The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1928-07-06
DEVELOP ENT OF
ROOSEVELT COUNTY
EASTERN GATEWAY OF THE
STATE is ALIVE WITH
OPPORTUNITIES

Roosevelt county was created by
an act of the legislature, passed in
: February 1919. The law set apart
: a large section of the southern
part of Sheridan county and gave
it the name Roosevelt in honor of
} Theodore Roosevelt whose death
occurred a few weeks before.
The county reaches to the
North Dakota line on the east and
to Valley county on the West,
with the Missouri river forming
it's southern boundary. The coun-
ty is 85 miles in length east and
west and varies in width from 20
to SO miles. Daniels county lies
north of the wider west end of the
county and was cut from Sheridan
after Roosevelt was created. The
mother county lies north of the
east end.
Historic Spot
The most notable historic spot
within the county is the site of
old Fort Union, built in 1929, on
the bank of the Missouri river
at the present boundary line be-
tween Dakota and Montana. The
old fort was, a few years ago. the
scene of a notable historical ex-
petition which brought together
many notable men and women of
both past and present. This event
was sponsored by the Great Nor
thern railroad, whose Coast line
extends through the entire length
Of the county.
Character of Land
The county has a vast area of
both farm and grazing land, which
might be considered under three
distinct heads, the low benches,
or river bottom land, of which
there is a large amount all along
the winding river; the rough and
rolling land that borders the bot
tom land and extends along the
numerous tributaries which flow
from the north into the Missouri,
such as the Big Muddy, the Poplar
river, Tule Creek and Wolf
Creek; the higher benches, which
step up one above another to an
altitude of 24OO or $500 feet above
the river. The river has an alti-
tude of 1000 feet.
Indian Lands
A large portion of the central
and western end of the county is
occupied by the Fort Peck Indian
reservation, which was opened to
settlement by the drawing system
in May 1914. Thousands of acres
were homesteaded at that time,
but other thousands remain in the
hands of the A~ssiniboine and
Yankton Sioux tribe as allotments.
The Indians had the first choice
and took the land along the
streams and much that lies among
the hills and on the benches.
These Indian allotments are grad
ually being sold to the whites af-
ter the Indians acquire title to
them, or after their decrease.
Farming Well Established
After passing through the try
ing homestead period, the home
steaded land is now to a greater
extent than ever before in the
hands of experienced farmers who
have. located with the intention of
remaining, and during the last !
eight or ten years the country has
made great progress. Tens Of
thousands of acres of sod are t
turned over each season, better |
buildings are constructed, better t
equipment purchased for the a
arms, better methods of farming Il
Employed. The state college ex-
ension work through county agri- 5
cultural agents, has brought about C
change in farm economics and
arm system that has been largely y
long the line of introducing the u
,est varieties of grain, teaching .
ne value of pure clean seed and n
establishing summer fallow and +.
ummer tillage as indispensable to y
afe farming. The summer till i
ge system achieved two great j.
imposes. It distributes the farm
1ork through the year and con- -
erves the moisture of two sea- -
ons. -
Farm Homes For All
In 1920 Roosevelt county had a al
~Opuiation Of 10,347 and now has ct
IN estimated population of 14,0O0Mi