Wibaux County, Montana 1921

Wibaux County is situated in the extreme eastern part of Montana, midway between the northern and southern boundaries of the state, and with the Montana-Dakota line as its eastern boundary. Its land area is 883 square miles and it is the smallest exclusively agricultural county in Montana. Its political creation took place on August 17, 19 14, from parts of Dawson, Fallon and Richland, in 1914. It attained its present bounds by relinquishing a part of its area to Carbon County in 1919 and receiving an addition from the county named. In 1920, the population of Wibaux County was 3,113.

Practically the entire area of the county is tillable and that which is not farmed is devoted to live stock. The principal crops are wheat, oats, corn, barley, flax and potatoes. During the last two or three years particular attention has been given to corn and its acreage largely extended. The soil in general is a deep loam. Improved non-irrigated lands bring from $25 to $50 an acre, and unimproved from $10 to $25 an acre. There are no commercial stands of timber. The only mineral resource yet discovered is lignite coal.

The most important stream in Wibaux County is Beaver Creek, which flows northerly and then easterly into North Dakota. The other creeks in the county flow westerly into the Yellowstone River, the western part of the county sloping in that direction. The best developed agricultural section is in the Beaver Creek Valley. Transportation facilities are afforded by the main line of the Northern Pacific, which crosses the county east and west, and the Red Trail automobile road, which runs parallel to it.

The railroad towns in Wibaux County are Wibaux, Yates and Beaver Hill, while the smaller towns in the country districts are St. Phillip, Edgehill, Dennis, Been, Brenizer and Carlyle. Wibaux is the county seat, the largest town and the chief trading center of the county. It has a good city water works and electric light plant, two banks, two newspapers, a flour mill, five elevators, with a combined capacity of 250 bushels, two hotels and a creamery, besides about twenty retail stores. It had a population in 1920 of 611. It is here that the county high school is located, which, in addition to the ordinary studies has courses in agriculture and home economics under the provisions of the Smith-Hughes Act, and a normal training department under the provisions of a state law.

There is also a good graded school, and the schools in general throughout Wibaux County are above the average in point of efficiency. This county affords good opportunities for agricultural and stock raising enterprise. Its growing season is from 107 to 116 days. The altitude of the county seat above sea level is 2,635 feet.

Montana Counties 1921

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