Books
Dusting Off the Old Ones was published in 1961 by W. B. Clarke, Miles City, Montana.
Why so Many Counties in Montana!
In that period from 1910 to 1925, Montana's political body suffered many "growing pains" for it was during that time that 27 new counties came into being. Prior to 1910, counties in the western part of the state were smaller in size, were more heavily populated and were Democratic in politics. The larger counties in the eastern part of the state contained a fewer number of people per county and for the most part leaned toward the Republican party in politics. Whether the hope for a more even balance in power in the legislature between the two parties was the main reason for the creation of so many counties during that period, or whether it was the aspiration of nearly every town or hamlet to be a county seat that brought on the rash, it is difficult to determine. There is also a possibility that the real reason for the creation of the new counties was the fact that a certain attorney, who is now deceased, made a specialty of "county division" cases and who was not backward about the amount of the charges for his services. At the close of 1910, there were 29 counties in Montana, one new county was created in 1911, 2 in 1912, 4 in 1913, 4 in 1914, 2 in 1915, 1 in 1917, 6 in 1919, 4 in 1920, 1 in 1922, 1 in 1923, and the last county created was Petroleum County, which came into being in 1925. Since 1925, the number has remained static at 56.
In 1910, Custer County was a goodly sized county, extending east and west from the east line of Rosebud County to the west line of the State of North Dakota, and north and south from the north line of the State of Wyoming to a line running east and west about 32 miles north of Miles City. Custer County contained at that time, besides its present territory, the whole of Powder River County, Carter County and Fallon County, besides portions of Prairie and Wibaux Counties. Fallon County had been created in 1913, with Ekalaka as its temporary county seat. Wibaux County was created in 1914. It was not long after the creation of Fallon County that an election was held to determine the permanent county seat. There was great rivalry between Baker and Ekalaka. Baker won out and the story is told that the county commissioners had hardly blotted the ink dry on the last tally sheet in the canvas of the returns before a delegation from Baker was on the way from Ekalaka to Baker with the county records.
In 1910, Custer County was a goodly sized county, extending east and west from the east line of Rosebud County to the west line of the State of North Dakota, and north and south from the north line of the State of Wyoming to a line running east and west about 32 miles north of Miles City. Custer County contained at that time, besides its present territory, the whole of Powder River County, Carter County and Fallon County, besides portions of Prairie and Wibaux Counties. Fallon County had been created in 1913, with Ekalaka as its temporary county seat. Wibaux County was created in 1914. It was not long after the creation of Fallon County that an election was held to determine the permanent county seat. There was great rivalry between Baker and Ekalaka. Baker won out and the story is told that the county commissioners had hardly blotted the ink dry on the last tally sheet in the canvas of the returns before a delegation from Baker was on the way from Ekalaka to Baker with the county records.