FALLON COUNTY.

With the creation of Carter county by the state legislature at its 1917 session, Fallon county lost 3.318 square miles of its former territory. There remained within the county 1,685 square miles, or about one- thlrd  of the original size of the county. However, over half of the population was left within Fallon, and with this number added to by the development of gas during the past two years, Fallon is considered one of the best developed of the newer counties. The population of the county is now estimated at close to 7,000 people, or about 1,500 more than Carter county. The possibility of oil discovery is bringing in new immigrants continually, and this has increased the population to quite an extent.

Fallon county, though somewhat cut down in territory, is still one of the best in the state. It is one of the extreme eastern counties. Wibaux county bounds it on the north, North Dakota en the cast, Carter on the south and Prairie countyon the west.

For many years, Fallon, which was then a part of Custer county, was merely a great stock range; today it is largely a grain field, and every year thousands of new acres are brought under the plow.

There are no rivers of importance watering the county, but Fallon creek and Fennel creek, together with a number of small streams How through it. Extensive valleys follow the courses of these streams and back of these valleys are great stretches of bench lands, which are being farmed by the non-irrigated method.

The county is largely agricultural at the present time, with a considerable amount of stock raising as a side business. The chief crops are wheat, oats, flax and corn, while all kinds of garden products do very well. The yields in the county have been large, due to the favorable climatic conditions and the excellent character of the soil.

The county has retained its reputation as a livestock county, and all kinds of animals are rapidly increasing. Today, however, they are all kept on the smaller farms and are in the nature of a higher grade of well bred stock. Dairying is also rapidly increasing, with a number o;' excellent and well kept dairy herds. Creameries are being built and more high grade cows imported from eastern states. Alfalfa is being raised more extensively for winter feed, and silos are built on a number of farms.

In addition to the farming and stock raising industries of the county, natural gas has been developed on a large scale. It is because of this that Fallon has attracted so much attention from the other parts of the state and from places outside the state in the last few years. Several wells have been drilled close to the town of Baker, in which a fine deposit of gas has been found. The gas has been piped to Baker and is used for heating purposes. A heavy flow of gas, 18 miles from Baker, was recently encountered at a depth of 650 feet. This is 250 feet more shallow than the wells which have been supplying Baker. Eventually, it is hoped, these fine supplies of cheap fuel will be used for industrial development, that will locate at these places. It is said that this same gas field underlies most of the county.

In addition to the gas development there is extensive prospecting now in progress for oil in commercial quantities. A test well for this field is being drilled in Dawson county, near Glendive, a short distance from Baker, which should prove this field as far as oil is concerned.

Baker, the county seat and principal town, is growing rapidly. It is one of the newer towns of the state, but claims a population of about 2,000. It is located on the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railway and has access to a large territory. The discovery of gas wells has greatly added to the population of the town. A flax-tow mill was established a couple of years ago in Baker and is pronounced a success.

Baker has a progressive population in every respect. A fine school system, including a four year accredited high school, is the pride of the town. Up-to-date business houses, elevators, churches, hotels and banks are found here.

Kingmont,  Westmore and Plevna are other towns on the railroad which are thriving and promise to be rivals of the county seat. Plevna is the location of the United States weather bureau for the county.

There are 18,641 acres of public land in the county subject to homestead entry and 51,255 acres of state land.

The assessed valuation of the county in 1918 is $7,016,729 including railroad property (source: The Resources and Opportuities of Montana, By Montana. Dept. of Agriculture and Publicity

e-mail Jo Ann