i^^SSS^^f^'S^^l^Mli^. 



'-HMtrnttM-'m l***k , jm^, 



MADISON COUNTY. 



It was in the GO's, when gold seekers attracted by the rich placer diggings of 

 Alder Gulch, flocked in by thousands, that Madison county's agricultural worth 

 was discovered. 



For nearly a year after the discovery in 1863, there were 30,000 in Alder Gulch 

 and vicinity, and as food was scarce and had to be freighted from long distances, 

 many who were unable to secure mining properties, turned farmers and helped 

 supply those who worked the diggings. The fertility of the soil was thus known 

 early and those who engaged in raising foodstu fs at that time, probably fared 

 better as a class than the men who worked the placer mines. 



The valleys of Madison county are among the most productive of the state. 

 The early day farmers naturally chose the land along the creeks and streams 

 because they were easy to irrigate and close to the gold diggings, their market. 

 That left the rich bcnchlands tor the later corners who have tbrived upon them. 



From the mining county of 40 to 50 years ago, Madison county developed into 

 a great stock raising community, where horses and cattle were raised the year 

 around on the open ranges. Now the livestock is largely crowded to the forest 

 reserves and are fed upon the ranches where hay is grown in huge amounts. Year 

 by year the open range is disappearing and the county will soon be filled with 

 settlers who iinl profit in the growing of grains and forage crops. Some of the 

 best bred horses, cattle and sheep in the United States are to be found in this 

 county. Big herds o: cattle and sheep are still numerous 



The county is watered by the Madison, Jefferson, Ruby, Beaverhead and Big 

 Hole rivers and their numerous tributaries. A large quantity of hydro-electric 

 power is available, part of which is utilised by the Montana Power Company, 

 which has built, seven miles from Norris, a dam across the Madison and established 

 a plant which generates 20, COO horse power the year around. The power is trans- 

 mitted to Bozeman, Livingston and other places east. 



The chief agricultural districts are in the valleys and between the mountain 

 ranges which traverse the eastern boundary, the center of the county and the 

 western border. The Jeiferscn valley extends from the northern boundary to 

 Twin Bridgs, where the river is formed and embraces its own drainage and those 

 of the South Boulder and Willow Creek, a great extent oil valuable farm land, 

 South of Twin Bridges are the Beaverhead and Ruby valleys, the lormer about 

 15 miles long and 5 miles wide and the latter 30 miles long and from a mile to 

 three miles wide. These valleys contain many valuable farms. The Ma.ison 

 valley is about 3G miles long and including the bench lands, about five miles 

 wide. The upper part of the Willow Creek valley extends to Pony and Norris. 

 Large crops of oats, wheat and hay are raised. Meadow Creek, McAllister, Ennis, 

 Jeffers, Cameron and Lyon are postoffices in the Madison valley, which has room 

 for perhaps live times its present farming population. There are many stock 

 ranches in this section. The Waterloo section is adapted for all agricultural pursuits 

 and fruit raising. 



Small iruits prove a valuable crop and dairying is on the increase. Sugar 

 beets grow well, the yield being from 16 to 20 tons. The sugar content is high. 



Mining is still one of the big industries of the county. The county produces 

 more gold than any other in the state. Quartz mining followed the rich placer 

 mining but at the mouth of Alder Gulch large dredges are still handling large 

 quantities of gold bearing dirt. The greater part of the county is in a mineralized 

 region and numerous mining camps exist — Silver Star, Iron Rod, Twin Bridges, 

 Rochester, Sheridan, Virginia City, Pony, Norris and Red Bluff, are surrounded 

 by mining districts. 



The principal towns are Virginia City, the county seat, an important mining 

 and commercial center and a town of great historical interest for it was the 

 territorial capital; Twin Bridges which is situated at the head of the Jefferson 

 valley is a lively bustling town, a stock shipping point and the location of the State 

 Orphans' Home with its numerous buildings; Pony a town used as a trading point 

 for the Willow Creek country; Sheridan, surrounded by rich farming community 

 and near to producing mines. 



The Northern Pacific has a branch line extending from Whitehall to Alder 

 and another from Sappington to Pony and Norris. The population of the county is 

 estimated at 9,000. There are 617,88/ acres of land available for homestead entry, of 

 which 330,718 acres are not yet surveyed. There is also 115,900 acres of state 

 land in the county. The land area is 3,588 square miles. The assessed valuation 

 in 1918 is $9,566,552 including the railroad valuation. 



