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: THKTREASURESTATE 151 • 



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LAND AREA — Jefferson county, which is in the Helena land district, embraces 

 an area of 1,642 square miles, including 125,146 acres of unreserved and unappro- 

 priated public land available for entry under the homestead law, 28,840 acres of 

 state land, and 482,267 acres of national forests. Of the total area of the county, 

 307,609 acres are privately owned. 



CROP PRODUCTION— The following gives the estimated crop production for 

 1915: Wheat, 150,000 bushels; oats, 425,000 bushels; barley, 10,000 bushels; potatoes, 

 80,000 bushels; hay, 28,000 tons. 



In 1915, the assessor's rolls showed the following livestock: Horsea, 4,049 head; 

 milch cows, 1,576 head; other cattle, 12,715 head; sheep, 2,900 head; swine, 795 head. 



LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY. 



One of the oldest and wealthiest counties in Montana is Lewis and Clark county. 

 Under the name of Edgerton, it was one of the original counties of the territory, 

 the name afterwards being changed to keep in remembrance the famous explorers 

 of 1805. It was the scene of many events of historical interest in pioneer days; and 

 Helena, the town of which grew up around the placer diggings of Last Chance gulch 

 and became the financial, commercial and mining center of the state, was fittingly 

 selected as the territorial capital and as the seat of government of Montana after 

 its admission into the Union as a State. 



Nearly all the population and the greater part of the area of Lewis and Clark 

 county are on the eastern side of the Rocky mountains, the land sloping from high 

 mountains to the Missouri river wiiich runs through the county in a northeasterly 

 direction and receives several important tributaries. A considerable area in the 

 northern part of the county is in the Sun river drainage basin. The Prickly Pear 

 valley, adjacent to Helena, and the Sun river valley, embrace most of the land that 

 is under cultivation. 



On the western slope of the Rockies is a sparsely settled and mountainous part 

 of the county in which are several mining districts. The drainage is mainly into 

 the Big Blackfoot river, and the greater part of this region is included in national 

 forests. 



Mining, stock growing and farming are the occupations of the country 

 residents, and commercial and manufacturing pursuits employ large numbers in the 

 cities. The county embraces a very extensive and rich mineral belt and mining has 

 been successfully carried on since 1864 when the wonderfully rich placers of Last 

 Chance Gulch, now included within the limits of Helena, were discovered. Many other 

 places were productive, and every year a considerable quantity of placer gold is 

 recovered. Much land that could be profitably worked with a gold dredge will, it 

 is thought, be found on exploration. Near Lincoln, on the west side, are placer 

 grounds that have been yielding gold for many years. Mines at Unionville, a few 

 miles south of Helena, have produced many million dollars' worth of gold. The 

 Spring Hill and other great mines are in this neighborhood. During the past few 

 months two producing mines have been opened in the Scratch Gravel district, three 

 miles north of Helena, and many prospects are now being developed in this district. 

 In either direction from Helena, mining camps are found only a few miles apart. 

 The principal mining town is Marysville where many large mines are producing. 

 It is reached by a branch line of the Northern Pacific from Helena, 21 miles distant. 

 Gould is an established mining camp in the same section. A branch line of the 

 Northern Pacific railroad extends to Rimini, 18 miles from Helena, which is a 

 shipping point for an extensive mineral territory in the southwestern part of the 

 county. 



To treat the ores of this and adjoining counties, the American Smelting Com- 

 pany operates a smelter at East Helena where a large number of men are employed. 



