Circle

Major Seth Mabry, a former Confederate Army officer, came to the Redwater Valley about 1883, driving a heard of longhorns from Texas. President of the Mabry Cattle Co., he branded with a plain circle iron. From the brand, the operator became known as the Circle Ranch. They sold three to four thousand beeves each fall for about 13 years.

Other cattlemen ran the ranch until about 1900 when Peter Dreyer and Hans Grue bought it and used it as a summer camp for sheep and as a stop-over for themselves and other ranchers going to and from Glendive. Two bachelors supposedly cared for the ranch, but also ran a saloon there. Since strong drink spoiled the sheepherders' work habits, Dreyer and Grue offered the place the Dreyer's brother-in-law, Peter Rorvik, in 1903. During an absence of the saloonkeepers, the Rorviks and their six children moved in. The next summer saw 100,000 sheep on the Redwater River. The herders and ranchers needed a supply source, so Rorvik opened a store on the ranch.

So began the town of Circle about one-half mile southwest of here. In 1907, the surrounding lands were opened to homesteading and the area has been producing grain as well as livestock ever since.

Erected by Montana Department of Transportation.

McCone County is tough, arid country, and the ability to scratch out a living here has always been highly dependent on weather. Harsh winters and cycles of extended drought test this ability and the perseverance of those who live here. It has been this way since the area was settled in the latter half of the 1800s.

The county covers about 1.7 million acres but has a population of less than 2,000. That works out to less than 1 person for every 1.3 square miles. Livestock outnumber people here by about 20 to 1. Circle is the only incorporated city in the county.

About 80 percent of the county is in some type of agricultural production. Of that amount, 80 percent of the land supports livestock operations with the remaining 20 percent devoted to crop production. Ranches are primarily cattle operations, but the area supports a significant number of sheep as well. Major crops are wheat, hay, barley, and oats.

Erected by U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management.

This memorial is dedicated to those men and women veterans from this area who served our country in time of peace and war, and especially to those who gave their lives in that service from 1877 to present.

Navy • Army • Marines • Coast Guard • Air Force

Competition between railroads to get into the Redwater Valley ended with the Interstate Commerce Commission giving the Northern Pacific permission to build the 62 mile line from Glendive to Circle/Brockway. This happened on May 27, 1927 with Foley Bros getting the contract to begin construction immediately. Some surveying had already been done and continued and other projects started as road beds, bridge, fences, wells. corrals, laying rails, etc. Approximately 1500 people were employed including locals that lived in tents or boxcar camping along the way with horses and equipment provided. Sidings were at Green, Woodrow, Lindsay, Rimroad, (the rim of Sheep Mountain) Valgate, Circle, and Friend, ending with Brockway with dreams of going further west. Depots and agents were in Lindsey (sic), Circle and Brockway. Wool houses in Circle and Brockway which were combined in Circle. The Circle Depot and Wool House ended at the McCone County Museum. The cost was over $2,500,000 which included the 2 million board feet of lumber, 10,000 tons of steel rail, 200,000 ties. Horses and mules purchased and hundred of things used for construction. Over the years the train carried everything imaginable besides animals and farm products relief items for those suffering during depression, grasshopper poison for tha (sic) insect invasion, during oil boom in 50's it carried many of things for oil industry. They even sent special care out for sic lady. On June 2, 1928 Circle celebrated the completion of branch line and 10,000 people were on hand for the festivities. That included the Governor, President of the NPRR, Rathe news, Indians, pilots and our neighbors. We had speeches, parades, free train rides to Brockway, saw the golden spike driven, we ate barbecued meat of 3 steers and 2 hogs, and danced the night away. For the youngsters it was the first time they heard the puffing, whistle and bells of the iron horse. Brockway also celebrated a month later with much rejoicing. The last train came in 1999 and like all things, change happens. Factors in the demise of the train were drought, war, better roads, population decline and trucks that delivered directly to the consumer.

Dates to Remember In 1864 congress granted the Northern Pacific RR 40 alternating sections of land per mile of track. That covered much of southern McCone County and NP set up a land office and much land was sold to new immigrants that came with the railroad. In 1970 the NP, Gn, and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy merged to form Burlington Northern. 1984

BN dismantled and sold portion of line from Circle to Brockway. So we have said Good Bye to a business that served us well but still own land and mineral rights and helped so much with their taxes during depression.

Erected by McCone County Museum.