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About The Hardin Tribune-Herald (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973 | View This Issue
The Hardin Tribune-Herald (Hardin, Mont.), 03 July 1925, located at <http://montananewspapers.org/lccn/sn86075229/1925-07-03/ed-1/seq-5/>, image provided by MONTANA NEWSPAPERS, Montana Historical Society, Helena, Montana.
• Friday, July 3, 1925 4 . \ um HARDIN TRIBUNE -HERALD ISESEESEEILMEeillia309130111111•11111111113101111110 BM\ 4 - 1-c Page Five 0 Air t 1 44' 4 Start In Farming. Fort Browning was one of the first trading posts in what was lat- er to become Blaine county. This post was a short distance below the mouth of Peoples creek a tributary of Milk river. It was built in 1868 and abandoned about 1872. While the fort was in commission, farming v.•tis attempted by the white settlers. This was the first instance of land tillage in northern Montana. After the abandonment of Fort Browning the building of Fort Bel- knap Agency was commenced across the river from the town of Chinook. The first settlement in what was later to become Blaine county, oc- curred on Rock creek, in the Little Rockies country, about one mile east of Landuaky. William Coch- rane, John 'Dillon, 0. B. Nevins, and Adam Armstrong left Fart Benton in the fall of 1865 on a trading ex- pedition with the Indians, and aban- doned their plans upon learning that CHINOOK, SUGAR CITY OF NORTH COUNTRY, IS THE CENTER OF TERRITORY OF UNPARALLELED AGRICULTURAL OPPORTUNITY f3r (By WALTER F. IFIRITTAN) T HE Milk River Valley irrigation - lets have acclaimed Chinook the capital of the sugar beet coun- try of the north. A million dollar beet sugar factory has been located in Chinook, with its big plant near- ing completion. Thousands of ac- res of rich land, watered by ditches from the Milk river, are planted to this sweet and succulent root, and the fortunate residents of this sec- tion look forward with confidence to a new era of development* and prosperity. Aside from the plant of the Utah - Idaho Sugar company, Chinook has in and about it much that argues well for its future, including: A large area of the best land in Montana, irrigated. A larger area of dry land, so- called to distinguish it from the ir- rigated land, where crops are as sure as anywhere in the state. An intelligent and industrious class of farmers. A $100.000 gravel plant, employ- ing 40 and more men, which con- ditions for shipment 30 cars of wash- ed gravel, and 15 cars of rougher material daily. Two natural gas fields at its back door, partially developed with a pre- sent capacity of 50,000,000 cubic feet of gas daily. These fields are on the Bowes structure, 10 miles south of Chinook, and the Cherry Ridge anti -cline, 25 miles north- east. That this gas will be piped in- to Chinook in the near fuutre is. a certainty. Three banking Institutions with deposits aggregating $1,000,000, and assets in excess of $1,500,000. Some Things Historical. The early day history of Blaine county, of which Chinook is the county seat, could furnish material for volumes of stirring narratives, experiences of pioneer men and wo- men who first located there. The first inhabitants of Blaine county were the Indian tribes of northern Montana, the Gros Ventres and the Assinniboines. There is a legend handed down by the Gros Ventres (Big Bellies) that many, many moons ago, a time, in fact, so long removed from the present as to be now almost a myth, the Gros Ventres and Arapahoes, coming from the east and arriving at the conflux of the Missouri and the Yellowstone rivers, the Arapahoes turned to the south and the Gros Ventres crossed the Missouri and continued along the 1 the Sioux were on the warpath. They looked for a spot Ivhere they might hide and entrench themselves against a possible siege from the Indians and with this in mind they proceeded to a point on Rock creek that seemed ideal for such purpose. Here they stopped and built four log cabins and a stockade. Men came and went in the early days and it could' hardly be said that there were any permanent settle- ments on Milk river until the Great Northern railway entered that sec- tion in 1887. On May 1, 1888, a part of the Fort Belknap reservation was thrown open to settlement and homesteaders took up some of the land along the river. And, it is worthy of note, in this connection, that at the time of this opening of reservation lands, the Great North- ern Railway company advertised the Milk River valley as the only sec- tion of Montana that could be farmed without irrigation. Founding of Chinook. The town of Chinook was started in 1888 at a point about three-quar- ters of a mile west of its present site. It was named Dawes and later the name of Chinook was bestowed up- on the settlement. D. R. McGinnis, a newspaperman is responsible for the name. The last clash of consequence be- tween Indians and the whites was the battle of