History

No story in the formation of Roosevelt County would be complete without first relating some of the background on the formation of Sheridan County. The formation of Roosevelt County is almost like the re-run of an old movie produced about ten years before the final showing.

The first attempt at dividing the huge area of land known as Valley came in 1908 when the people in the east and northeast area decided the county seat at Glasgow was too far away for any kind of sufficient contact with its residents. This petition was turned down by the voters; strangely enough the opposition came from the very areas who were at that time promoting division – Bainville and Plentywood.

A second attempt to divide the county came in 1910, but this time the petition was turned down by the state because of insufficient valuation in the proposed new area of four million dollars.

In a December issue of the 1910 Culbertson Searchlight we read, “COUNTY DIVISION – Several projects on foot in Eastern Valley County.” Plentywood had devised a scheme of her won to cut off the northeast end of Valley County which would be composed of 55 townships – making the county 55 miles long running east and west, and 30 miles deep running north and south with Plentywood as the county seat. Medicine Lake wanted the county divided a shot distance west of Brockton, but not including Poplar, with Medicine Lake as the county seat. Culbertson wanted the county divided along the lines proposed in 1908 with the dividing line just west of Poplar and running straight north, with Culbertson the county seat.

In April 1912, William Powers of Bainville, assisted by John Lundquist and others, circulated what was to become known as the “Lundquist Petitions”. Dan McKay of Glasgow who had become known as “the county splitter” also assisted with the petitions. The Valley County Commissioners approved the application of these petitions in November 1912, providing such application was approved by the voters at the next general election.

From newspaper accounts, it seems there was little protest over the now proposed county boundary lines; the west boundary being as it is now separating Valley and Roosevelt, but running straight North through what is now Daniels County. The big hassle came over what town should have the county seat. Culbertson was a very strong contender because it was the oldest town in the proposed county; Plentywood because it claimed to be the fastest growing; Medicine Lake because it claimed to be closer to the middle; Bainville because, with the help of Mondak, had the most population; and Froid had a few influential men who wanted some consideration and seemed to be in a bargaining position. The Indian reservation had not yet been open for settlement and apparently the insufficient whit population in the areas of Poplar and Wolf Point did not merit them much consideration for a county seat at this time.

A convention was called at Mondak on February 13, 1913 for the purpose of selecting a name for the new county and proposing a slate of officers to be elected. The 140 delegates chose the name of “SHERIDAN” over the half dozen others presented. The following officers were nominated on the non-partisan ticket: (Note the number of people selected from what is now Roosevelt County.)

For Senator, H.C. Walker, Poplar; Representative R.S. Richardson, Antelope; Sheriff, T.A. Courtney, Antelope; (This Sheriff elected and killed at Snowden four days after taking office), County Commissioners, Frank Weinrich, Mondak; Eli P. Hanson, Coalridge; Harry D. Loucks, Redstone; Treasurer J.W. Anderson, Froid; County Attorney, Paul Babcock, Culbertson; Assessor, H.B. Hill, Mondak; Surveyor, Olaf Bergh, Redstone; Superintendent of Schools, Irene Murphy, Enterprise (near Froid); Coroner, Harry Sparling, Medicine Lake; Public Administrator, Niels Christensen, Dagmar; Clerk of Court, L.J. Onstad, Coalridge; Clerk and Recorder, Ben Johnson, Poplar. During this convention they also elected a County Central Committee which was supposed to spearhead the ballot and the upcoming campaign. Elected were: Hans Dixon, Dagmar; Carl Gilbertson Redstone; Joeph (sic) Dolin, Medicine Lake; R.R. Uleland, Antelope; J.W. Schnitzler, Froid; F.W. Catlin, Culbertson; Bill Reek, Scobey; H. Goodale, Outlook; H.C. Walke, Poplar; H.B. Hill Mondak; George Ryerson, Froid, as chairman; and William Powers of Bainville as Secretary. (Note the number of people involved who were nominated to office and those on the committee who live in what is now Roosevelt County.)

