This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Pioneers Here Found the Golden Fleece in Sheep Industry
Beaverhead county's sheep sector grown into a multi million dollar enterprise with 91569 sheep on assessment records as of 1957. Wool yields about 500000 dollars fat lambs around 1.5 million. About 150000 acres graze land and 25000 tons hay needed yearly. Mature sheep taxes near 28000 dollars. The industry supports 180 year round workers plus seasonal labor during lambing and shearing. Rail and road shipping move 125 to 150 stock cars in fall. Dillon’s trade and service firms supply vast needs from stock trucks to wool bags and repairs. Early pioneers on Grasshopper and Alder creeks built ranches that sustained the region’s wealth through grass and hay. W. C. Orr and John Bishop helped establish these operations, proving their livestock knowledge profitable.