the Bear Paws, when Chief Joseph, leader of the Nes Perces, made the last stand against General Nelson A. Miles, and was defeated. This battle occurred on Snake creek, about 15 miles south- west of Chinook. In 1899 Chinook was incorporat- ed as a city of the third class and A. S. Lohman was elected mayor, L. V. Bogy, J. W. Stamm, Dr. C. F. Hop- kins and M. P. Jones, aldermen, with Sam Houston, magistrate and A. W. Ziebarth, marshall. From this inauspicious beginning Chinook has grown into one of the best towns in northern Montana, with prospects ever brightening. The population of the town is now about 1,500. Its commercial club is a very ac- tive organization. It never loses an opportunity to exploit the agri- cultural possibilities of the Milk ri- ver valley, and the location of a beet sugar factory there is due to the ac- tivities of this club. A. W. Ziebarth is president of the club, the crowning achievement of north bank. The Gros Ventres which was when in conjunction with ..A flock of sheep grazing in the foothills of the Bear Paw mountains, 25 miles south of Chinook. claimed to have gone as far west as the commercial clubs of Harlem and the land of the Blackfeet along the Zurich. it raised $25,000 and sent Milk river, that sum with President Ziebarth to Salt Lake City, as an earnest to the Utah -Idaho Sugar company, that the people of the Milk River valley were united in their desire for the sugar factory. This won the battle and brought the sugar factory to Chi- nook Aside from this factory fund the commercial club expended $10,400 during the past year, largely in the interest of the farmer. Vernon But- ler is the club secretary. The Upper Milk River Valley irri- gation project gives absolute control of moisture when and where needed, a dependable crop assurance to this fertile valley. Down from the mountain peaks of the Continental Divide—the Rocky mountains which bisect Glacier Na- tional park, to the -westward—the melted snows come flowing in- to the Milk river. This stream flows from Glacier National park north- east into Alberta and Saskatchewan but returns to this country across A field of irrigated potatoes on the Frank Brown farm near the town of Chinook. It II U II Ir - ' 401 1•aat=1.. , t t1I 4 Cattle grazing in the foothills of Bear Paw mountains, south of Chinook; one of state's best stock sections. Alfalfa is an abundant crop in the Chinook area, and furnishes ample winter feed for livestock (cattle, sheep, and hogs). This picture shows the town of Chinook in the background—Sugar City of the North. the International boundary into Hill county, Montana. From Havre to Wiota where it has its confluence with the Missouri river, the Great Northern railroad's transcontinental line runs almost parallel to the winding little river; and both feed a valley that is about 180 miles in length. The irrigated lands comprise a strip not more than five or six miles wide, on either side of the river. None of the farms in this area are very far from a railroad station. Ideal Farming Country. The Milk River valley soils are brought into that territory as a re- sult of the joint efforts of the busi- ness men and the Great Northern Railroad company, attracted by the cheaper lands of the valley. Most of them came from Idaho and Utah, and are of the Mormon religious faith, descendants of those pioneers who made the western wilderness of half a century ago to \blossom as the rose.\ Irrigated and Non -Irrigated Land. Irrigated lane in the Milk River valley can be purchased today for one-third to one-half the price of the lands these men are leaving. It - ideal for sugar beet and root crop will yield as much or more in crops; growing. These crops yield their best under the same care as they have profits, however, when accompanied been taught to give it. \This is the by cow, sow and hen, or a flock of reason they are seeking new Isomes, sheep. This is the opinion of men in this partially developed, yet well living near Chinook, whom the writ- civilized region. er met personally. These men are Do not think, however, that this not of the inexperienced class, like is a country suitable only for the some who are said to have come raising of irrigated crops by men from far off cities to settle on Mon- who have specialized in this kind of tuna lands, only to fail in the ven- farming. Non -irrigated hinds are al- ture of farming. They are expert- so prolifically productive when in- enced irrigationists who have been telligently farmed, and many are the Mission.canyon, Little Rockies, 25 miles south of Chinook. The can- yon is part of the Jefferson Forest Reserve and Park, one of Montana's playgrownds. instances of success among the benchland farmers. The Fairview Community. The Fairveiw community in Blaine eounty demonstrates what may be done with dry land, with intelligent effort, according to C. W. Gustaf- son, county agent. A comparative invoice of the