: T H K T K E A S U R K STATE 149 • 



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There is not, however, except in a few districts, sufficient water for Irrigation and 

 practically all the farming in this county is non-irrigated. Excellent yields of 

 wheat, flax, oats, barley and corn are obtained and many of the farmers are going 

 into hog-raising on an extensive scale. 



Recently there has been much prospecting for oil and gas in this region and 

 commercial gas has been produced in large quantities within two miles of Havre, 

 the county seat. This gas has been brought into town, with the result that during 

 the winter of 1915-16, Havre was the only city In the state heated by natural gas. 



Havre has experienced a remarkable growth within the past few years and has 

 every prospect of soon becoming one of the most important cities in the northern 

 part of the state. The city now has an estimated population of 5,000, and an as- 

 sessed valuation of almost $2,000,000. It boasts three banks, three wholesale houses, 

 one daily and three weekly newspapers and a dozen progressive retail stores. It 

 has city water and an electric lighting system and is thoroughly modern. 



The utilization of the large deposits of natural gas in the vicinity of Havre 

 make it probable that this city will shortly become a manufacturing center of 

 considerable importance. 



The estimated population of Hill county is 24.480, and the assessed valuation of 

 the county was $9,247,436 in 1915. 



LAND AREA — Hill county, which is in the Havre land district, embraces an 

 area of 4,180 square miles, including 245,795 acres of unreserved and unappropriated 

 public land available for entry under the homestead law, and 205,375 acres of state 

 land. Of the total area of the county, 784,000 acres are privately owned. 



CROP PRODUCTION— The following gives the estimated crop production for 

 1915: Wheat, 1,250,000 bushels; oats, 750,000 bushels; barley, 28,000 bushels; corn, 

 15,000 bushels; flax, 85,000 bushels; potatoes, 110,000 bushels; hay, 40,000 tons. 



In 1915, the assessor's rolls showed the following livestock: Horses, 13,25tt 

 head; milch cows, 3,592 head; other cattle, 8,777 head; sheep, 42,118 head; swine, 

 1.115 head. 



JEFFERSON COUNTY. 



Jefferson, one of the original counties of the territory, lies on the eastern slope 

 of the Rocky Mountains and is separated from the Missouri river valley by parallel 

 ranges of which the Elkhorn mountains form a part. From the mountains in the 

 western, northern and eastern boundaries, the ground slopes to the Jefferson valley 

 where the lowest elevations are found. Many mountain streams unite to form 

 the Boulder river, which rises in the northwestern part, flows east for a number 

 of miles and thence south to the Jefferson river with which it unites at Jefferson 

 Island. The northwestern part of the county is drained by Prickly Pear creek, 

 which empties into the Missouri river near Helena. The southern boundary, for the 

 greater part, is the Jefferson river. 



Mining is the principal industry, stock growing and farming being next in 

 importance. Nearly all of the mountains that comprise a great part of the 

 county are mineralized and scores of millions of dollars have been extracted from 

 the mines. There are thousands of mineral claims and many producing mines. 

 Mining is active in the Corbin-Wicks neighborhood, where great sums have been 

 spent in the last few years in development work in mines, and at Clancy, Boulder, 

 Basin, Amazon and other places. 



Stock growing has been an important and prosperous industry from early 

 days. The native grasses furnish good food, little winter feeding is necesary, and 

 many horses and cattle are shipped every year. In the mountains are large areas 



