The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-02-15
NAMING MONTANA COUNTIES

it the name of Sanders in honor of a
we'll known and esteemed citizen OF
Montana, is the subject of an interest.
ing interview with Major Martin Ma.
ginnis, which is reported by the Ana
conda Stand ard. In discussing the
origin of the names of various cOun.
ties in Montana, Major Maginnis
says:
1.-The original plan was to name
the Montana counties by the lanes of
the river basins, and it has seemed to
me that it would have been better had
that plan been more rigidly adhered
to. While it is a commend able thing
to honor some of the early citizens of
the territory, yet better names,
suitable names and more significant
names, on the whole would have been
obtained had we kept to the origina
plan. Naming a county for its prin-
cipal river basin gives one at once its
general location.
"Madison wa one of the original
counties and was named after the
Madison river. of course. Jefferson,
Deer Lodge, Galiatin and Beaverhead
were likewise named after the princi.
pal streams Of water which flow
through them. The first departure
from this plan came with the naming
of Edgerton county, after the first ter
ritorial governor. Subsequently,
however, the name of Edgerton
was changed to Lewis and Clarke.
81 remember the last talk l had
with the late President Garfield: he
mentioned that when Lewis and Clark
explored the country which has be-
come the state Of Montana they named
the three branches of the Missouri
respectively Madison, Jefferson and
Gallatin, after President jefferson
and his two secretaries. When they
came to the three principal tributaries
of the Jefferson, they named them for
what they considered the three most
striking traits of Jetferson's character
Wisdom, Philanthropy and Justice.
But these names, Mr.. Garfield said,
had been changed to Beaverhead, Big
Hole and Ruby.
1.-THE original plan of naming coun-
ties was departed from in the naming
Of Chouteau comfy, which was named
for the old.time fur trader OF St.
Louis, Pierre Chouteau. Meagher
county was named for General
Meagher; in the naming of Missoula
and Flathead the original plan of
naming for river basins was adhered
to. The most decided departure from
this first plan was, however, made in
the naming of Fergus county for the
pioneer, James Fergus. A large por.
ton Of the population of that new
county wished to have the county
named Judith county, after the Judith
basin, which is the most characteristic
feature of the county. The judith riv-
err had been named by Captain Clark
in honor of his %tiancec, Judith. Blu,
the majority of the members of the
legislature at the time decided to hon.
or Mr.. Fergus. Fergus was cut from
Meagher county and so afterwards
was Broadwater county, named for
Colonel Broadw alter. Cascade was
naturally named for the falls there,
and Teton was hccomingly named, be-
i,,r N,ntAi az .t, f~rt -t tl, ,.,,
tain-.
"Ihe eastern part Of the state was
originally part of Madison county
Yellowstone county was named for tn,
river basin, and Park was named a>
being significant of its being u, the cn.
trance tn the park. Sweet Grass wa,
named for Il little river THAI runs on
of the Crazy mountains. Caster wa
named for General Custer, and Daw.
o for Major DAWSON. an old-timt
fur trader in the eastern portion O
Montana. Ravalli, cut from Mis-,
soula. was named for the early Jesuit
missionary. Powell was named from
Powell peak, which was named il
honor of John Powell, one of the earl
lest traders in the territory and ;
brother-in-law of the congressman
Randolph Tucker. Valley was named
for the Milk river valley. Many ia
vored naming the county Milk River
but the name Valley was finally deci
ded on as being more euphonious
Carbon was named for the coal mines
Granite county was named for thu
Granite mountain mines. Many fa
vOred the name Of Flint county fo1
Flint creek, the principal water cours
but the people of Granite and Philips
burg preferred the name of Granite
Rosebud was named after the river III
the course of which Custer and hi
command went to their fate