Froid and Bainville were eliminated as contenders for the county seat by a written opinion from the Montana Attorney General Galen, at the request of the Valley County attorney John Hurley which stated: “Under provisions of the law – and unincorporated town or village cannot properly be candidate for the location of the county seat of a new county”. An article in the Culbertson Republican paper of February 1913 says, “FROID GIVES UP” “After a merry row, lasting several hours, the committee finally agreed to withdraw from the race.” The same article reports that the town committee then wanted to support the northern town, while farmers in the area seemed in favor of the southern town. On March 11, 1913 a vote on the division of the county was held which carried 2098 to 110. Those on the nonpartisan ballot were elected. Plentywood barely beat Medicine Lake for the county seat. Following this election, Medicine lake immediately filed action in District Court against Plentywood which was not settled until 1917. By this time the people in the southern end of the county were involved and busy trying to get another county organized. Senator Walker and Representative Richardson never got to serve since by this time the 13th Legislative Assembly had adjourned and there was no special session before the next regular election.

“An Act to Create the County of Roosevelt, Designate its Boundaries and providing for its Organization and Government, and to Change the Boundary of Sheridan County to Confirm Thereto:

Section 1. That all that portion of the State of Montana embraced within the following boundaries shall be known as and shall be Roosevelt County, in the State of Montana to – wit:

Beginning at a point at the northwest corner of Township 32 North, Range 46 East, Montana Principal Meridian; thence along the Township line between Township 32 and 33 North, a distance about 48 miles to the Northeast corner of Township 32 North, Range 53 East; thence South a distance of about 6 miles along the Range line between Range 53 and 54 to the Southwest corner of Township 32 North, Range 53 East; thence East along the Township line a distance of about six miles between Township 31 and 32, to the Northeast corner of Township 31 North, Range 54 East; thence south a distance of about six miles to the Southeast corner of Township 31 North, Range 54 East; thence East along the Township line between Township 30 and 31 North to the boundary line of the States of Montana and North Dakota; thence south to the Missouri River, thence West on a meandering line of the Missouri River to the east boundary of Valley county; thence in a Northerly direction along the boundary line of Valley and Sheridan counties to the point of beginning.

Section 2. That for judicial purposes the said County of Roosevelt shall be attached to and become a part of the Seventeenth Judicial District of the State of Montana.

That the temporary county seat of said County of Roosevelt shall be selected and designated in the manner provided by the provisions of Chapter 135 of the Acts of the 12th Legislative Assembly of the State of Montana Approved March 9th, 1911.

(NOTE: The following sections of the bill creating Roosevelt County are abbreviated.)

Section3. All laws applicable to the several counties of Montana are applicable to Roosevelt County, and to the appointed or elected officers, except as otherwise provided in this Act.

Section 4. The Board of County Commissioners shall meet within 15 days after the approval of this Act to select a chairman and proceed with the business of organizing the new County.

Section 5. Pertains to the Apportionment of indebtedness of Sheridan County as of January 1, 1919; taxable valuation to be pro – rated between the two counties; the two Boards of County Commissioners to meet with the District Judge on second Tuesday of March, 1919 in Plentywood for the apportionment of indebtedness.

Section 6. Sheridan County to make list of delinquent taxes; and to collect same. Any surplus of funds to be divided between the two counties.

Section 7. Pertains to the adjustment of indebtedness between the two counties and how it is to be settled.

Section 8. Roosevelt County commissioners authorized to sell bonds for county indebtedness.

Section 9. Division of school districts and the apportionment of school district moneys.

Section 10. Roosevelt County Commissioners empowered to issue a contract for transcribing records and compensation of clerk for transcription.

Section 11. All action spending in District Court of the old county which pertain to the new county shall be transferred to the District Court to which the County of Roosevelt is attached , and subject to the same laws as if said action had originated in District Court of Roosevelt County.

