of Montana and one
which is distinctively divided into two different sections,
plains and mountainous, is Blaine County. The former, which
comprises about two-thirds of the land area of 4,219 square
miles, lies in the northern part of the county, from the
northern boundary, formed by the Canadian line, down to about
township 30. This region is almost wholly devoted to grain
growing and farming, and the crops include wheat, flax, rye,
oats, corn and blue-joint hay. Root crops and vegetables do
well, and alfalfa seed raised in Blaine County has always
commanded a premium on the market. The Milk-River Valley which
crosses the county east and west, is included in the Milk River
project of the reclamation service and when developed will
probably be one of the best agricultural districts in the state.
This will offer an excellent opportunity to farmers of some
means.
The agricultural district referred to
is a matter of modern development for the greater part. The
soil, varying from a sandy loam to a gumbo in the valleys, and a
chocolate loam on the benches, has responded spendidly to the
treatment of the up-to-date agriculturists. On the other hand,
the southern part of the county, extending down to the Missouri
River, with its outlying ridges of the Little Rocky Mountains in
the southeastern corner, at the lower end of the Fort Belknap
Indian Reservation, and the Bear Paw Mountains in the
southwestern part, are best adapted to the older industry of the
region, that of stock raising. This part of the county also
offers the chief attractions to tourists, for there is much
excellent scenery, good hunting and fishing and the Fort Belknap
Indian Reservation, as a reminder of the old West, remains to
attract and hold the interest of the visitors.
Blaine County, named in honor of
James Blaine, the American statesman and political historian,
was created February 29, 1912. Its chief source of water supply
is the Milk River, which crosses the county east and west,
although several large tributaries flow into this stream from
the north and from the Bear Paw Mountains on the south. It is
not noted as a mining county, although this industry has been
engaged in to some extent. Nor has its timber been of a
sufficient quantity or quality to make lumbering a leading
occupation, although some timber is found in the mountainous
districts, and, as is the case with many Montana counties, quite
a large amount of cottonwood grows along the streams. Its chief
means of transportation is found in the main line of the Great
Northern Railway, which runs through the heart of the county,
and this is paralleled by the Roosevelt Memorial Highway. Graded
schools have been established in all communities, the rural
schools are of a superior order, and there are two high schools,
accredited for the four-year course, located at Chinook and
Harlem.
The Town of Chinook
Chinook, the county seat of Blaine County, is also the largest
town in size and the one of chief importance. A town of 1,200
population, it lies on the main line of the Great Northern,
which runs from Minneapolis to Seattle, and is the center of a
productive irrigated district, being situated on a slight
elevation overlooking the Milk River. Also, it is the trading
point for the Bear Paw Mountain stock raising district, of about
fifty miles in length, and maintains a large live stock yards, a
thriving wool market and facilities for the handling of such
coal as in mined in the locality. Many of the farmers of the
outlying districts bring their families to Chinook during the
winter months in order that their children may enjoy the
educational advantages offered by its schools. The Blaine County
Fair, an event of some importance in Northern Montana, is held
at Chinook each year. This was incorporated in 1901 and has been
increasingly successful each year. Chinook has two national
banks, two newspapers, four churches, a creamery and two grain
elevators. It derives its name from the warm, dry wind which
descends from the mountains and in winter removes the snow with
remarkable rapidity.
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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