progress made since 1922 to the present time reveals some interesting facts with regard to development in the farming industry of this community. Farming methods have changed in many respects and - new practices have been tried and adopted in- a permanent ancL e profit- abie system of farming. One of the influencing factors back of -these de- velopments is the state and county extension service with which the farmers closely co-operate. Among the many changes and me- thods adopted may be mentioned the following: Summer fallowing has become an established practice for those who depend largely upon wheat as their cash crop. Corn growing has been introduced and forms an important inter -tillage crop and provides an abundance of teed. Pure bred hogs are common with the farmer of this community. Twenty-two dairy calves have been brought in from Tillamook, Oregon, cow testing associations, from cows producing 300 pounds of butter fat or more which will g.reatly improve the dairy stock of this community in the next two or three years. In addition to these, two pure bred sires have been placed in this com- munity as well as several pure bred beef sires. Five approved seed growers co-operating with the county agent in the promotion of better seed are supplying the com- munity and the county with good seed. Several small farm flocks of sheep have been added to thp livestock industry. Two trench silos were put in, providing for- an eco- nomical way of caring for the feed supply for the livestock. One model dairy stall for the common average barn was installed and which is be- ing adapted by several farmers of the community. One up-to-date poultry farm is being established and a large number of the farmers have intro- duced better poultry by bringing in high priced eggs and baby chicks. The outstanding extension work in this community has been with the boys and girls enrolled in club work and have probably been more respon- sible for the popularity of pure bred hogs than any other force in Blaine county. Two members of the origi- nal pig club organized in this county are among the leading hog men of the state. Hogs produced by these boys have been winning consistent- ly at the Midland Empire fair at Billings, and the State fair at Hel- ena. As a forage crop, sweet clover is gaining a foothold in this com- munity to supply seed for Livestock and dairy cattle. The copper car- bonate treatment for smut in wheat has also been introduced and is gradually replacing the old method of the formaldehyde treatment and will become, before very long, uni- versally used for treating wheat. Farmers Buying Land. For the coming year, Fairview community is planning on three com- munity events. The annual com- munity picnic which is held each year in June or July, is an important educational and recreational event. The third livestock tour to be held In the county will be held in this cornmunity this year. A community fair is planned for the taIT Of 1925. As a background to this commun- ity the Bear Paw mountains lie on- ly a short distance to the southwest and in these hills of the Bear Paws and between this community we find the best grazing for livestock of northern Montana. The sheep, in- dustry is probably one of the most important at the present time and on almost every hill are found bands of sheep run by the larger sheep -me -n of the county. The Fairview community boasts of haring adopted, during the past two or three -years, the most up-to-date and practical methods of farming and will challenge any community in the State of Montana to show any further development and greater progress made during the past four or five years. Quality Potato Production. The Chinook country is fast be- coming noted for its quality potato production. The Bliss Triumph po- tato is earning an enviable reputa- tion for Blaine county. Four •car- loads of these certified potatoes were shipped to Louisiana for seed and word has been received that these Montana potatoes led all others in a recent test held in that state. The Montana variety produced (in Lou- isiana) 195 bushels to the acre with Nebraska as the nearest competitor, A. W. ZIEBARTH, who was the moving spirit behind the work which broupt the sugar factory to ('hinook, having one sample which yielded 156 bushels. While on the subject of potatoes, it is interesting to note the results obtained by J. W. Ne- ville, one of Chinook's farmers. Last year Mr. Neville put in eight acres of potatoes on his irrigated farm. The tract yielded two hundred sacks to the acre, equivalent to 400 bush- els. He sold part of them last fall receiving prices ranging from 95 cents to $1.10 per hundred pounds, and for those which he held over and marketed this spring, he re- ceived $2.00 per hundred. , Mr. Neville also furnishes a typ- ical demonstration of what can be (eoattas.a on Agricultural rage) Beet Field on farm o Ir. Williams, one mile out of Clilimok.
