Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-11-28
Founders Of Billings Chose Site for Road Travel Convenience

and mining territory which swung the
ultimate decision TO locate Billings
where it now is
The judgment Of Clark and Billings
proved correct. The development Of the
livestock industry in the MusSelshell
and Judith Basin countries resulted
in the creation Of an extensive freight
ing business from all of that country
into Billings. and made the city the
consigning point Of goods shipped from
the east over a vast stretch Of terri
tory.
The road proceeded up AIkan creek,
/ then by way Of Painted Robe, Lavina
and Judith Gap. It was called the La
VIVA stage line, and became one Of
the most important highways In the
state during that period
The fact that early treaties between
che government and the Crow Indians
had given the tribe land on the south
side Of the Yellowstone, and released
their holdings on the north side, ma
turally tended to the location Of towns
on the north, rather than the south
side of the river. After the Crows had
coded a portion Of their land on the
north side of the Yellowstone, some
towns which originally we're on the
north side Of the Yellowstone, moved
90 the opposite shore. Notable among
tAACcC HCIE Liz Olu Vi
ton, now Custer, and Huntley.
Because the original treaties with the
Crows coded to the government the
land on the north side of the river
and retained that on the south, the
original land grant to the Northern
Pacific was composed Of alternate sec /
tons for six miles north of the Yellow
stone. instead Of being located on both |
sides.
The Northern Pacific land bill which
was passed by congress in 1864 and I
signed by President Abraham Lincoln, /
gave the railway company 90 sections of I
land for each mile of track built In I
che state Of Minnesota and Oregon and /
40 sections of land for each 20 miles Of |
track built in the territories between.
Alternate sections on either side Of the
railroad was the usual way of desig-
mating the railroad land, but where
lands already had been taken up by
settlers in that territory, the railroad
was awarded lieu lands at a greater
distance from its line.
The Minnesota g. Montana Land &
Co. was organized by a
number Of men who were connected
with the Northern Pacific railroad,
prominent among them being Frederick
Billings, who had been president Of the
railway company from 1876 to 1881.
They bought from the railroad all of
It's land in what is known as the Ciark's
Fork bottom, a vast fertile area oppo-
ute the mouth of Clark's Fork of the
Yellowstone, extending from Youngs
1oint east of Park City to just east Of
Billings.
There the Yellowstone valley widens
)ut from its usual narrow limits of a
nile or two, to q maximum of about
light miles, and there Alkan creek
mptieS into the Yellowstone from the !
forth. The townsite company, with the !
that the railroad soon would /
lie built through, acquired the area
rom the railroad and proceeded to de- I
elop it, :
The company and its hackers planned !
lot only to build city, but they pur- 1
'oSed establishing agricultural colo 3
les and the developing of a farming Il
egion. They brought in settlers and =
uilt irrigation bitches. A large num-
er of Wisconsin farmers were brought
4 and established In the western end !
the project. Their settlement was
nown as the Ripon colony Construc-
on work was begun upon q big ir-
cation ditch, still known as the "big
itch" That was entirely new business
} the farmers themselves and to the