Section 12. The following persons are herby named and appointed to fill the offices as set opposite their names:

State Senator

State Representative

County Commissioner

Treasurer

Sheriff

Assessor

Clerk District Court

Clerk and Recorder

Coroner

Superintended – Schools

Public Administrator County Surveyor

Henry Lowe

John Hoffman

R.E. Patch

Frank Weinrich

John Anderson

W. E. Tidland

P. J. Nacey

E. J. Rice

T. Forbes

John C. Dwyer

A. W. Gustafson

Mrs. Nina McFarlane

Scott Hart

All of said officers shall have the power to perform the same duties and entitled to the same privileges as by law conferred on like officers in other counties. All officers shall give bonds and take the oath of office as required by law, and approved by the State Auditor. Terms of appointed officers shall be until the next regular general election.

Section 13. Roosevelt to be a sixth class county until the same is reclassified as provided by law.

Section 14. Roosevelt County Commissioners empowered at their first meeting to sub-divide county into municipal townships and road districts. Justices of the Peace and road supervisors provided for. Hold over officers may continue to hold office until term expires.

Section 15. The county boundaries of Sheridan County shall be altered so as to conform to the boundaries of Roosevelt County as established by this Act.

Section 16. This Act shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval.

This Bill having remained with the Government five days (Sunday excepted) and the Legislative Assembly being in Session, it has become a law without the Governor’s signature, this eighteenth day of February, A.D. 1919.

A cant six years before, the people who were to be living in Roosevelt County had gone through the agony and suffering of trying to split a county through the route of petition, referendum, and vote in trying to get Sheridan County organized and separated from Valley County. To follow this procedure, they knew it would take at least two years. The bitterness, the broken promises, and the ploy of politics during the campaign for the county seat of Sheridan County were to carry over into the organization of Roosevelt County. The landscape and the scenery were somewhat different but many of the players were the same.

A committee composed of J.W. Schnitzler of Froid, William Powers of Bainville and Ernest Walton of Poplar sponsored and lobbied for a bill to create a new county from the southern end of Sheridan County, to be knownas “Gateway County”. The bill was introduced by Representative John Nyquist of Froid. During the floor discussion on the bill the name of the county was changed to Roosevelt, honoring and commemorating a former President, Theodore Roosevelt, who had died while the bill was pending in the Montana Legislature. The bill creating Roosevelt County was enacted on February 18, 1919. Left unsigned on the Governor’s desk for five days, while the Legislature was in session, the bill became law on February 23, 1919. House Bill No. 59 creating Roosevelt County was unique in that all county officers to be appointed were listed in the bill and so were voted upon by the state legislature. There were no direction sin the bill governing where the new County Commissioners should place the county seat; nor were there any provisions in the bill calling for an election to determine the County Seat.

The newly appointed County Commissioner Frank Weinrich of Mondak, John Anderson of Froid, and R.E. Patch of Poplar were not without some experience. Weinrich had served as County Commissioner when we were still in Valley County, elected again when we were in Sheridan County and now appointed for Roosevelt; all without moving from his house in Mondak. John Anderson was elected as County Commissioner of Sheridan County to fill the post in Roosevelt County. R.E. Patch was the only “newcomer” to the field of county government, but he had served in other appointments. The County Commissioners met in the Court House in Plentywood in the forenoon of March4, 1919. The first order of business was to select a site for the county seat of Roosevelt County. Mondak was selected. We will probably never know the exact reasoning behind the selection of Mondak, but two reasons seem obvious: (1) the town had not been a contender in previous court house selection and (2) there were plenty of vacant buildings which could house the county offices. They rented some buildings from Charles Arivee for the temporary offices.

Officials were appointed to fill all county offices until the next general election. Also confirmed for appointment were those appointed to office contained in House Bill No. 59.

Bids were put out for County Printing. Bid No. 1 from F.S. Reed from the Culbertson Searchlight; Bid No. 2 from the Poplar Standard; and Bid No. 3 from the Yellowstone News at Mondak. A few weeks later the bid was awarded to the Poplar Standard for $5,000.00. The County Commissioners were to have jurisdiction over all county elections and on March 6 they divided the county into 28 precincts. Poling places changed, but many of the precinct boundary lines were in effect for more than 40 years.

