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About The Hardin Tribune-Herald (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973 | View This Issue
The Hardin Tribune-Herald (Hardin, Mont.), 04 Dec. 1925, located at <http://montananewspapers.org/lccn/sn86075229/1925-12-04/ed-1/seq-2/>, image provided by MONTANA NEWSPAPERS, Montana Historical Society, Helena, Montana.
• *A Itvio. 0.410\.\`\tosNIO - 4 Page T vv THE HARDIN TRIBUNE -HERALD Friday, December 4, 1925 • • Ii - Lout It 11 1 LEWISTOWN, IN FERGUS COUNTY, CENTER OF ONE OF LEADING AGRICULTURAL AREAS OF MONTANA (By J. A. GILLUL1 ) T HE foRowing industrial, agri- cultural and social story of Fer- gus county, Montana outlines, in brief, the wonderful accoplish- meats that have been wrought in one of the most productive Sections of the Treasure state. This outline is _confined to review of the territory, u Tneluding the Lewistown and the principal Commercial towns outside the county seat. Lewistown is located in the valley ey of Spring creek, one of the finest swift -running streams in the west. This creek has its source in a myriad of natural, cold water springs from which a never -ceasing pure water Supply is obtained for the City. The city is almost surrounded by Mountain ranges, not too close, but with beautiful valleys. intervening. We have .heard people of artistic temperament state that Lewistown has the most beautiful setting for a city of any in the United States -and We believe it. unrivalled Educational Facilities Tile city of Lewistowu is blessed with as fiue schools as may be found any- where. east or west. The schools are un- der control of two boards -one for the Fergus i'ounty hieh school and one for District No. 1. which embritees the city of Lea istown aud much adjacent territory. If the sehool system of. any cominanity is Indicative of the potential capacities of the natural resources and of the people and their it:laical and moral worth as citizens, then Lewistown stands high in its citizens -hip. The school population of District No. 1 is 2,1 7 e, with sO per cent enrollment. ..A.verage_dally attend:anat. for last three years better than 90 per cent without reasorting- to- eonitoillaary law euforeenteut. The district contains 12 school buildings, five in the cityeAeventy-five children are brought into the city s•thools by buses, daily. The vide of the city plant is the Junior high structure, erected at a cost of $200,00o three yeara no. This building is modern to the last feature and con- tains an auditorium of a seating capacity of FAO. The city schools provide inotlern conrsaa in all departments. high Jess teachers. seat ft.r every child, free text books. transportation. :la weeks of school. Special instruction in vocal, band, orches- tra. physical training. ilisrary. health supervision, etc. Cost ter pupil last year $78.4o. Fergus County High School The Fergus County high school is known the eountry over as the school that trains for life. Its nlegan is \Fergus for Service.\ There are 600 students enrolled in the vari- ous courses of the school. Beside a retular four year high school course the school offers a short course for rural boys and girls who cannot spend the full nine months in a regular school. There are correspondence students and a number of students of the school taking work in the affiliated rural schools. The faculty consists of twenty-seven highly trained men and women. Beside the regular academic subjects. the school offers a variety of special courses in sewing, coolant woodwork, auto mechanics, commercial branches, pub- lic speaking. dramatics, debate, journal- ism and agriculture and music. The school's extension work In agricul- ture, as well as the other departments. is rather ontstandine. Community meet- ings are aided by talent from the faculty and student group. Railroads Lewistown is the terminus of a branch line of the Great Northern, which has been surveyed through, partially built, anti in operation, for a connection with the main line, as now existing, at New Rockford. N. D. The president of the Great Northern quite recently stated that the completion of this line will be the next item of ex- tension work to be taken up by that company. Lewistown is also served by the Mil- waukee branch line which extends from