Phillips County, Montana 1921
Among the counties of Montana which
contribute of their soil to both the agricultural and mineral
wealth of the state, Phillips County has its established place.
With the exception of the Little Rocky Mountains in the
southwestern part, the county is nearly all prairie in character
and is practically all cultivable, and this fact serves to make
agriculture the chief industry, but the mountainous region
referred to has produced a large amount of gold and various
parts of the county have produced lignite coal, so that the
mineral resources, while secondary, are by no means unimportant.
Like various other parts of the state, Phillips County bears the
tinge of romance. In the fastnesses of the Little Rockies the
notorious Kid Curry and his gang of outlaws lived and defied the
forces of law and order in the early days, and, surrounded by
the beautiful scenery to be found in the same region, are to be
found the headquarters of some of the old-time western cattle
outfits, for Phillips was originally a cattle county prior to
the coming of the agriculturists. Phillips County was created
February 5, 191 5, and was named in honor of Wendell Phillips,
the American orator and abolitionist. It lies in the north
central part of Montana, extending from the Canadian boundary on
the north to the Missouri River on the south. The broad and
fertile Milk River Valley cuts through the center of the county,
east and west. With a land area of 5,266 square miles, Phillips
is one of the larger counties of the state, and is 101 miles
north and south and sixty-five miles east and west.
The soil of the county is mostly clay
loam, although some gumbo is found, and there are nearly 100,000
acres of irrigated land, chiefly in the Milk River Valley, under
the Government reclamation project. The chief crops are wheat,
oats, flax, alfalfa, corn and beans, and these are being raised
in goodly quantities, although agriculture along the Milk River
is still capable of much development. In fact, the region may be
said to be new. Settlers are only practically laying the
foundations at this time, and diversified farming and dairying
are just beginning. Stock raising is an industry which is
growing, and this, likewise, is capable of further development.
Improved irrigated lands sell for around $75 per acre, improved
non-irrigated for $25, non-improved lands for $15 and grazing
lands for $10.
Thus far, as noted, the chief mineral
resources seem to be the gold that is found in the Little
Rockies, and the lignite coal in various parts of the county.
However, there are several structures thought to be favorable
for the finding of oil, and if such proves to be the case, a new
industry will be opened up for operators and investors. In the
southwestern part of the county is the Jefferson National
Forest, in which is found timber of commercial value, and
cottonwood is reasonably plentiful along the Missouri and Milk
rivers.
The Milk River is the principal
stream of Phillips County, and Beaver Creek and other
tributaries rising in the Little Rockies flow into it from the
south, while a number of streams that rise near the
international boundary line flow into it from the north, notably
Whitewater and Frenchman creeks. Water for domestic purposes is
found in wells ranging from 12 to 300 feet, depending upon the
locality. The main line of the Great Northern Railway passes
through the county east and west, following the Milk River for
the greater part of the way, and this is the only railway system
to connect with the county at this time However, the Canadian
Trail, which extends across Montana in a southwesterly
direction, passes through the county and the mining districts of
the Little Rockies. The Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Highway
parallels the Great Northern Railway straight across the county.
For the tourist, there is much to be found of an attractive
nature in this section of the country. Lake Bowdein, which is
situated a few miles east of Malta, is one of the best duck
hunting localities in the west. Large numbers of native wild
fowl nest there, and it is one of the stopping places for the
northern ducks when the flight is on in the fall. Visitors
invariably are drawn to the Little Rockies and to the Fort
Belknap Indian Reservation, located just to the west of the
county line.
Phillips County has 112 graded
schools and three accredited high schools, and a total of 146
instructors are employed. Malta, the county seat, is an
up-to-date community and the chief trading center. Other good
towns tributary to large farming districts are Bowdoin, Dodson
and Saco.
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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