Teton County, Montana 1921
Lying northwest of the central part
of Montana, on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, Teton
County has a land area of 2,044 square miles, and a population
(1920) of 5,870. It was organized, originally, from Chouteau
County, March 1, 1893, since which a part of its territory was
attached to Toole County in 1914, and other portions were added
to Pondera and to form Glacier (entire), in 1919. Originally, it
extended from the Dominion of Canada to the present southern
limits of the county, and was one of the largest political
divisions in the state. The Blackfeet Indian Reservation then
occupied its northwestern corner.
It is estimated that about one-third
the area of Teton County is adapted to irrigation, which has
been already applied to about 100,000 acres. All of the central
and eastern portions of the county are tillable, while the
extreme western and southern portions are about equally divided
between arable and grazing lands. A small area of the grazing
land in the Rockies partakes of the mountainous nature of its
surroundings. The soil on the lowlands is a sandy or clay loam,
while on the uplands or benches the subsoil is partly gravel and
limestone formation. The county is favored with an exceptionally
good water supply. The principal streams are the Teton, Spring
Creek, Willow Creek and Sun River, the last mentioned of which
furnished water for the irrigation of 30,000 acres in what is
known as the Government Sun River Project, near Fairfield, in
the east central part of the county. A supply of good well water
may be obtained in most places at depths ranging from 60 to 100
feet Indications of coal and oil have been found but as yet
little has been done to develop mineral resources. Agriculture
and stock raising are the chief industries. Most of the timber
of commercial value is found in the western part of the county,
where 250,000 acres are contained in the Lewis and Clark
National Forest. Cottonwood and willows are found along most of
the streams.
Wheat is the principal farm crop, but
barley, flax, alfalfa and sweet clover are grown in considerable
quantities. Silos are becoming more common, corn and sunflowers
being grown for forage. Irrigated land may be purchased for $75
to $100 an acre, while improved non-irrigated tracts bring from
$20 to $100 an acre. The cost of grazing land is from $8 to $15
an acre.
The mountainous sections of Teton
County are replete with grand and beautiful scenery and the
tourist may there find excellent hunting and fishing, especially
if he is content to travel part of the way on foot with a pack
outfit and thus reach those places the least affected by the
settlement and development of the county. Railroad facilities
are afforded by branch lines of both the Milwaukee and Great
Northern railways. The main trunk highway of the county is the
Park-to-Park Highway, which passes through it from north to
south, and is gravel surfaced.
The demands of education are met by
sixty schools, including the county high school at Chouteau,
accredited for a four-year course. This latter institution is
housed in a handsome new building, equipped in modern style,
which was erected at a cost of $100,000. Chouteau, which also
enjoys the distinction of being the county seat, is an old
established town, with modern improvements. Its commercial
interests are served by three banks, which have a combined
capital and surplus of $200,000. Its altitude is 3,810 feet.
There are other good towns and market centers in the county,
those on the Great Northern Railway being Bynum, Pendroy, Power,
Dutton and Collins, while the Milwaukee has Fairfield,
Farmington and Agawam.
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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