Ilariewton to Great Fails and is the head- quarters of the division. Radiating from Lewistown are three branch lines of the Milwaukee which are important feeders to the main line branch. Montana Flour Mills Headquarters. The largest single industry in Lewis- town is the Montana Flour Mills company, the largest nailing concern In Montana. Its mills are located at Great Fulls, Lewis- town. liarlowton and Bozeman. The -Boze- man plop includes a cereal mill. A large force is employed in its main office in Lewistown. This company also owns and operates the Itiontana Elevator company which is one of the largest grain buyers in Montana. Its main offices are in Lewietown. Oil Refineries There are two oil refineries at Lewis- tawn: the Arro, owned largely by local capitalists and the Lewistown Refining company': owned principally in Detroit. Mich. Last year both refineries shipped nut 4,419 carloads of petroleum products. gasoline, fuel oil, distillate. lubricants, •etc. The Arro has recently added a coking plant with a capacity of 350 tons her month. In 1924 the two refineries shipped in a total of 3,012 carloads of crude oil. , Two Gypsum Plants Two manufactories of gypsum products are located on Spring creek. near Lewis- town, the Three Forks 'Portland Cement company below Lewistown and the North- western Gypsum company in the valley above. In 1924 these two plant, shipped out 2,194 car loads of cement, plaster and gnome rock. Both are tributary to Lewistown and employ large forces. Financial Institutions Lewistown has two stittatantial banks =it (IMME=J building in the, cities and toe us of the state ou easy nioatialy payments. The ele- ment of cultivating thrift was als o au im- pelling motive. The amsollitaion opeited with :assets of $6.0011. Oetober 31st. Ittra, the assets had increased to C.107,965. 're° years ago it acquired the two-story presetsi brick building on Main street, formerly occupied by the Lewistown State bank. 1 A county farm and hoapital, well equip- ' tied in every vt County agent ami county nurse. Carl Peterson. county agent. is one of the oldest and best in Montana. St. Joseph's hoapital, a commodious buildina eith all modern features. City Park and municipal swimming pool. A flue tourist camp. e r the, the , cry ludi, a the . for '23 and '24. Figures for but- ter ..si of the Fergus Coanty Cream- ery , as are 184.914 and the :tame cream - ...Ica for 1924 were ./10,500 pounds. •,,n a probably the best index of a..ion of the business. Oue cream - ,ms islikt patrons with some of the • heeks running over 12,000 per auto,- it farmer owning 12 eows was • .1 This beautiful home is that of the King Brothers, Joseph and Antony. It is located on a ranch of vast acreage, fourteen miles west of the city of Lewistown, in the Judith Basin, Fergus County, Montana. The land was homesteaded by the father of the present owners, as a bare prairie, and demonstrates what can be done with Montana land when the proper.methods are used. for a permanent home. The association does a state-wide business. The War Finance con oration is one of the coming large financial institutions. Its field is the entire state and it handles commercial paher with a view of con- serving for its Montana stockholders the interest and discounts on such paper, which hitherto has gone out of the aktitte in a big flood. Brick and Building Tile The Lewistown Brick az Tile company produces the finest quality of brick pro- duced in Montana. Seventy-five per cent of the school buildings of the state which are built of brick. are of the Lewistown product. This brick has been used In high school buildings at Casper, Wyo.. Cedro- Wooley, Wash., Security Bldg., Billings, Many miles of paved streets. The finest waterworks system in the west. Perfectly adequate sewer system. 