75 years ago, the first license plates with numbers representing counties were issued. I love those plates. You know where a person is from. With all the custom plates out now, I don't know what county the car is from. Half the time, I don't even know if the car is from Montana.

Anyway, the very first 14 plate was issued to Harry Horton, who owned that big house on east Main.

Amorette, which house was it that Harry Horton lived in on Main? And, is he any relation to the Hortons that were teachers at CCHS for years? Just curious

I didn't realize they started the numbering system that early. I knew they started stamping "Prison Made" on the plates in 1939.

Thanks for info Amorette.

If you look at the "Custom Plate" there is a little circle w/ the county # stamped in the center of said circle.

Trivia: The first plates were assigned by population of the given county, ie: Butte (Silver Bow) # 1, Great Falls (Cascade) #2, Billings,(Yellowstone) #3, etc.
So how did little Powder River County get #9?

There was confusion over Park County and Powder River County.

My mom told me that Sen. Milton Simpson of Broadus created the confusion to get 9 from Park County for Powder River county. From what I understand it was quite the scandal. Ironically, she told this story on our way to Broadus for some Republican function and on that trip we also stopped and visited Bill Zook. I was about 6-7 at the time.