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•164 31 O X T A N A - 1 9 1 « ; 



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Until recently, farming was unknown in Phillips county and the broad, fertile 

 prairies of the county were given over to the grazing of thousands of head of 

 cattle and sheep. This has been largely changed now, and throughout the county 

 are to be found large farming districts which are rapidly going forward. 



The county is well watered by the Milk river, which flows from west to east 

 through the central portion. A considerable acreage in the county will be irrigated 

 by the Milk river project, now being constructed by the United States reclamation 

 service, and already dairying and intensive farming is being practiced m some 

 irrigated sections. 



In the Little Rockies in the southern part of this county, is one of the most 

 productive gold camps in Montana. The Ruby Gulch Gold Mining company of Zortman 

 is the principal producer. At Landusky are the mines of the August Gold com- 

 pany. The Rawhide, the Ninety-Six and the property of the Fergus Mining company 

 have been extensively developed. 



Malta, the county seat, until a few years ago one of the famous "cow towns" 

 of the west, has developed into a prosperous, progressive city. It has electric lights, 

 modern stores, well kept streets and every aspect of a thriving town. It is the 

 distributing point for a large farming territory, lying both to the north and to the 

 south and is enjoying a rapid growth. Dodson, on the western side of the county, 

 and Saco, on the eastern, are thriving towns. 



The estimated population of Phillips county is 9,760 and the assessed valuation 

 of the county, in 1915, was $4,335,839. 



LAND AREA — Phillips county, which is in the Havre and Glasgow land 

 districts, embraces an area of 5,266 square miles, including 1,991,300 acres of unre- 

 served and unappropriated public land available for entry under the homestead 

 law, 112,345 acres of state land, and 29,240 acres of national forests. Of the total area 

 of the county, 205,977 acres are privately owned. 



CROP PRODUCTION — The following gives the estimated crop production for 

 1915: wheat, 450,000 bushels; flax, 15,000 bushels; barley, 35,000 bushels; corn, 

 25,000 bushels; oats 325,000 bushels; potatoes, 75,000 bushels; hay, 20,000 tons. 



In 1915, the assessor's rolls showed the following livestock: horses, 10,842 

 head; milch cows, 1,639 head; other cattle, 11,314 head; sheep, 129,507 head; 

 swine, 924 head. 



POWELL COUNTY. 



Powell county lies on the western slope of the Rocky mountains west of 

 Lewis and Clark and north of Deer Lodge counties and was organized in 1901. 

 One of the original counties of Montana was Deer Lodge, whose territory has been 

 divided into the four counties of Silver Bow, Deer Lodge, Granite and Powell. 

 Within Powell county are much of the best lands the original county contained, 

 and it has retained as county seat Deer Lodge, which is one of the oldest and most 

 attractive towns in the state. 



In 1858 Granville Stuart, an honored pioneer who now lives at Butte, and 

 five companions made at Gold creek in what is now Powell county the discovery 

 of placer gold which, it is claimed, led to the settlement of Montana. Though 

 unable at the time to work the placer they returned and began work in 1862, the 

 news of their discovery led to the prospecting of other districts, and Bannack 

 and Alder gulch were discovered. Gold seekers in large numbers flocked into the 

 country and a territory was created and named Montana. 



The industries are mining, stock growing and farming. The placers have 

 been worked from early days and much gold has been taken from them. On 



