DAWSOX COUXTY. 



Dawson county is one of the largest counties in Montana, and leads all other 

 counties in the amount of land available for homestead entry, having a total of 

 1,503.508 acres unreserved and unappropriated. Of this amount 907.450 acres is still 

 unr.urveyed. The total acreage in the county is 2,0S5,459. Dawson is also one 

 amount of state land available, having 277,322 acres of this land, 

 much interest to the prospective settler, for it contains some of 

 cheap land in the state. Most of this land id at present a con- 

 front the railroad. However prospective railroad lines will tap 

 this territory when finally built. The lines have been surveyed and con- 

 started. They will be completed as soon as normal conditions make the 



of the first in the 

 It is therefore of 

 the best free and 

 siderable distance 

 much of 

 struction 



It is located in the extreme east and 

 Dawson county was one of the leading 



construction possible. 



Dawson is one of the prairie counties, 

 semi-plain region of the state. Formerly 



localities in the west for the production of stock and most particularly prominent 

 for its large production of wool. Of recent years stock raising and wool growing 

 have steadily given way to diversified farming. As the old range is rapidly fenced 

 up, the large live stock companies and ranches have been replaced by smaller 

 farmers, who are importing a better grade of live stock and are producing crops of 

 corn, flax, wheat and oats which were hitherto considered impossible. 



The climate and soil conditions of this district have proven astonishingly 

 adapted to the raising of all kinds of small grains. The soil is a dark sandy loam 

 witli a heavy clay subsoil, producing an abundant and nutritious covering of grass, 

 which gave to eastern Montana the fame it enjoyed for many years of being the 

 greatest "long grass" country in the Union. It is proverbial that where you find 

 good grass there you will also find good soil, and it is a theory that has never 

 yet been disproved. The altitude — a trifle over 2,000 feet — is also an advantage from 

 the standpoint of the scientific agriculturists. 



In recent years as high as 900,000 bushels of flax, wheat, oats and barley have 

 been shipped from Glendive, the county seat, in a single season. Other towns have 

 large shipments. The average yield of wheat per acre is varied, of course, with 

 the seasons, but yields from 25 to 40 bushels per acre arc common, oats run from 

 50 to 85 bushels per acre and flax will average S to 15. There have been 75 car- 

 loads of potatoes shipped to eastern markets from Glendive. As high as 400 

 bushels of potatoes have been raised on one acre of unirrigatcd land and this product 

 is becoming one of the prominent money makers of I lie county. The potato grown 

 In this district is a large mealy variety and has brought the highest price on the 

 Twin City and Chicago markets. While a few years ago it was not believed possible 

 to grow mature corn in this territory, the average farmer is pro-rating his crops 

 of corn in proportion to that of small grains. In 1915 Dawson county won the first 

 and second prizes on Northwestern Dent corn at the St. Paul Corn Show. In Decem- 

 ber, 1916, at the First National Corn Show, held in St. Paul, Minnesota, Dawson 

 county took two first and two second and three third prizes. 



Glendive is the largest town in the county and is the county seat. It has a 

 population of more than 5,500. From formerly a straggling frontier town of log 

 cabins it has evolved in a few years to a modern city with substantial business 

 blocks and beautiful homes, paved and graveled streets and lighted by electricity 

 and natural gas. It owns its water plant. Gas is piped from a well 12 miles 

 away in the Cedar Creek country. 



The city of Glendive is the operating center of 500 miles of railway and the 

 headquarters of the Yellowstone division of the Northern Pacific. Five hundred 

 men are employed in the various departments of the company and the annual 

 payroll is about $800,000. A new depot to cost $S5,000 was constructed last year 

 The N. P. hospital costing $125,000 is here. Three grain elevators and a flour mill 

 of 200 barrels capacity are among the local enterprises which help handle the wheat 

 and grain. It has excellent schools and several private hospitals and five churches. 



Among the other towns in the county is Circle of S00 inhabitants on the new 

 line now under construction by the Great Northern. It has two banks and a 

 number of prosperous business houses and is located in the famous Red Water 

 Valley, having some of the finest agricultural lands in the state. Among the other 

 towns are Fallon, Red Water, Richey, Jordan, Intake, Bloomfield and Linsay. 



The assessed valuation of the county in 1918 is $1S,4G9,652 including railroad 

 property. 



