Browning Chief

OIL IS CHIEF
OF PETROLEUM
COUNTY ASSETS

Petroleum county residents like to recall the story of the farmer near Winnett who, some 22 or 23 years ago, tried to trade his acreage for a team of horses, but had no luck, and then a few months later was gasping for breath over his good fortune as high quality crude oil flowed from wells on the property.

Naturally not all of Petroleum county's residents have been so fortunate as the unidentified farmer, but to all of them the production of oil has meant money in the bank, so to speak. Oil has been Petroleum's principal "crop" since even before Montana's youngest and least populated county was created in 1925. The Cat Creek field 20 miles northeast of Winnett has produced more than $26,000,000 worth of crude oil since the first strike in 1920. That classes it as well over a million-dollar-a-year industry.

While the 111 wells in the county now pumping out over 400 barrels a day provide most of the financial returns for Petroleum residents, there are other sources, too. Livestock raising and grain production have helped make the county one of the richest per capita in the Treasure state.

Don't Mind Lack of Beauty

Residents don't mind the county's lack of scenic beauty. There are no rugged mountain peaks or dashing mountain streams to lure tourists to the area, but to the home folk the derrick-studded fields giving out their wealth of "black gold" are beauty enough.

Whether the residents brag about them or not, there are, however, some interesting spots in the county in addition to the Cat Creek wells and the rolling grasslands and farm crops. Flatwillow creek is dotted with camping spots and fishing holes; Yellow Water and Valentine dams offer good boating; the Musselshell river is lined with picnic grounds, and old Fort Musselshell at the confluence of the Musselshell and Missouri rivers was the scene of early Indian battles and a station for steamboat operators.

Fishing and hunting are becoming better each year. There are over 250 small dams and reservoirs which provide good duck hunting and fishing facilities. Deer and antelope are plentiful in the hills. Last year 40,000 bream were stocked in Yellow Water lake and many of the other streams and lakes were planted with trout, small mouth bass, catfish and bullheads.

Evan W. Hall, agricultural agent for the Milwaukee railway, which has a spur entering the county, is optimistic over the future of livestock raising in Petroleum. He reports the business is staging a comeback and expects larger returns in the years to come. Last year 60 cars of lambs were shipped out of Winnett and many cars of cattle were headed to market.

While oil production and stock raising are the financial backbone of Petroleum county, no small part of its reputation, especially that of its county seat, has sprung from an entirely different source—amateur boxing. Winnett has the name of being the "fightingest little town in the west," and for good reason. Since amateur boxing was introduced there back in 1933, a Winnett team has never entered a tournament that it didn't win something. In 1939 the "fight for fun" lads of Winnett copped five of the eight state amateur crowns and many of the boys have gained national fame from their prowess with padded mitts.

Many of the former Petroleum county amateur champions are fighting in a much more serious battle today, but the folks back home believe they will do as well with the armed forces as they did in the ring.

Recent irrigation projects as Yellow Water dam and War Horse lake have greatly increased the use of water on county farm lands. The Yellow Water project waters 1,000 acres and War Horse 5,000. But it's not irrigation that is considered the county's greatest need, but rather rural electrification and better roads. The county seat is at present supplied with electricity produced by a privately-owned plant.

Winnett has plans for a beautification project in the years to come that will include the construction of a civic center and park covering an entire block, but right now is rejoicing over its most recent civic improvement, an artesian well 1,925 feet deep which is the town's source of water supply for its 399 residents. These 399 persons, incidentally, are over one-third of the county's 1,083 residing in the 1,664 square miles bounded by Petroleum's borders.

The oldest resident in point of arrival in the county is Henry N. Sibbert who came in 1894 and has lived here ever since, engaged in sheep raising.

Created in 1925

This youngest of Montana's 56 counties was created from part of Fergus by petition and election and was organized Feb. 22, 1925, just 60 years after organization of the nine original counties in the state.

Winnett was named after Walter Winnett, owner of the townsite. As a youngster, Winnett roamed about the state with the Indians, and it is said that Sitting Bull at one time had a desire to adopt him into the tribe.

When out on a hunting trip with a party of Sioux, he came upon the scene of the Custer massacre. He is said to have been the first white man to visit it after the battle and claimed to have found Custer's body.

Lewis and Clark on their journey up the Missouri, on May 20, 1805, discovered the Musselshell and a year later Captain Lewis, returning to the states, camped near the confluence of the two streams in the northeast corner of present Petroleum county.

Except for Indians and occasional traders and trappers, the region remained uninhabited for nearly 75 years, but with Indian trouble over, the discovery of gold in what is now the adjoining county of Fergus and establishment of Fort Maginnis in 1880, stockgrowers began to move in the Musselshell from overstocked.