Treasure County, Montana 1921

Treasure County, in the south central part of Montana, is devoted industrially to agriculture and the raising of cattle and sheep. It has a land area of 960 square miles and was created April' 1, 1919. Some coal has been found in the county and there is some prospecting for oil and gas. Cottonwood and ash are found along the streams, but there is no commercial timber.

The county is divided by the valley of the Yellowstone River, the soil in which is a deep loam, while on the bench lands the prevailing type of soil is a chocolate loam. An area of about 15,000 acres in the Yellowstone Valley is under irrigation. Of the remainder of the county 114,788 acres are classified as suitable for non-irrigated farming, and 222,769 acres as adapted to grazing. The price of land varies greatly according to location, character of the soil and water supply. Irrigated land brings from $100 to $200 an acre, non-irrigated farming lands from $15 to $50 and grazing land from $5 to $12 an acre. The principal stream is the Yellowstone River, which takes an easterly direction through the county and is fed by a number of small creeks which flow into it both from the north and the south.

The soil in general is well adapted to the production of small grains and hay, which are raised in considerable quantities. Corn is a particularly good crop both in yield and quality and bears favorable comparison with the corn belt product. The farmers in the irrigated district are giving special attention to the raising of alfalfa seed and are meeting with gratifying success, finding a ready market at good prices for all they can raise. Bee keeping is followed by some and the county produces a considerable quantity of honey.

Treasure County is crossed by the main line of the Northern Pacific Railway, which is paralleled by the Yellowstone and Red trails. The county seat, Hysham, is a small town of about 360 population. Its altitude above sea level is 2,667 feet. Other population centers in the county are Big Horn, Rancher, Myers and Sanders. The further development of the present industries, including the raising of pure bred livestock promises well for the future prosperity of the county, even should no mineral development take place. Education is well provided for, there being good rural schools, and at Hysham there are graded schools and a high school accredited for the four-year course.

Montana Counties 1921

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Source: Montana its Story and Biography, by Tom Strout, Volume 1, The American Historical Society, 1921