Birth of Fergus County

              THE BIRTH OF FERGUS COUNTY
By Oscar Mueller
Prior to 1880 this central Montana region within the confines of the Belt Mountains, Musselshell and Missouri rivers and Arrow Creek, constituting an area of about the size of the State of Vermont, was known as a hunters paradise. The surrounding tribes of Indians used it for a hunting found and many were the conflicts between them in their contention for its use. There were a few trading posts of the old buffalo region type depending on the sale of “rot gut” whisky to the Indians and a few essential trading goods for both the Indians and the few white men penetrating the region. This was the last of the old type Indian country, to which migrated all of the criminal type of whites or adventurous men. This mixture of savage tribes and renegade whites made it difficult for settlement. Two of the leading men of the state, well known and liked, moved into this area. Granville Stuart, one of the state’s first citizens, promoted a large stock adventure known as the “DHS” and located near Fort Maginnis in July 1880. Also in 1880 came James Fergus, locating on Armells Creek. They were near neighbors, the home ranches being about fifteen miles apart. They were very close friends and agreed on all things except politics. Fergus was an ardent Republican and Granville Stuart a Democrat. In those years the aftermath of the Civil War political party meant a lot to the participants.
The combination of Indians, mixed bloods known as breeds, and degenerated whites did not give up their territory without a fight. They made war against the encroaching stockmen by killing livestock on the range, stealing horses, and otherwise committing depredations, especially against the large stockmen.
These two prominent citizens of the state in order to protect their interests as stockmen and for the general public, began the promotion of laws for the protection of the livestock industry from the raids by thieves and Indians. This culminated in what is known as the Vigilante movement of 1884 when in that summer between the 1st of July and the 1st of August; they hanged or otherwise disposed of about twenty thieves. Most of these were killed in outright battles between the stockmen and the thieves.
Grandville Stuart actually participated in one of the raids. In order to be present at the stock growers convention at Helena the latter part of July, 1884, he left the Vigilantes near the mouth of the Musselshell, forded the Missouri river and traveled sixty-five miles horseback on one day to get back to the ranch. James Fergus, too old to actually participate in the movement, wrote many articles in defense thereof which appeared in the papers of the state. For their services on behalf of the welfare of the state, Granville Stuart was elected the first president of the Stock growers Association at the meeting at Helena on July 28, 1884, and acted as such until the annual meeting at Miles City in 1885. James Fergus in September 1884 was elected the first president of the Montana Pioneers at the meeting at Helena.