Many of the municipal township officials ere already in office from the previous election in 1917 and these were confirmed by appointment on March 7, 1919. The month of April was equally busy. County roads were designated and the contracts let. (See under the transportation section.)

Bids for caring for the county poor and the County Physician were let. Dr. C.J. Munch won the bids for the eastern end. No one had bid for the western end. On April 20th, bids were let for the classification of land in Roosevelt County. Bids opened were No. 1 from Lockwood and Blakeslee – to classify not less than 300,000acres at 2.1 cents per acre or not less than 700,000 acres for 2.05 cents per acre, or all the land in Roosevelt County at 2 cents per acre. Bid No. 2 from Ralph Stewart said to classify all lands at 1 5/8 cent per acre, or lands east of the Big Muddy at 1 7/8 cent per acre, and for deeded lands on the Reservation only 2 ½ cent per acre. Roosevelt County to furnish all forms and materials. Ralph Stewart won the bid and the bond was set at $5,000.00.

In April 1919 Froid presented the County Commissioners with a petition praying for a special election to determine the location of a permanent county seat. The Board answered on May 31, saying, “This Board has carefully checked the said petition and find it insufficient. Now Therefore, be it resolved that the petition be, and is hereby denied.”

On August 4, 1919 another petition was presented to the Commissioners who has to call a special session during harvest for its consideration. Attorney L.A. Brown appeared for the petitioners who then wanted to call a “special election” for a new county seat. But there was trouble in checking the signatures on the petition, which necessitated the Commissioners making a trip to Plentywood to canvass the names on the petition. This petition was denied on the grounds that it was not signed by 100 persons whose names had appeared as registered electors in some registration district established in the existing territory know known as Roosevelt County in the last general election, as was now state law.

In all, four petitions were presented to the commissioners (not all by the same towns) and all four met the same fate. An article in the Froid tribune denounced the Commissioners as being “crafty”.

The first election to determine the county seat was held in 1920, with the primary being held on August 24 and the general on November 2. It seems safe to report that at some point or time, politicians had at least tried to make it appear that the eastern end of the county could at some future time break from the western end and form another future time break from the western end from another county. The scars and the bitterness between the people and the towns which evolved from such “untruthful political promises” had dire effects on the 1920 and 1922 elections, and have manifested itself in other ways over the past 50 years. The main campaign for the county seat was in the eastern end of the county with the towns of Froid, Bainville, and Culbertson as the contenders. Town meetings, straw voted in each town and rural area, were a part of the campaign. Froid was eventually induced to give up the fight because of lack of population and other factors, leaving the towns of Bainville and Culbertson in the struggle. Poplar stood alone in the middle of the county and Wolf Point on the western edge. The population of registered voters was quite evenly distributed – about 2200 east of the Muddy and about the same west of the Muddy.

An article in the Culbertson Searchlight of October 1920 said, “There will never be another division of Roosevelt County. The legal requirements as to population, valuation, and number of square miles in each county are all against the creation of a new county out of Roosevelt. This is the last chance to have a county seat accessible to the residents in the eastern end of Roosevelt County. If the farmers will unite on Culbertson for the county seat we can win, if we stay divided between two towns, NEITHER WILL WIN.” More true words were never written as the results of the election showed. There were 3772 votes cast in the election, distributed as follows: Bainville 1109; Culbertson 49; Mondak 1; Brockton 3; Poplar 1301; and Wolf Point 1224.

Poplar was clearly the winner of this election and on Wednesday November 10, 1920 the Board of County Commissioners met at the Traders State Bank to find needed buildings for the new Court House. The Strand Theater was designated as the new court house, with other buildings rented from Charles Trinder and Harry Walker. The jubilant citizens of Poplar motored to Mondak in many cars and by Friday morning the last of the records were removed from Mondak and there was business as usual in Poplar. Within a few days the “Red Brick School” was rented for $1.00 a year and county offices were permanently located there. The County Attorney’s office was located in the Stockman National Bank and the Court Room was located in the tip story of the Walker Opera House.

