Brief History of the Original Fergus County

Fergus County, Montana was created by an act of the Fourteenth Legislative Assembly, Montana Territory, in early 1885. The Bill was sponsored by James Fergus, a delegate from Meagher County. In November of 1886 the county became officially operative when the following officers were selected:

Assessor - Michael Gurnett
Clerk of District Court - Charles S. Fell
Coroner - A. W. Sifton
County Attorney - Frank E. Smith
County Commissioners - William Berkin - E.P. Chandler - J.P Barnes -Daniel A. Meagher
Recorder - William H. Kelley
Sheriff - John Beck
Superintendent of Schools - David Galbreath
Surveyor - L.W. Eldridge

The new county of Fergus covered approximately 130 miles west to east and 90 miles from north to south. It contained approximately 209 townships, over 7,524 square miles and 4,814,000 acres. The original Fergus County was divided into Petroleum County and parts of Judith Basin, Wheatland, Golden Valley and all of present day Fergus County.

The original Meagher County, before it was divided took in all of Meagher County and parts of what is now Fergus, Judith Basin, Wheatland, Cascade, Golden Valley, Broadwater and Lewis & Clark Counties.