5.000 miles of improved roads. Myriads of the finest trout streams. Country club with a premier golf course 'and club house. A live Commercial club. Two wide-awake newshapers-one a morning daily. Many good hotels. A railroad center with branches radiat- ing in every direction. Hundreds of beautiful homes. The unexcelled service of the Montana Power company. Fine office buildings. Unsurpassed mountain scenery. The Junior High School Building at Lewistown. high school, Newcastle, Wyo.; same at Themopolia, Greybull and Lovell. Wyo.. the Roosevelt hotel. Portland. Ore, and the Longview Hotel at Longview, Wash., and many other notable structures. General Business Lewistown has no less than fire whole- sale houses, principally grocery and fruit houses, and it has some high-class retail stores, the Power Mercantile company be- ing the oldest and largest and occupying a two-story building 100x200 feet In di- mensions. The Power company also has a large wholesale establishnient. The Mon- tana Lumber anti Hardware company is also a mammoth concern, having branch yards and stores in numerous Montana c it ies. Summarized Lewistown and Fergus county have. also: Sixteon local coal mines which produce THE PIONEER CREAMERY of Fergus I ounty. Its business increased more than 400 per cent in eight years. Reference to their September, statements,' which ishipear on this page, substantiate this. Another strong. upstandine institution is the State Building & Loan association. This institution was organised in 1920 by local men who saw the demand for home 18.000 tons of coal per year. The most beautiful court house and grounds in the state. Churches of almost every denomination with handsome Melees of worship. (Pipe organs are numerous in Lewistown churches.) DIEHMEI I II I Statement of the Condition of THE CENTRAL RANK and COMPANY, Lewistown, September 28, 1925..` RESOURCES Loans and Discounts. $720.3tel.711 Overdrafts . NONE Banking House, Furniture, Fixtures,•other Real Estate 101.335:19 Stocks and Hondo, Warrants-_.........________.. 228.3011.83 LI bert y Ronda 218,5110.09 Cash and Due from Banks _....____....e.- 508,475.30 TRUST $1,787,047.08 LIABILITIZS Captlat Stock..-.-...._..._. __.....---. _ e100.000.00 Surplus and Undivided Profits.... - 21./0.53 Deposits . - . ._ _. .._ .. 1,015,226.52 Certificates Due in Five Years..-....-.-. -.... - 1147.995.03 Bortowed Money -..-.. NONE lora $1,787,047.08 I i Cash and Due fro Banks, Liberty Bonds and Commercial Paper... $7/e2,015.30 , 16 MEMI .- ItalE36111111E1192162WEEDI S 1RE E SE IO 6 A fine fair grounds plant -cement road from the ctiy. A fish hatchery. Two social dinner clubs -Rotary and Klwanis A first-class fire department. And last, but not least, a fine type of citizenry. Outlying Centers The principal outlying cities of Fergus county are Denton, Roy, Urass Range, Winifred and Moore. There are numer- ous other smaller towns and they are credited with big shipments of grain and livestock. Grass Range -This is probably the old- est town outside of Lewistown. It main- tains a creamery, which is rapidly in- creasing its volume 9f business. its buying territory extending south to the Mussel- shell valley. Its First National bank stood the strain of tough times and farmers with cream checks were always given the hard cash. In September of this year the Bilwaukee railroad receipts at Grass Range were $150,000. Around $10,000 per month is paid out for cream and the spawn's wheat crop will amount to 200,000 ineshals. Deuton-This city on the main branch line of the Milwaukee earned last year the distinction of being the second largeat grain shit.ping pointl4ri the state. These shipments aggregated 1 832 cars or nearly one million bushels. There is a strong batik in the town and the city is equipped eith modern public utilities and has many fine homes. Moore -This town is 18 miles southwest of Lewlatown. on the Milwaukee, and originated when the Jawbone railroad was taint from Lombard to Lewistown by It. A. Barlow. Moore prides itself on Its fine :school system and the cultural taste.s of its citizens. It is also an important grain and livestock shipping point and Is surrounde4 by as fine a farming country as cOuld be desired. Winifred -That part of the county sur- rounding Winifred is rapidly becoming famous for corn production. 