Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1914-05-22
Year Book Is
Just Issued

Ol3t 13SHyU
The 1914 Year Book Published
From the Department of Agri-
culture and Labor is Just Out
and Contains Write Up of
Golden Valley County and
Beach.
North Dakota Year Book:The
county of Golden Valley is the
latest addition to the state = roster
of counties, which now number
fifty. 1t was formed out of the
western portion of the county of
Billings and has an area of 632,-
w acres and had in 1910, the
date of the last federal census,
a population of 4,402. This
number has since been greatly in
creased. owing principally to the
remarkable fertility of the far
famed Golden Valley, from
which the new subdivision takes
its name. Although one cf the
smaller counties of North Dako-
ia and also one of the latest to
be developed along agricultural
lines, it has nevertheless made
remarkable progress and has al
ready surpassed many of its old
er sisters in production of the
staple grains and other products
! of the soil.
The topography of the county
is somewhat rougher than most
of the state, especially in the
eastern townships, where are to
be found many buttes, high plat
eaux ard deep valleys. Even the
toughest land, however, is cloth
ed with rich grasses, and the ex-
ceptional fertility of the valleys
fully offsets the disadvantages
arising from the irregular surface
formation. No better location
can be found anywhere for the
general purpose farm, combining
shelter for live stock with enough
arabic land to permit of quite ex-
tensive agricultural operations.
The county lies in the watershed
of the Little Missouri river, which
flows northward just outside the
eastern boundary line. Several
tributary streams to this river
! flow through the county, the prin-
cipal one being Beaver Creek
which waters the northern town
ships.
For many years prior to the
countys organization ranchiag
Was practically the sole occ,'pa-
ton of the few settlers in those
days and the rough. adventurous
life Of the cow-puncher, as told
in novel and magazine articles,
has found many vivid illustra-
tons from actual scenes occur
ring among the hills and buttes of
Golden Valley county. These
are now largely memories Of the
past. although ranch buildings,
,1o-rals and other evidences of
former occupancy still exist and
add to the historic interest of the
country.
Beach, the county seat, is one
Of the most striking examples Of
the almost magical manner in
which thriving and solidly en-
trenched municipality can come
into existence, when backed up
by rich tributary country oc-
cupied by industrious farmers.
Five years prior to the last fed
eral census, in 1910, the town
could not be found on the map.
The census enumerates found
there a population of l,OO3,
which has probably doubled since
that date. 1t is now less than
eight years since the Northern
Pacific railway built its station at
Beach and the development of
Golden Valley dates from that
time. In 1910 it was considered
to be the greatest primary grain
market in the world, and in the
spring of 1911 many trainloads
of wheat were shipped from its
elevators to furnish feed for less
favored localities ,rithin the state.
Beach enjoys the benefits of a
city organization and is advanc-
ing rapidly along all those aven-
ues that indicate wise municipal
administration. The various
church organizations are we'll sup
ported and the religious affairs
of the city are administered by
able and Jealous men. Nine ele.
vators are located here with the
LARGEST storage capacitv of any