130 



MONTANA: INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES 



Coal lias hot'ii iniiicil on a small scale in tho fuiinty for many years. Near 

 the eastern boundary, while drillinj; for oil in 1923, a flow of natural gas esti- 

 mated at o.tMMJ.CMX) cubic feet was encountered. Drilling for oil 



Coal and is under way at several other places in the county. Eastern 



Gas capital lias liecouie interested in a project for the recoverj- of 



sodium cry.stals from lake beds near Montague. 



The Havre-Butte branch of the Great Northern runs northea.sterly through 

 the central part of the county. The Lewistown-(Jreat Falls branch of the Chi- 

 cago. Milwaukee and St. Paul makes a loop through the southeastern district. 



Fort Benton, the county seat, established as a trading post in 1,S4(J. is the oldest 

 town in Montana east of the main range. F^roni 18(50 to 1,SS(» steamers plied on 

 the Mis.souri between there and St. Louis. With the passing of river navigation 

 its importance declined but when the farming era began its central location made 

 it again a trading and distributing point. Big Sand.v is the principal town and 

 trading center in the northern part and (leraldlne in the southeastern area of 

 the county. 



CHOUTEAU COUNTY — Ranks fourteenth in population (11.051): tenth in area 

 (2,532,480 acres); sixteentli in combined 1922 crop and livestock value; twenty-third in 

 1920 mineral production; seventeenth in bank deposits. 1922; ninth in assessed valua- 

 tion. 1922. Acres public land, 88,518; acres state land, 182,571; acres national forests, 

 29,697; acres Indian reservations (unallotted), 15,480. 



WEALTH PRODUCTION — Estimated 1922 crop value, $1,359,000; estimated live- 

 stock value, .January, 1923, $2,509,500; coal production, 1920, $16,200; total bank de- 

 posits, September 15. 1922. $2,072,753. 



TAXATION 1922 — Total assessed valuation, $33,989,001; total taxable value, 

 $10,756,090. Total outstanding- county bond indebtedness, $1,097,000: total outstanding 

 count.v wari'ant indebtedness. $16,068; total outstanding school bond indebtedness, 

 $160,452: other school debts, $42,219. Total general and special county taxes, $210,101; 

 total general and district school taxes, $281,770; total municipal taxes, $22,334; total 

 state taxes, $51,208; total tax (inclusive municipal), per capita, $51.16. 



EDUCATIONAL — Number graded schools, 121; enrollment, 2,325. Number high 

 schools. 6: enrollment. 344. 



BUSINESS STATISTICS — Number of railroads, 2: railway mileage, exclusive spurs 

 and sidetracks, 138.63. Number of manufactures, 10; average number wage earners, 

 12; value of products, $140,252. Number of banks, 15. Number general stores, 28: con- 

 fectionery, etc.. 6; groceries and meats, 12: lumber yards, 10: total number merchants, 

 207. Total assessed valuation 1922 merchandise. $755,966. Number grain elevators. 35; 

 total capacity, 828.000 bushels. Number flour mills, 2. Number of lawyers, 14. Num- 

 ber of physicians. 5. 



AGRICULTURE (1920 census) — Number farms, 2.573; farm acreage, 1,508,898; im- 

 proved farm acreage. 599.542; irrigated acreage, 6,029; average value all property per 

 farm. $16,326. Livestock assessed 1922 — number cattle, 25,890; number sheep, 39,856; 

 number horses. 17,693: number swine (census), 3,246. 



CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA — At Fort Benton. Elevation, 2,565 feet. Average date 

 last killiim- frost in spring. :Mav 11; average date first killing frost in fall, September 23. 



An- 



.lan. Feb. Mar. April Mav .Tune .lulv Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. nual 



Ave. Free. .74 .45 .57 1.15 2.67 2.44 1.59 1.00 1.10 .64 .54 .55 13.44 



Ave. Temp. 18.4 22.2 31.0 45.1 55.0 63.0 69.4 67.3 56.7 46.5 31.9 23.4 44.2 



County Seat, Fort Benton. Population County Seat, 1,065. 



County Agricultural Agent — Yes. 



