9. Powder River County

9

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Powder River County takes its name from the Powder River which flows northeast out of Wyoming toward its confluence with the Yellowstone just west of Terry in Prairie County (45). The locals say that the Powder River is "a mile wide and an inch deep; too thin to plow and too thick to drink." Near the southeastern corner of Montana (only Carter County (42) lies to the east), Powder River County is the Old West. There is a Montana Historical Marker alongside U.S. Highway 212 west of Broadus that reads:

Southeastern Montana

The first white man to enter southeastern Montana was Pierre de la Verendrye, a French explorer who arrived in this corner of the state on New Year's Day, 1743. His party had traveled southwest from a Canadian fur trading post to investigate Indian tales of the Land of the Shining Mountains.

Next came the trappers following the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-06. Like the rest of Montana east of the mountains, this portion remained unsettled Indian and buffalo country until the Texas trail herds overran the range in the 1880s. Up to that time it was a favorite hunting ground for roving bands of Cheyenne Indians and the various Sioux tribes.

With the coming of the cow-man the buffalo gave way to the beef critter and high-heeled boots replaced buckskin moccasins.

Today, the Northern Cheyenne live on a reservation in neighboring Rosebud County (29) and the Sioux are far to the north in Roosevelt County (17) and east in the Dakotas.

The Powder River County Courthouse

The county seat, Broadus, lies a little north and east of the center of this almost square county, on the western bank of the Powder River. It was named for an early settler family who spelled their name with two "d"s. It is the only incorporated town in the county. The county covers 3,298 square miles, and in the 2000 U.S. Census, there were 1858 residents in the county, of whom 451 lived in Broadus. One third of the county residents were of German heritage, according to Census figures. By 2009, the population had declined 10.4% to an estimated 1,664. The population density is approximately half a person per square mile.

Windmill on the corner of the Courthouse lawn

The Broadus post office was established in 1900, and the town itself claims 1910 as its birthday. Broadus held a centennial celebration July 1-4, 2010. Powder River County was separated from Custer County (14) on March 17, 1919. This was the last of seven Montana counties formed during the winter of 1919. Range land makes up most of the county, with 16% of the land area included in the Custer National Forest and another 12% in Bureau of Land Management holdings.

Range and Forest Land in western Powder River County

Those with a hankering to experience the Old West can join the Powder River Cattle Drive, a six day event for 40-50 guests. Hunting is a way of life in Montana, and Powder River County is no exception. Various outfitters, including Gardner Ranch Outfitters, Mitchell Outfitting, and the Powder River Outfitters offer guide services and Paul Klar's Cat Tracks Wildlife Design provides world class taxidermy for hunters wishing to showcase their trophies. The Powder River Taxidermy and Tannery also has a made-in-Montana gift shop and a free museum, as well as a shop able to supply all your sporting good needs.

U.S. Highway 212 crosses the county on an east-west route, and connects Powder River County to the Little Big Horn Battlefield (Custer's Last Stand) and Yellowstone Park to the west, and Sturgis, Rapid City and Mount Rushmore to the east. Broadus welcomes the Sturgis riders each year, and accommodations of various types are available at the Broadus Motels. Whether you're hankering to stay at a historic western hotel, a cowboy cabin, or even a tipi, you'll find it in Broadus, along with a place to park your RV. Located in the historic home of Judge Ashton Jones, the Judge's Chamber Restaurant serves "Prairie Faire" which has been called "the best food in America." I'm not kidding! Just reading their menu makes me want to rush back to Broadus.

I've now driven through Powder River County three times, once in high summer, once in a November blizzard, and most recently in the spring of 2010. All of the photographs on this page were taken on March 25, 2010. I was most impressed with the colorful countryside and now, having done more research on all the things I've missed while driving U.S. 212 and Montana 59 which connects Broadus with Miles City to the north and Gillette, Wyoming to the south, I want to go back. I want to spend some real quality time in Powder River County and get to know some of the good people who call this area home.

Frog Pond off U.S. Highway 212

Welcome to Montana

Montana, Montana,
Glory of the West.
Of all the states from coast to coast
You're easily the best.
Montana, Montana,
Where skies are always blue.
M-O-N-T-A-N-A
Montana, I love you!
--The Montana State Song

In 1946, my parents, who had never been west of Columbus Ohio moved to western Montana, a place they immediately decided was "home." Three years later, I was born, in Billings Deaconess Hospital. I've lived most of my life in the Treasure State, a place I dearly love. In the late 1980s, I was traveling through Judith Basin County, in the central part of the state, and saw the county court house in Stanford. I was impressed that such a sparsely populated place could afford to build such a fine structure, and I began noticing other court houses as I traveled. All the court houses I found were impressive in their own way, and I began thinking of creating a coffee-table book of the fifty-six county court houses in Montana. My dream was to have this finished in time for the statehood centennial in 1989, but I had neither the time nor the money to pursue that dream. Now, twenty-one years later, I have completed my photographic survey of the state's court houses, and it is my great pleasure to share them with you.