In an article in the November 12, 1920 issue of the Culbertson Searchlight the foresighted editor wrote, “It is anticipated that a fearful roar will be raised and the people who favored Wolf Point as the county sear will be far from pleased. It is certain that is will be immensely more convenient for the general public to have the county seat in the middle of the county than wither the extreme east of west end of they county”. Too bad people didn’t recall these words of wisdom for the next election in 1922.

In all the research there was never any explanation why it was necessary to have a second vote on where the County Court House was to be located. Then quite by chance an article in the Culbertson Searchlight offered this explanation 1922 campaign – “THE WOLF POINT CAMPAIGN”. “Wolf Point is using and will continue to use every means within her power to try and secure the necessary 51 percent of the votes cast to make Wolf Point the permanent county seat, and is making a strenuous campaign to capture county seat as a prize for the town of Wolf Point.”

Two factors were evident in the balloting in 1922. (1) The towns of Froid and Bainville were still thinking in terms of splitting the county and thereby supported Wolf Point hoping to gain their support when the time came to divide the county and (2) the Indians in the Poplar-Brockton-Wolf Point areas could not vote at this time which left about one-fourth of the population of Poplar without any say in the matter.

The official canvass on November 18, 1922 showed Poplar with 1881 voted and Wolf Point with 2003 votes. (Later additions of these numbers showed Poplar with 1821 votes and Wolf Point with 2012 voted but the first addition were never corrected.) Either way there is a discrepancy, for the canvass board also showed 3865 to have been cast, leaving either 32 or 52 ballots not accounted for. Under dispute seemed to be precincts No. 3 Bainville Ward 2; No. 28 Volt; and No. 31 Wolf Point Country. The canvassing board declared Wolf Point to be the winner on December 2, 1922. On December 5,1922, an action was filed in District Court protesting the election by Dr. J.L. Atkinson of Poplar. A temporary restraining order was issued which prohibited the moving of the county seat to Wolf Point. On December 30, 1922 the Commissioners held a special meeting and appointed Scott Hart and John Moran as special 24-hour guards to safeguard the election ballots in the vault of the County Assessors Office. On January 17, 1923 Attorney Erickson met with the Commissioners protesting the action of Wolf Point parties for having opened the election sacks of precincts 23, 24 and 31. The Supreme Court of Montana was then asked to canvass precincts 3,23,24,28 and 31. No result of the canvass was recorded.

After a long legal battle, District Judge George Horken rendered a decision on February 8, 1924 establishing Wolf Point as the County Seat. Poplar immediately appealed the decision to the Montana Supreme Court. C.A. Spaulding of Helena represented Poplar, while George Hurd of Great Falls represented Wolf Point.

Impatient with the long due-process of law, Wolf Point citizens moved the county records (except Clerk of Court, County Attorney and County and County Treasurer) to Wolf Point. On February 15, Chief Justice Callaway issued an order that all county records be returned to Poplar until the court case was settled. The records were moved back to Poplar that same day.

The Supreme Court rendered a decision on July 11, 1924 designating Wolf Point as the county seat. The Wolf Point Stampede was in progress so no records were moved until July 17, 1924. The old railroad division office was leased for $75.00 a month. This building remained as the court house until the new one was built in 1939-40. (Old railroad division office was located just a shade south and west of the present depot – after Court House it became Beatrice Foods building.)

Once the fight for, the location of the county seat was finished, the “BUSINESS AS USUAL” attitude was adopted by the Commissioners, elected officials and the residents of Roosevelt County.

The first court trial was held in Mondak during the fall of 1919 with C.E. Comer as Judge. There was no indication of what the trial was about.