011 is being sought at this writing near the city. It is located at the end of one of the numerous branch lines of the Milwaukee out of Lewistown. a Roy -This lire little city is also the terminus of a branch line out of Lewis- town and its trade territory extends Mr to the east. Also one of the hest improved roads in the state connect it with Lewis- town. it is an important grain acid live- stock shining point anti like Moore anti Denton has one hank in flue conditien. Other good small towns of the county are Coffee Creek. Arrow Creek, Hanover, Glengarry. Straw, Garnell, Forest Grove. Heath, Beckett, Buffalo and a dozen small et- plane: where elevators are located •rol grain and stock shipments are very con eiderable. Growth of Creamery Production Year 1918 Pounds 1919 1920 .t -T16.0(17 2t18,4ir2 -508.71e2 1921 1923 1924 1.310,717 The prodnettrin figures for '18, '19 and '20 are for the Fergus County Creamery only: the production of the Lewistown Creamery trim '21 to '24 is added and that of the Grass Range Creamery appears in paid $1.seo last year. To this must be added a substantial sum for the calves and the home consumption of milk and butter. Estimated ranch butter produced in county. 60.000 pounds. The total butter consunaal in Fergus county is estimated at 425,tsio pounds. The creameries of Fer- gus county proved a saving grace to hundreds of farmers during short crop years. Poultry and Eggs 1924 Poultry shipments ny two creamer- ies, 481.1;12 pounda. 1924 poultry shipments of eggs estimated, 20.000 cases. 1924 e--timated home consumption eggs, 15,000 c uses. Grain said Livestock Shipments The ' , Metal figures of grain and live- stock shipments out of Fergus county by the Milwaukee railroad in 1924. as taken frain the books of the railroad com- mission at Helena, show a big volume of business It must be borne in mind that when Judith Basin county was created Fergua county lost all of its Great North- ern mileage except about = miles, and there remains only two shipping stations on that railroad in the county. Carload shihincnts from Milwaukee stations were: Pow:ail-Grain. 13; livestock 4. Arrow Creek -Grain 106; livestock 1. coffee Creek -Grain 202; livestock 5. Denton -Grain 632; livestock 40. llooaac-Grain 92; livestock 5. Danvern-Grain 166; livestock 20. Ware -Grain 49; livestock 3. Amherst -Grain 25. Wiodiusetts-Livestock 3. Hanover --Grain 8. Lewistown -Grain 172; livestock 74. Glengarry-Grein 73; livestock 27. Moore --Grain 198; livestock 64. Sipple--Graiu 34. Straw -Grain 26; livestock 126. McClave -Grain 26. Garneil-Grain 35; livestock 30. Shoemaker -Grain 12. Ileath-Grain 2; livestock 8 Orange -Grain 5. Piper -Grain 9; livestock 13. Jackman -Grain 3. Forest Groves -Grain 48; livestock 30. Beckett -Grain 30; livestock 6. Grass Range -Grain 192; livestock 75. Baxter -Grain, 13. Brooks -Grain 132; livestock 9. Bulger -Grain 81; livestock 21. Timothy and Alfalfa aws4 Timothy seed is one of th e important products of Fergus couaty, the production last year amounting to a half million pounds which represented to the growers a gross return of $30,000. Fergus leads all Montana counties in Timothy seed 1 -re- duction. The eastern part of Fergus county pro- duces about two carloads of alfalfa deed each season. This seed is in strong demand because of its hardiness. Production could be increased at good advantage. Another seed crop gaining favor for Fergus county is sweet clover, both of the yellow and white bkaosom varieties. Trying Out Seed Peas During the past year the section around Lewistown, through the efforts of the Ceutrisi Montana Chamber of Commerce, has tried out an acreage of seed peas. Owing to the fact that the seed did not arrive until very late, the farmers had their best laud already sown to other crops and the best land wag not obtain - aide for the experiment, again the lateness of planting. most of this being done in the middle or late part of June, the crop was caught by the unusual hot July, then again the farmers did not fully comply with the requirements for the growing season, and to top it all the had weather of the fall - made threshing almost impossi- ble, still with all these handicaps, a yield to wheat was obtained and abont four earloade will be shiphed out from the experiment this year. These peas were grown under contract at $.10 per bushel and the land will be enriched anti ready for a bumper crop of wheat the coming /les- son. The seed company is asking for about MOO acres here next year and already the farmers are asking for contracts. This section is wonderfully adapted to the grow - tug of this class of crop and it won't be surprising to see the creek bottoms throughout this section under pea culture iu the very near future. Financing Farmers for Dairy