Montana's State Capitol, Helena

Recently I read that there are 12,000 miles of highway within Montana's borders. I can't say that I've covered all 12,000, but were I a betting man, I'd wager that I've now seen more of Montana than most people--more than even most Montanans. There are four highways and one Amtrak line that cross the state from east to west. * I've seen the state from all five, and there are very few miles on any of them that I haven't traversed. The same is true of the five federal highways that cross the state north to south, and beyond these are the numerous state highways and secondary roads, and more than a few dirt roads. I feel like the guy in the song who sings "I've been everywhere, man!"

Montana is a large state, 4th in area after Alaska, Texas, and California. It is as far from the Idaho state line on I-90 to the North Dakota state line (on I-94) as it is from Washington DC to Chicago (695 miles across Montana, as opposed to 700 miles DC to Chicago). In the western part of the state, cities are roughly 100 miles apart. In the eastern part of the state, towns can be that distant. You see a lot of country side when you drive across Montana.

Bitterroot (Lewisia Rediviva), Montana's State Flower

As I worked on the court house project, I began to question our civic involvement. It becomes obvious, as we look at most of these buildings, that the people responsible for building them believed in government. They were proud of their local government, and wanted to show their pride in what has been called an "edifice complex." I wonder where and when we lost that civic pride? These days it seems that we hear over and over that government is the problem. I don't believe that the people who built these magnificent buildings felt that way, and I fear we have lost something crucial in our national psyche.

The Big Sky, Rosebud County

Finally, I came to feel that I wanted to do more than just showcase the buildings. What follows will be a photo essay on Montana's fifty-six counties. There will be one blog post/chapter per county, and I have arranged them using the Montana county numbering system. In 1934, Montana developed the system it still uses for license plates. Each county has its own number, and while you will hear that these numbers are based on the 1930 census, I don't believe that's fully accurate. For example, Lincoln County, which holds number 56 out of 56, was not the most recently created county and was never the smallest county in population. Today, in fact, if the numbers were redistributed according to current population, Lincoln County would be in 10th place. What I consider a more likely explanation is that the county number reflects the political influence a county had in the 1934 legislature.

Saint Mary Lake, Glacier National Park

When I was growing up, Montana school children memorized the county numbers, usually learning both the county name and the name of its seat. Adults carried business cards that had the county numbers printed on the back. When you saw a car on the highway with a number 1 license, you knew that car came from Butte, or at least from Silver Bow County. If it had a 49, it was from Livingston, or Park County. As I noted above, Montana still uses the county number system, but with the increasing popularity of vanity or affinity plates, neither of which shows a county number, I wonder if children still memorize them.

If you'd care to come along, you're welcome. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the view out the window. If you feel yourself getting carsick, feel free to take a break or even get off the bus entirely. It's your choice.

Montana Factoids

Population (2008) - 967,440
Size - 145,556 sq mi.
Capital - Helena
Largest City - Billings
Highest Elevation - 12,850 ft
Lowest Elevation - 1,800 ft
Annual Rainfall - 14.89 in.
State Flower - Bitter Root
State Bird - Western Meadow Lark
State Song - "Montana"

Entered Union November 8, 1889, the 41st State

Montana's County Numbers with County Seat
and number if based on 2008 population estimates