The first and only legal hanging ever performed in Roosevelt County was executed on May 20, 1927. Inventions were issued for the hanging – those who received the invitations were deputized to act as Deputy Sheriffs on that date without pay. The private execution was inside an enclosure 32x70 feet, 18 feet high, on the block where the present court house stands.

The criminal trial was held in the Glacier Theater (now the Rathert Furniture) with Catlin and Geer attorneys for the defense.

The politics of Roosevelt County was, until about 1940, predominately Republican, beginning with the first officers of the county appointed by the Legislative act creating the county appointed by the Legislative act creating the county in 1919. The few exceptions were in the offices of State Representative and County Treasurer (other we may have missed.)

The last 30 years following World War II, the trend has been to the Democratic side of the ledger. Again there have been exceptions, in the offices of the County Clerk and Recorder, County Assessor and State Representative. Up until 1970, Roosevelt County maintained its identity as one Legislative District, having one State Senator and two State Representatives. Obliged to follow a Federal Court ruling, the State Legislature was forced into the first reapportionment attempt. A four county legislative district was formed with the counties of Roosevelt, Sheridan, Daniels and the eastern part of Valley into District 4. From this district we elected two State Senators and four State Representatives. Another revision was to be made in the 1973 Legislative session to comply with the “one man – one vote” Federal ruling, which in Montana essentially means that each State Representative represents approximately 4000 people and a State Senator represents approximately 8000 people. Thus by the map you can see that Roosevelt County met the sad fate of being divided into three Representative districts and two Senatorial districts. House districts 1 and 2 each elect one State Representative; and combined they make Senatorial District No. 1 with one State Senator. The western end of the county is combined with parts of Daniels and Valley for House District No. 3. District No. 3 is combined with House District No. 4 in Valley County to make Senatorial District No. 2 which also elects one senator.

Thus one can see with a quick glance at eh map, that the science of politics has greatly changed in the last five years; and as far as Roosevelt County is concerned, can no longer be a determined equation. Both Republican and Democratic parties have found it difficult to maintain their sense of unity within party ranks, as well as meet financial obligations, with the county so many time divided. During 1975 the County Commissioners in each county were to reapportion County Commissioner districts. Roosevelt County has three districts, which as near as could be determined have been the same since the inception of the county. The law mandates three county districts and protected the present commissioners from being apportioned out of their office. The state’s new constitution required the change based on population figures supplied by the State Department of Community Affairs. County Commissioners are elected at large but they must be elected from the district in which they reside. The law allows no changes in the reapportionment six months preceding any election.

Commissioners are elected for six-year terms but staggered so that one Commissioner term will expire every two years. District 3 Commissioner George Stensland’s term will expire in 1976; District 1 Commissioner Kenneth Nyquist’s term in 1978 and District 2 Commissioner Alfred Kaschube’s term in 1980. During this time another census report will be in progress and upon which another reapportionment will be based. The new Montana constitution provided for a Study Commission in each county which it is study alternative forms co County government and present at least one alternative (other than the form we now have with elected County Commissioners and county officials) to the voters in 1976. Elected to the County Study Commission in 1974 were: Position No. 1 David Harmon of Bainville; Position No. 2 Harry Axtmann of Poplar (resigned – John LaRoche appointed, resigned – John Nesbit appointed); Position No. 3 Bill McGurk; elected at large were Calmer Ersness and L.J. (Jim) Witte.

Because the election on the proposals of the Country Study Commission have not been voted upon, no county officials were placed on the primary ballot in 1976. The resignation of the County Clerk and Recorder Eleanor Schmeltzer and the death of Sheriff Leo Cody, left the Commissioners in a quandary since no precedent had been set under the new constitution and it came at a time when no one could know how or what voters would decide upon in terms of county government under the Study Commission’s proposals, or how long the term of appointments could be made for. Appointments were made for each office until the next election for that office is scheduled.

Each town in the county was also to appoint or elect a Study Commissioners to determine the kind of city government which will best suit the future needs of that city. Forms of county and city government are to be reviewed every ten years.