cows That tile dairy cow is one of the best bets 'for Central Montana- is being demon- strated by the fact that the Chamber of Commerce is weeting_With_ wonderful suc- cess in financing the dairy herd for the farmer. The Chamber is putting out money at 6 per cent interest on three years time for the purchase of good grade dairy shot -k. Nearly all the local cattle now or sale have been taken up and it is planned to furnish those applying with Al stock to be shipped in from accredited herds, these cattle to be purchased by an experienced buyer from the Chamber. Already several thousand dollars has been loaned out, anti dairy cows are non occupying new homes. With plenty of excellent feed, water and suitable quarters this section can be made into a dairy country second to none in the Visited States and we predict it won't be lobe until we will be shipping fine dairy stotlit out of this section instead of ship- ping it in. With two big creameries and a talked of cheese factory in our midst the dairy farmer here is going to find ready market for his output no matter how strong he may want to go in the business. The man who leans toward this class of and vegetables are among the princital diversified enterprises that are rapidly placing the agriculture of Forges couuty on a solid, subetautial basis. Soil typography and climate all help to mast' Central Montana one of the greatest diversified farnting districts of the west. The foot hills and tuouutata valleys are ideal for the productiou of feed crops, ith ample water and shelter, to make it one of the greatest dairy regions of the nest, and as yet its farmers have only begun to develop it. Its great level benches' have and are still producing the greatest crops of high protein wheat in the country, yet the benchland farmers are not content with one crop alone, but tractice a crop rotation system which generally includes two crops of wheat, our crop of sweet clover and one year suineserfallow or corn. The farmers of the lower altitudes of the county, due to soil and climatic con- ditions, probably practice a more balanced crop production system thas those of the more level benches of the Judith Basin. In the former districts nearly every farmer produces some corn, has generally five or ten cows, a flock of turkeys, a good pen of chickens, some hogs and while the wheat crop averages loner in yield than that of the upper Itason districts, the quality is always good. As an example of the diveridfied enterprises of one of these eommunities, the following reeelpts from the little town of Roy in northwestern Fergus gives one an idea that the farmers are not detending on wheat alone. Dur- ing the ten-month period, January 1 to Nov. I of the present year, they shipped cue hundred curs of cattle, twelve cars of hogs, tole hundred and fifty thousand bushels of wheat, a couple carloads of alfalfa and sweet clover seed, twenty-four hundred cases of eggs, one car of turkeys and other poultry, and over $36,000 in (-ream checks were cleared through one bank alone during the same period. Other towns could show equally good or better returns. A new industry, aced peas, promises to provide another great additional enter- prise and one that will eventually bring over a million dollars gross income every year. During the next ten years, or as soon as the farmers who were hit by the re- action of the great land boom of the corn belt states can get away there will be a big influx of settlers into Fergus county, who will then find an opportunity to build up a profitable home for themselves and children. Potatoes, Beets. and Beans offer Great Opportunities There are several districts of Fergus county that offer exceptional opportunities for specialized farm enterprises, such as Potatoes, sugar beets, beans anti peas. Probably no region of the state is better adapted to the growing of high grade potatoes than the irrigated district adja- cent to the old Deerfield post office. where there are thousands of acres of level rich soil under the ditch with the never -failing Warm Spring creek to supply all the needed water. This districts alone could produce five hundred to a thousand car- loads of paltatoes annually, forty or fifty cars of teas and beans, and the possibility for sugar beet production are as good