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POWELL COUNTY. 



Powell county was carved from the old county of Deer Lodge, along with 

 Silver Bow and Granite counties in 1901. It is one of the first agricultural sections 

 to be reached after crossing the main range of the Rocky Mountains west of the 

 continental divide. 



The industries of the county are mining, stock growing and farming. In 1858 

 placer gold was discovered and this, it is claimed, was what load to the settlement 

 of Montana. The placers have been worked from early days and much gold re- 

 covered. Quartz mines are to be found on both sides of the Deer Lodge valleys and 

 there are valuable properties in the Opbir and Ovando and Elliston districts. Sap- 

 phires have been found in Dry Cottonwood Creek, not far from Deer Lodge, the 

 county seat. 



Deer Lodge valley where much farming is done on irrigated tracts, has an 

 exceptionally rich soil. Dry land farming is profitable, there being abundant 

 rainfall. The valley is served by two railroads, the Milwaukee and the Northern 

 Pacific, and has an area of about 300,000 acres of farm lands and 500,000 acres 

 of grazing land. Its topography consists of a stretch of river bottom from 10 to 

 15 miles wide and gently rolling bench lands from fifty to five hundred feet above 

 the river level. The lower slopes are generally irrigated, the benches being used 

 for dry farming. The foothills are grazing lands. The altitude of the valley is 

 4,500 feet above sea level and the climate mild and healthful. Few winter days 

 see zero weather. 



According to government reports the rainfall is 18.38 inches annually and 

 comes largely in April, May, June and July, the growing mouths for crops. Evapora- 

 tion is at a minimum, owing to absence of hot winds. 



The soil in the valley varies from a rich black loam to a light chocolate, in 

 depth from ten inches to ten feet. It has a gravelly sub-soil and produces heavy 

 crops of wheat, oats, barley, flax and field peas without appreciable exhaustion of 

 the soil. 



Alfalfa and hay are the big crops in Powell county, but there have been big 

 crops of winter wheat, oats, barley and flax, fruit and garden truck. Dairying 

 and poultry offer exceptional inducements as well as hog raising. The proximity 

 of the markets of Butte and Anaconda are a big factor in making intensive farming 

 pay big profits. 



The valley of the Little Blackfoot. though not extensive has many good farms. 

 The Big Blackfoot valley is a fine stock country which will change to a farming 

 district when railroads enter it. On some of the large ranches and on smaller 

 ranches and homesteads, excellent crops have been raised. The northern part of 

 Powell county is almost exclusively a stock raising district at present. Cultivated 

 grasses make large yields and the native grasses are abundant and nutritious. 

 Water is plentilul and is furnished by mountain streams, springs and wells which 

 vary in depth from ten to thirty feet. 



In the northern part of the county the timber is ample for a considerable 

 amount of lumbering and there is an abundance of fuel. 



The main line of the Northern Pacific alter crossing the main divide follows 

 the course of the Little Blackfoot and at Garrison is joined by the line from Butte, 

 extending through the Deer Lodge valley. The Milwaukee railroad runs through the 

 Deer Lodge valley. 



Deer Lodge, the county seat, is a city of beautiful homes, has churches and 

 graded schools and St. Mary's Academy for girls. There are many substantial 

 business houses, banks and cement sidewalks, waterworks and sewerage system. The 

 Montana State Prison is located at Deer Lodge. 



*"" Other towns are Elliston on the Little Blackfoot in a mining district, Garrison, 

 a railroad junction point, Ovando and llelmville, the latter the principal trading 

 town in the northern part of the county and surrounded by a good farming region. 



The county has an area of 2,549 square miles, including 207.500 acres of 

 unreserved and unappropriated public land available for entry under the home- 

 stead act, and 0,S31 acres of state land. It population is estimated at 3,000 people. 



The assessed valuation of the county in 1918 is $8,588,181 including the rail- 

 road valuation. 



