The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-07-08
MILES CITY.
Most Progressive City in East
ern Montana-A Sketch Ct
the Past, Present and
Possibilities of the
Future.

About 1876 a number Of settlers oc-
cupied land near Fort keogh. about two
miles from the present cit. on the OPP
posite side Of the river. Some time la
ter the government instituted some
changes. which causei a new location
to be sought by the settlers and in April.
1873 the present town was laid out on
land owned jointly b. the n. p. railroad
and the set flcr7. Itr townslte comprised
40 acres. The bui Tin 5 were frame or
log. and were a number Of times burned
and rebuilt. The first brick building
was erected by Joseph Leighton in ISL.
This was the same year the railroad
reached here and a year previous to the
time the brick court house was erected.
Among the early settlers may he mcr
toned: W. II. Ross. John Mcmillan.
A. W. Church. j. w. Johnson. \. p.
Flanagan. Geo. n. Miles. John Sea
man. Dan Ringer. Judge Carmichael.
VIM. Reese. Prof. Bach. Jack kahle.
Geo. Silverberg. Norris Calm. b. vi
man. Chas. brown. Newman Burk-
chardt. John Smith. Tom Irvine. W. II.
Billiard. DR.. Lebcher. \. b. Wolf. Fred
Miller. {. ". Savage. W. +. Schmalsle.
Melvin Trlpp. Louis Payette. John Ora
ham. Capt. jackson. Wash Kelly. Hank
Wormwood. Tom Rick. Chas Strader.
L. c. Currier. James Brooks and VIM.
Lansing.
In September. 1887. Miles City was in
corporated.. The first officers were:
Mayor. Skew" johnson: Police Magis
trate. Edmund Butler: City Attorney.
W. II. Ross: City Treasurer. II. +. Batche-
lor: Alderman. c. b. Towers. Chas. +.
Brown. first ward. and W. II. Lansing
and W. II. Billiard. for the second ward.
The streets are eighty feet wide. laid
out at right angles and are lighted by
electricity.
The Convent of the Sacred Heart was
located here in 1885,.
The erection of the new reform school
will soon be commenced and hurried to
completion.
An addition to the school house will
be completed this summer
Many new residences are now under
contemplation or in course of erection.
The ~Episcopalians. Presbyterians.
Methodists. Catholics and Baptists
have tire church editices and flourish
ing congregations.
The Masons. Odd Fellows. X. of p.
X. OF L.. G.. y. r.. S. of w.. p. o. $. Of a.
and other fraternites have strong lodges
here.
The average receipts Of the railroad
at this station exceed $4,000 per month.
During the cattle shipping season from
800 to Loo cars Of cattle are shipped
from this point. This is greater than at
any other station on the system.
The question might be asked: What
has the city 10 back il up: 1t has the
most extensive and finest stock range in
the northwest; IT has inexhaustible coal
measures and abundance Of cheap fuel;it
has the finest farming land in the world
when properly irrigated: it has a navig-
able river running by its doors: il has ii
splendid geographical position; it has
one railroad in operation and another
surveyed within 81 miles Of the city.
\. wooden mill in this vicinity would
pay well. Wool in any quantity could be
obtained direct from the wool growers.
There would be a large and profitable
market for blankets, etc. and b saving
in freights. commission and middle men s
profits. would be more than equal to a
large profit.
The principal expense would be fuel.
Elsewhere this is shown TO be nominal.
The products Of the soil such as flax,
hemp.etc..c can be manufactured for home
consumption.
ENtIh foiiiiiltIIidi tIuNViSi Nhi "a s'h
Miles City is his best town: hat more
goods are sold here and collections
prompter than elsewhere.
Miles City is one Of the most prosper.
Gus business towns in the state. Two
national banks have a large amount OF
despOsits.
These deposits are largely the money
Of settlers who came here without a
dollar, or farmers who came TO this sec,
ton from eight to twelve years age set
tied on government land. many Of them
without anything; now with fine farms
well stocked. clear OF debt. and with
plenty OF money.
The city has never had a boom" al
business being transacted on a conserva
tive basis. No business blocks or resi-
dences have been erected until there
was a demand for them. The successful
career Of nearly all the merchants ant
professional men has been something
phenomenal.
The future growth will be sure ant
steady. This is a city full OF bushes
enterprise. 1t is also a city Of churchet
and schools. 1t presents remarkable at
fractions to capital and enterprise anC
the city. before another decade. vii
count the population by thousands. TIT