BROADWATER COUNTY. 



Broadwater county lying north of Gallatin, south of Lewis and Clark, west of 

 Jefferson and east of Meagher counties, embraces the upper Missouri river valley and 

 is within close shipping distance of the cities of Butte and Helena. It was created from 

 portions of Jefferson and Meagher counties in 1897. 



The Big Belt range forms the eastern, and lower mountains the western boundary. 

 In both ranges rise streams that flow into the Missouri river. The principal agri- 

 cultural districts are in the Missouri river valley and in the valley of Crow creek. 



When resources include farming, mining, stock raising, dairying and fruit 

 raising, a county is fortunate. Broadwater county includes all these and accord- 

 ingly is one of the sections where people are proud of tlieir post office address. 

 The mineral area is extensive ami rich and the placer and quartz mines have 

 yielded great sums. The principal mines are at Radcrsburg and Winston, from which 

 places many tons of ore are annually shipped to smelters. 



The range sheep industry has been the source of many fortunes for men who 

 owned from 2,000 to 20,000 sheep. Mountains or foothills still afford good range 

 for many horr.es, cattle and sheep. Much attention has been paid to the breeding of 

 high grade stock, and the claim is made that Broadwater county has the best horses 

 in Montana. 



Fine herds of beef and dairy cattle are numerous. In 1904 fifty farmers and 

 business men organized and started the Townsend creamery, which is the pride of 

 the county. From a small beginning the output has steadily increased and about 

 200.000 pounds of butter of a superior quality is produced annually. The butter 

 finds a ready sale at Helena and other neighboring cities. More recently a flour 

 mill was erected at Townsend and the product readily found profitable market. 



The principal farming districts are in the Missouri and Crow Creek valleys, where 

 many thousand acres are irrigated. The chief crops are oats, wheat and alfalfa, 

 timothy and bluejoint hay. Oats make large yields, are of a superior quality, and 

 have been sold to cereal mills and for seed. Wheat is in demand from millers and 

 many cars of a! alia and timothy hay are shipped annually. Potatoes yield from 300 

 to 400 bushels to the acre and other vegetables do equally well. 



During the last few years many thousand acres on the foothills and benches 

 that extend from Three Forks to the northern end of the county have been settled 

 upon and farmed without irrigation. A large part of the uplands is adapted to 

 dry land farming and good crops have been raised at many places, the rainfall in 

 the spring and early summer being sufficient to produce large yields of crops that 

 are properly planted and cultivated. The soil, a warm and very productive loam, 

 is easy to work. Winter wheat, rye, bald barley and alfalfa are the chief crops on 

 non-irrigated farms. Raw lands may be bought at low prices and turned into pro- 

 ductive farms. Large ranches have been subdivided and are offered for sale in farm 

 lots. The raising of apples and other fruits on a commercial scale is a new and 

 promising industry. Apples of many varieties have been grown. At the Stafford ranch 

 near Avalanche creek is an excellent orchard that has been in bearing for twenty 

 years; and it is said that four thousand dollars were received from the sale of 

 fruit gathered one year from fifteen acres. 



The main line of the Northern Pacific follows the Missouri valley from Lombard 

 to Townsend, and the Butte branch is separated by the Jefferson river from the 

 southern boundary. The Milwaukee enters the county near Lombard and passes 

 through the southern end. 



The principal town is Townsend, which is also the county seat: It is located 

 where the Northern Pacific crosses the Missouri river. It has excellent schools, 

 churches, electric light plant, waterworks, and a sewerage system, volunteer fire 

 department, two newspapers, elevators, flour mill, creamery, cigar factory, many 

 retail stores, handsome residences and in fact is a modern little city of perhaps 

 1500 people. Opportunities are offered for an alfalfa mill and a pottery and cement 

 factory. 



Toston is a shipping point for the mining camp of Radersburg, 11 miles away, 

 and also for the grain growers and stockmen in that section. Winston, 21 miles from 

 Helena, is a supply point for the mining district and stock growers. 



The area of the county is 1,248 square miles and the county is within the 

 Helena land district, with 1SG.230 acres of unreserved and unappropriated public 

 land available for homestead entry. There is also 21,847 acres of state land. The 

 population of the county is about 4,500. 



The assessed valuation of the county in 1918 is $5,222,962 including the 

 railroads. 



