Treasure State - part 2

(By Dr. J. P. Rowe)

Head of Department of Geology at the University of Montana

(Originally published in the Hysham Echo

on February 10, 1927)

Cont. from last week

Montana Territory

This unorganized condition led to a popular demand for a separate territorial government, and this was authorized by congress in 1864.

The bill authorizing the territory of Montana passed both houses of congress on May 4, 1864. Two days later President Lincoln signed it. Sidney Edgerton, a former congressman from Ohio and chief justice of Idaho, of which Montana was then a part, was the first territorial governor.

Governor Edgerton called the first territorial election to be held in Montana Oct. 24, 1864. He convened the first territorial legislature on December 12, 1864. During this legislature, the following counties were created: Beaverhead, Big Horn, Chouteau, Dawson, Deer Lodge, Jefferson, Madison and Missoula. A system of courts was provided and the people of Montana elected Samuel McLean as their first delegate to congress.

Mining Resources Developed

As a territory Montana developed her mineral resources with great rapidity. In 1862 approximately $20,000,000 worth of gold was taken out of the placer mines and in 1863 this amount was doubled. The production of gold increased until 1868. Then there was a decline for a few years until 1875, when quartz mining became common, since which time the production of gold has been fairly constant.

In 1876 silver mining became important, and in that year over $1,000,000 worth of the white metal was mined. This increased rapidly until in 1892 when the production of silver exceeded $20,000,000. With the demonetization of this metal, however, its value declined and silver mines were quite generally abandoned. After the republican triumph in 1896, the permanency of the gold standard was assured, and since that time, silver mining has been hardly more than a by-product of other mining activities. For the past few years, the value of silver mines in the state has varied from $6,000,000 to $7,000,000. During and since the World war, the price and production of silver has increased.

The production of copper did not become important until in the eighties. In 1883, about 25,000,000 pounds was mined, and almost every year since then has shown a marked increase. It is almost impossible, at the present time, to say definitely the value of the copper mines in the state, but it reaches into the millions of dollars.

In the eighties, the people of the territory began to turn their attention to plans for irrigation. The first irrigation ditches were planned and constructed on private initiative and each man had his own system of irrigation. Water was not carried any great distance, and at first only a small part of the arable lands were put under irrigation. The productiveness of this irrigated land, however, so far surpassed that of non-irrigated land that companies were formed to carry out co-operative plans for irrigation and special legislation was sought regarding water rights. By 1890, 1,000,000 acres of land were under irrigation.

Within a year after the organization of Montana territory the miners were planning to seek admission as a state. The first delegates to congress were instructed to accomplish this as the more important part of their mission and agitation was carried on for the next 25 years until congress showed its willingness to approve the scheme. In 1886 a constitutional convention was held without any authority and it published a constitution, and it died without ever receiving any recognition. In 1889, however, efforts of a quarter of a century were crowned with success. The population of the territory had increased and the production of its precious metals was on the increase.

The governors of the state of Montana, to date, have been: Governors, J. K. Toole; J. E. Rickards; R. B. Smith; J. K. Toole; Edwin Norris; S. V. Stewart; J. M. Dixon; and J. E. Erickson.

Geography and Natural Resources

Montana is the third largest state in the Union, having only the states of Texas and California larger. The area of the state is 147,187 square miles, or 94,199,680 acres; 589,440 acres of this territory is water surface, therefore leaving 93,610,240 acres of land. United States geological survey in Bulletin 689 gives the area as 146,997 square miles, including water areas.

Montana is bounded on the north by the 49th parallel of latitude, and also the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada. Its eastern boundary is the 104th meridian of longitude, and the states of North and South Dakota.

The southern boundary is the 45th parallel of latitude and the states of Wyoming and Idaho. On the west, the state terminates at the 116th meridian, the Couer d’Alene, Bitter Root and Beaverhead mountains, the latter being the Continental Divide, and bounding the state on the west and south. Idaho is the state that bounds Montana the entire western distance.

Natural Divisions of State

There are two rather natural divisions of the state, the eastern two-thirds, which is almost entirely a part of the great plains, although this is divided into two distinct divisions. The eastern part, or the eastern half of this is devoid of mountains, while the western half of the great plains portion has many laccolithic mountains in it. The western one-third is decidedly mountainous in its topography, having besides many mountain ranges numerous intermountain valleys.

The drainage of Montana is in three directions. The western one-third, the mountainous district proper, is drained by the Columbia river. A small northern part, a portion of Glacier National park and a portion of the plains district, is drained by Waterton, Belly, Lee, and St. Mary’s rivers to the north, ultimately into Hudson’s bay. The third drainage channel or area is the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers, and these embrace almost all of the great plains district. The rivers in the western part of the plains district flow naturally eastward, owing to the fact that their sources are largely in the Rocky mountains. In the northern section of the eastern half of the state rivers flow from the north into the Missouri river, many of them taking their sources in Canada. In the southern section, many of the rivers, including some of the larger ones, take their sources from the mountains in Wyoming, flowing north into the Yellowstone. The Yellowstone is included as a separate drainage channel in Montana, owing to the fact that it does not flow into the Missouri river until the two are a short distance outside of the state.

They are therefore, in Montana, distinct and separate rivers and have their branches flowing both from the north and from the south. Henry Gannett of the U.S.G.S. states “that the average elevation of Montana above sea level is 3,600 feet.” Forty-nine percent of Montana is under 5,000 feet above sea lever; 21 percent from 5,000 to 6,000 feet; 14 percent from 6,000 to 7,000; 9 percent from 7,000 to 8,000, and 7 percent over 8,000 feet.

Montana has two national parks: Glacier and Yellowstone and two national monuments: Big Horn Battlefield and Lewis and Clark cavern.

Silver Bow is the smallest county in area, 698 square miles, but is the richest in assessed valuation, and largest in population: 60,313.

Beaverhead county is the largest in area, in the state, having 5,632 square miles within its boundary.
Mineral county is the smallest in population, with but 2,327 people.

Powder River county had the distinction, when created, of not having a mile of railroad nor an incorporated city nor town within its limits of 59 miles in width and 60 miles in length.

Montana has as good farming land as either Wisconsin, Illinois or Iowa. Japan has about the same area as Montana, but a population of about 60,000,000.

Montana is one of the most diversified states in the Union in natural resources:
Mining - coal, metals, non-metal mineral; Timber; Farming; Petroleum and natural gas; Building stones and clays; Water power; Manufacturing; Grazing; A great playground for the people and hundreds of natural things of interest and value.

Montana Ranks High

Montana ranks high in many things:
It has one of the largest, if not the largest copper smelters in the world, located at Anaconda. This smelter handles about one-fourth of the copper produced in the United States. Print this post