136 MONTANA: INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES 



The minins exeitomout was sliort-lived. lu 18S7 a considerable area of the 

 Blackfeet Indian reservation, whieli included most of Toole county, was thrown 

 open to entry, and the big range cattle outfits moved in along the Marias and the 

 streams near the Sweet Grass Hills. About 1910 the homesteading era began and 

 nearly half the area of the county was filed upon. "While the number of stock- 

 raising outfits has declined, this industry is still dominant over agriculture, and 

 indications are that a considerable area heretofore devoted to non-irrigated 

 farming eventually will be used for grazing purposes. On rhe heavier types of 

 soil, blowing sometimes causes trouble, and special tillage methods must be 

 observed both to eliminate drifting and to conserve moisture, which is a limiting 

 factor in crop production. Spring wheat is the principal crop, followed by oats 

 and tame bay. In the eastern and southern districts acclimated varieties of 

 corn do fairly well and provide forage for livestock. If the proposed irrigation 

 project is carried to completion, agriculture will be markedly stimulated. 



The Kevin-Sunburst oil field is the largest in area in the state, so far as 

 present knowledge goes, and its production has been increasing rapidly. It lies 

 in the western half of the county and is about 30 miles across, according to the 

 U, S. Geological Survey. In September, 1923. outlying producing wells were 

 20 miles apart. A total of So producing oil wells and 20 gas wells were reported 

 at that time. The settled production of the largest well was given as 2.000 

 barrels daily, but the settled production of most of the wells ran from 50 to 100 

 barrels daily. They range in depth from 1,500 to 1.800 feet. The estimated flow 

 of the largest gas well was placed at 15.000,000 cubic feet of gas daily. This well 

 was 2.570 feet in depth. The pipe line production of the field for the three 

 months" period ending September 30. 1923. was 202.000 barrels. It is said that 

 marketing conditions and lack of storage prevented a much larger output. 

 Drilling operations are being expanded to new areas, to test out structures other 

 than the Kevin-Sunburst. Coal is found in some districts. 



Mau.v machinery and suppl.v houses, foundries and iron working shops have 

 been established in the county since oil was discovered. Several pipe lines have 

 been laid, including one to the Canadian border at Sweet Grass, and at Kevin 

 a small refinery is operating. A larger one is projected at Shelby. The big 

 flows of natural gas have not yet been commercially utilized, but arrangements 

 to pipe it t(i Shelby for household and industrial uses have been completed, and 

 a pipe line to Great Falls is projected. 



Transportation facilities are good. The main line of the Great Northern 

 crosses the county east and west. The Burlington-Great Northern line from the 

 south connects with the main line at Shelby, and a branch line of the Great 

 Northern runs north from Shelby to the Canadian border, where it connects with 

 the Canadian Pacific. The Roosevelt highway follows the main line of the Great 

 Northern, and the Montana-Alberta highway from Great Falls to Lethbridge 

 parallels the railway north and .south through the county. 



Shelby, the county seat, is the largest town, the headquarters for the oil in- 

 dustry and the principal distributing point for a large region. It has experienced 

 a phenomenal growth since oil was found. Sweet Grass, on the border, is a port 

 of entry. Kevin and Sunburst are the chief towns in the oil fields. 



TOOLE COUNTY — Ranks forty-seventh in population (3.724); thirty-third in area 

 (1.253,120 acres); forty-seventh in combined 1922 crop and livestock value; twenty-sixth 

 In 1920 mineral production; thirty-third in bank deposits. 1922; thirty-seventh in 

 assessed valuation. 1022. Acres public land, 30,954; acres state land, 100.040. 



WEALTH PRODUCTION — Estimated 1922 crop value. $165,500; estimated live- 

 stock value, Januarv. 1923, $976,500; metal production, 1920. $1,076; coal production, 

 1920. $7,992; total bank deposits, September 15. 1922. $994,006. 



TAXATION 1922 — Total assessed valuation. $17,138,369; total taxable value, 

 $5,564,953. Total outstanding county bond indebtedness, $654,000; total outstanding 

 county warrant indebtedness, $30,769; total outstanding school bond indebtedness. 