1. Silver Bow County, Butte, 8
   
2. Cascade County, Great Falls, 5
   
3. Yellowstone County, Billings, 1
   
4. Missoula County, Missoula, 2
   
5. Lewis & Clark County, Helena, 6
   
6. Gallatin County, Bozeman, 3
   
7. Flathead County, Kalispell, 4
   
8. Fergus County, Lewistown, 16
   
9. Power River County, Broadus, 47
   
10. Carbon County, Red Lodge, 20
    
11. Phillips County, Malta, 37
    
12. Hill County, Havre, 11
    
13. Ravalli County, Hamilton, 7
    
14. Custer County, Miles City, 17
    
15. Lake County, Polson, 9
    
16. Dawson County, Glendive, 26
    
17. Roosevelt County, Wolf Point, 19
    
18. Beaverhead County, Dillon, 23
    
19. Chouteau County, Fort Benton, 33
    
20. Valley County, Glasgow, 29
    
21. Toole County, Shelby, 34
    
22. Big Horn County, Hardin, 14
    
23. Musselshell County, Roundup, 36
    
24. Blaine County, Chinook, 30
    
25. Madison County, Virginia City, 27
    
26. Pondera County, Conrad, 32
    
27. Richland County, Sidney, 21
    
28. Powell County, Deer Lodge, 28
    
29. Rosebud County, Forsyth, 22
    
30. Deer Lodge County, Anaconda, 24
    
31. Teton County, Choteau, 31
    
32. Stillwater County, Columbus, 25
    
33. Treasure County, Hysham, 55
    
34. Sheridan County, Plentywood, 40
    
35. Sanders County, Thompson Falls, 18
    
36. Judith Basin County, Stanford, 43
    
37. Daniels County, Scobey, 49
    
38. Glacier County, Cut Bank, 13
    
39. Fallon County, Baker, 42
    
40. Sweet Grass County, Big Timber, 39
    
41. McCone County, Circle, 48
    
42. Carter County, Ekalaka, 50
    
43. Broadwater County, Townsend, 35
    
44. Wheatland County, Harlowtown, 44
    
45. Prairie County, Terry, 53
    
46. Granite County, Philipsburg, 41
    
47. Meagher County, White Sulphur Springs, 45
    
48. Liberty County, Chester, 46
    
49. Park County, Livingston, 12
    
50. Garfield County, Jordan, 51
    
51. Jefferson County, Boulder, 15
    
52. Wibaux County, Wibaux, 54
    
53. Golden Valley County, Ryegate, 52
    
54. Mineral County, Superior, 38
    
55. Petroleum County, Winnett, 6
    
56. Lincoln County, Libby, 10
    

*The east/west highways that cross the state from the southern most to the northern line: US 10 (now replaced by Interstates 90 and 94); US 12; Montana State 200; US 2. Amtrak follows US 2 for most of the way across the state.

The north/south highways starting in the west: US 93, US 91 (now replaced by Interstate 15), US 89--the Montana Centennial Highway which connects Yellowstone National Park in the south and Glacier National Park in the north; US 87, Montana State 3, Montana State 59.

Photo Information

Welcome to Montana Sign: Taken 3/28/2010, Lolo Pass, Montana, Nikon D80 DSLR, Nikkor 16-85 mm wide angle/tele/zoom lens set at 35 mm. ISO 800, f /16.0, 1/180 second.

Montana Capitol Building: Taken 9/8/2007, Helena, Montana, Nikon D80 DSLR, Sigma 18-50 mm tele/zoom lens set at 33 mm. ISO 125, f /6.7, 1/250 second.

Bitterroot Photo: Taken 6/22/2007, Missoula, Montana, Nikon D80 DSLR, Sigma 18-50 mm tele/zoom lens set at 38mm, ISO 200, f /8.0, 1/400 second, 8:11 am

Prairie Photo: Taken 9/10/2007 in Rosebud County, Montana. Nikon D80 DSLR, Sigma 18-50 mm tele/zoom lens set at 50 mm. ISO 125, f /6.7, 1/500 second.

St. Mary Lake: Taken 8/30/2009 in Glacier National Park, Montana. Nikon D80 DSLR, Sigma 18-50 mm tele/zoom lens set at 18 mm. ISO 125, f/5.6. HDR Composite Image processed in Photoshop CS4.

Let's Do What We Can Do Together

Peace Within, Peace Without
Taken 9-14-08 in Missoula Montana
by Kevin G. Kerr

Note Please: All links open in a separate window, and all pictures can be viewed full screen in a separate window by double clicking on the picture itself. A selection of the pictures Kevin and I took can be found on-line at my Picasa web site here.

Livin’ in this crazy world
So caught up in the confusion
Nothin’ is makin’ sense
For me and you

Maybe we can find a way
There’s got be a solution
How to make a brighter day
What do we do

--Ziggy Marley

In 1916, the people of Montana elected the first woman to serve in any western nation’s national legislature. Jeannette Rankin, born in 1880 in Missoula, Montana, took her seat in the US House of Representatives on March 4, 1917. Four days later, she made history again by voting against US entry into World War I. As she cast her vote, she said “I want to stand by my country, but I cannot vote for war.” She was not re-elected in 1918.

