Valley County, Montana 1921
Valley County, created March 1, 1893,
is one of the northeastern counties of the state and is bounded
on the north by the Canadian line and on the south by the
Missouri River. It is no miles long north and south and 73 miles
wide east and west. Its land area is 5,447 square miles. From
west to east the county is traversed by the Milk River, the
valley of which will be almost entirely under irrigation when
the Government Milk River Reclamation Project is completed.
Private irrigation is also carried on. The farms on the rolling
benches north and south of the Milk River Valley are not
irrigated. With the exception of the Milk River Valley, several
low spurs of hills and the brakes along the Missouri River in
the southern part, the surface of the county is a rolling
prairie. Practically all the land north of the Milk River Valley
is suitable for cultivation. The soil consists of light and dark
loams with either a gumbo or limestone base.
The principal stream is Milk River,
which is fed by many smaller streams flowing both from the north
and the south. Many of these streams have a large spring
run-off, and when reservoirs are constructed at available
storage sites more land will be placed under irrigation.
Cottonwood is found along the streams, but there is no
commercial timber in the county. Lignite is plentiful in the
county and the discovery of oil is a possibility of the future.
At present the chief industries of
the county are agriculture and stock raising. The principal
crops are wheat, barley, oats, corn, flax, speltz, blue joint
hay and alfalfa. Alfalfa seed is raised in considerable quantity
and excellent vegetables are grown in abundance. Milk River
Valley blue joint is rated one of the best forage feeds in
Montana and even a stronger feed than alfalfa. Improved
irrigated lands can be bought for $50 to $75 an acre, improved
non-irrigated lands from $25 to $50 an acre, non-improved
cultivable lands from $20 to $40 an acre, and grazing lands at
$10 to $15 an acre. There are 40,000 acres under irrigation in
the Milk River Valley Project. These lands have been but little
improved but are capable of extensive development, and
experienced farmers, especially those who understand irrigation,
can purchase land at reasonable rates. There are also good
opportunities for farmers with capital on the non-irrigated
lands.
Glasgow and Other Towns
Glasgow, the county seat, is an
established town, the center of trade and shipping for a large
section of the rich Milk River Valley. It is the seat of one of
the ten United States land offices in Montana. The city has
electric lights, water works, a public library, a good modern
high school which gives a course in agriculture, two newspapers
and substantial business houses; also, a 400-barrel flour mill,
and other evidences of a solid town. The 1920 census published
its population as 2,059, making it the leading urban center of
Northeastern Montana.
Outside of Glasgow, the principal
towns of the county are Hinsdale, Frazer, Theony and Oswego.
Both the rural schools and those in the different towns number
seventy-five throughout the county.
The Milk River Valley is traversed
through the county by main line of the Great Northern Railway.
From Glasgow auto stage lines run north to Glentana, Opheim and
Baylor. The Theodore Roosevelt Highway passes through the
county, following the railroad and touching the towns of Oswego,
Frazer, Nashua, Glasgow, Tampico, Vandalia, Hinsdale and
Beaverton. In 1920 Valley County voted $200,000 worth of bonds
for the construction of highways under the federal aid act.
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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