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MONTANA : INDUSTRIAL KESOURCES 



MADISON COUNTY 



M 



ADISON niiulit well bo called the parent 

 {•ouiity of Montana. "While the original 

 gold discovery in the state was made else- 

 where, it was the finding of the rich dig- 

 gings on Alder Gulch by the AVilliam Fair- 

 weather party in the summer of 1SG3 that 

 brought the first rush of people to the ter- 

 ritory and led to the development of the 

 entire region. It is estimated this one 

 gulch produced ifloO.OOO.OOO In placer gold, 

 most of it taken from the sluice boxes of 

 the early-day miners. The balance was 

 recovered by giant dredges during the past 

 fifteen years. From a mining countj' of 50 

 years ago, Madison developed into an im- 

 portant stock-raising and agricultural re- 

 gion. It ranl^s among the leaders in stock- 

 raising, crop production and also mining. 

 The latter industry has declined, not because 

 the mineral resources were exhausted, Init because development was turned into 

 other lines. It is one of the most highly mineralized districts in the state and 

 possesses many minerals that are principally used as process materials and alloys. 



Madison county is situated in southwestern Montana on the eastern side of 

 the Rocky Mountains, the crest of which forms part of its border in the south- 

 ern corner on the Montana-Idaho l)oundary. It extends north 

 Mountains to the Jefferson river, touches the Big Hole river on the west 

 and Valleys and on the east, and takes in most of the Madison range of 

 mountains. It is a region of mountains and long, well-waterefl 

 valle.vs whose general coiu'se is north and south. The valleys range in elevation 

 from 4.200 to 5.000 feet. The principal ones are the Madison. Jefferson, Ruby, 

 Beaverhead, Big Hole and the South Botdder. There are more than 115,000 acres 

 of irrigated land in the county and it is estimated an additional 60.000 acres 

 can be irrigated at reasonable cost. 



Stock raising is the leading industry, with large ranches and large scale pro- 

 duction as a rule. More than a fourth of the county is included within the 

 national forests, which, with an additional 180,000 aci'es of unreserved public 

 domain, and an abutidance of springs and streams, provide ideal summer grazing. 

 In the higher valleys, better adapted to alfalfa and wild hay than to othi-r 

 crops, the home ranches of most of the stock outfits are found. Madison has 

 never received the x'eco.gnition in an agricultural way to which its yields per acre 

 entitle it. This is due. perhaps, to the fact that only along its northern border is 

 there a main line of travel. The lower valleys and benches are devoted mostly 

 to general farming. AVheat. oats, barley and rye all produce good yields. JIadison 

 county oats are in demand for cereal purposes. Hardy varieties of corn are 

 grown in a number of districts. For many years seed peas have been grown. 

 (1700 acres were under contract in 1023.) Soil and climate are favorable for 

 potato growing, about 1.000 acres being grown annually for commercial purposes. 

 There is a trend toward diversified farming that includes milk cows, hogs and 

 poultry. While soil types vary, a deep alluvial soil predominates, with some 

 heavy clays and gravel in places. In the northern part of the county, near 

 Harrison, there is some non-irrigated farming, but irrigated farnung is the rule. 