A single term in Congress was not unusual in Montana history. Since becoming a state in 1889, Montana had elected nine congressmen prior to Ms. Rankin, four of whom served only a single term and two more served just two terms. What is remarkable is that in 1940, Montanans sent Jeannette Rankin back to Congress where she cast the only vote against US entry into World War II. This time she said, “As a woman I can’t go to war, and I refuse to send anyone else.” Her position caused her to be vilified, and again, she served only a single term. After leaving Congress in 1943, she spent the rest of her life working for peace. In 1985 Montana sent Ms. Rankin back to Congress, this time in the form of a statue to be placed in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol. Today her statue can be found in the House corridor, first floor. (Statuary Hall allows each state two statues. Montana's other statue honors Charlie Russell--the only artist to be found in this national collection.)

In 1986, a group of Missoula area activists came together to found the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center. In the twenty-two years since, they have built an organization that is making a difference world-wide. In Missoula they operate a store and library downtown, and sponsor several activities throughout the year. They have acted as fiduciary agent for various peace and justice organizations, including the Western Montana Gay & Lesbian Community Center which was formed ten years ago. One of the principal fund-raisers for the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center is their annual Peace Party, held this year under the big tent in Caras Park on Sunday, September 14th.

The Missoula Gay Men's Chorus
Taken 9-14-08 in Missoula Montana
by Kevin G. Kerr

Members of the Missoula Gay Men’s Chorus were asked to show up at 2 pm sharp for a sound check. We joined the women of the Missoula Women’s Chorus, and ran through a couple of numbers. The festivities were scheduled to begin at 4:30 when the children of the Lewis & Clark Grade School choir would take the stage to sing a song they had written themselves. The men and women would sing along on the chorus with the children.

The event actually began with men, women and children forming a circle and dancing several dances from various traditions in what has come to be known as the Dances of Universal Peace. I had heard of this activity, which in Missoula happens on the third Friday of every month, but I had never participated. Nonetheless, when the audience was invited to join in the dance, I gladly entered the circle. Dancing has always been one of my great loves. I had no idea that I was becoming a part of an international movement that meets not only in Missoula, but in four other Montana communities, twenty-two California communities (both large and small), and countless other places around the country. There are even two groups dancing in Wyoming and one in West Virginia.

A Dance of Universal Peace
Taken 9-14-08 in Missoula Montana
by Kevin G. Kerr

After dancing and chanting prayers in English, Sanskrit, Arabic, Hebrew, and I don’t remember what all else, the children took the stage and the men and women singers joined them. Throughout the evening, the men and women returned to the stage numerous times to perform together and separately. We men sang five pieces in total, two by ourselves, two with the women, and the opening number with the women and children.

The Missoula Women's Chorus
Taken 9-14-08 in Missoula Montana
by Kevin G. Kerr

In addition to our singing, the Peace Party included dinner, a silent auction, a live auction and several items which were raffled off. Many of the items in the live auction were dinner parties hosted by prominent Missoulians. The one that really caught my attention was an Ethiopian dinner for six at Granite Hot Springs, but that one went for over $100 a plate. Kevin, knowing how much I love exotic food, bid for (and won) a Persian dinner for eight which we will enjoy on Friday, April 24th, 2009. We quickly found six friends to join us at $55 a plate.

While I don’t know just how much money the Center raised, I know that the participants enjoyed themselves thoroughly. Each table had a jar for pennies, those jars going to build schools through one of my favorite organizations, The Central Asia Institute, which I wrote about back in January. Once again, I urge you to read Greg Mortensen’s book Three Cups of Tea and then to do whatever you can to support this worthy organization. The children of Missoula have collected over $5,000 in pennies to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and have set themselves the goal of collecting $50,000 so that they can pay for a complete school.

Pennies for Peace supporting the Central Asia Institute
Taken 9-14-08 in Missoula Montana

For us, the evening closed with the men and women on stage singing Ziggy Marley’s “Give a Little Love,” after which we packed up and left the volunteers to take down the displays and empty the tent. Five of us piled into the Volvo and headed out to Lolo Hot Springs for their clothing optional swim night. A fun time was had by all.

Seriously, though, ask yourself “What can I do to promote peace at home, in my community, in my country and around the world.” As Ziggy puts it:

We got to give a little love, have a little hope
Make this world a little better
Try a little more, harder than before
Let’s do what we can do together

The Men and Women's Choruses of Missoula
Giving a little love
Taken 9-14-08 by Kevin G. Kerr