as any district in the state. These crops to- gether with alfalfa and livestock are Ca- pable of supporting a big population in this one project alone. There are dozens of other districts in the county that likewise offer great op- portunities along theme lines. For instance, the large N. Bar holdings on Willow creek south of Grass Range. where there are thousands of acres of rich valley soil be- low the ditch waiting development. The foot -hill regions south of Lewistown, Moore, Forest Grove, and Grass Range pro - County Agent Peterson and Jitnmp Stafford, a Winifred merchant, in a northern Fergus county corn field. farming will do well to give this section the once over before making a home else- where. Fergus County's Farms Fergus county farmers, according to the 1924 Montana Farm Review, led all other counties in the estimated cash income from their grain crops of over $6.000,000 and at the same time outdistanced every other county of the state with nearly nine A1111 lihu Milli Ai NW WI • 1111 ;1 III Will a • • The Montana Office and Bank Building at Lewistown. r Moulton --Grain 42. Christina -Grain )11; livestock O. Suffolk -Grain 154; livestock 10. Wianifred-Grain 195; livestock 39. Romansted-Grain 2. Agnee-ttrain 4. Armells--Oraln 12; livestock 25. Fergus -Grain 28. Roy --Grain 180; livestock 58. Total cars of grain 3.130; to which must be added approximately 100 cars shipped from 0. N. points. Total cars of livestock, 702; to which add 219 shipped from O. N. stations. million dollars for both. crops, hid Jive - stock or over a million and a half dollars more than their nearest conmetitore. While Fergus county will always re- main one of the leading wheat counties of the state, its farmers are not depending on wheat alone, as their source of income. but nearly every farmer has two or three additional enterprises that not only pro- vide a living on the farm hat also in many instances pay for a large per cent of the farm operating expenses,. Sheep, cattle, hogs, poultry, dairy pro- duces, peas, beans, grass seed, potatoes ••••• tEIHSSI TIII: NATIONAL BANK OF LEWISTOWN, Lewistown, Montana. ig Report of Condition September 28, 1025. RESOURCES Loan, and Discounts. . Stock in Federal Reserve Bank............_... -.. ()tele. Atinets.... - .. Cash on Hand and Due from Banks. .,,. Liberty Bonds, Other Bonds, Warrants..... -Commercial Paper and Call Loans..........-..--.....--.... $320.882.08 5,400.00 2,612.75 277,767.59 1145,210.09 248.505.112 /1,048,358.10 LIABILITIES Capital Stock--...-........-..-..-.....-...-..- .... $150,000.4)(1 Surplus ..._.. .. . . .- - .---_._.. 30,1100.00 nepolorm ., __ . -.._..-.. - . 81118,354.10 Bills Payable and Redlacoonta....-..-....-..-.... NONE (Opened for Iniatnest December 15, 1924). IL1(111111i...iSEMINE30(EilifiElBalMOSESEMESESI $1.04/4,35/4.10 duce the best potatoes in the west, all without irrigation. Potatoes followed by peas will event- ually be one of the big enterprises of these districts that has as yet only been scratched on the surface. This entererime together with cows, hogs, poultry and sheep is capable of supporting an immense population. Someone asks where can these diversi- fied products be sold? The answer is, at home, in the west, to the millions who will within a few years develop the great industrial resources of not only our own state but those to the west of us. Many of the ;-resent generation will see great industrial centers built up in Central Montana. We have in the belt mountains one of the greatest high quality iron ore bodies on the continent, with an unlimited supply of coal and limestone in nearby ranges and only a portion of the water - Tower harnessed as yet. A second or even larger Pittsburg will be located at our door with millions demanding food that our soil and climate can so abundantly produce. No district in America has great- er potential possibilities than our own Judith Basin, Ic CENTRAL MONTANA'S OLDEST FINANCE COMPANY 8% With Protection That cannot be duplicated There are thousands of dol- lars protecting the WARR FI- NANCE Co., Preferred! You insure your life, home and its contents. you can protect your capital and income. your Now DON'T PUT IT OFF! Write for our Booklet. Let Time Multiply YOUR Dollars WARR FINANCE COMPANY Lewistown, Hastens •••• •
