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Gallatin City, located near the three forks of the
Missouri River, a town not now in existence, was the first county
seat of Gallatin County, being so named by the legislative assembly
when the county was created. An act authorizing the people of the
county to vote at the general election in 1867 to locate the county
seat was approved by the territorial legislature on December 14,
1866. The election was held on Christmas day, 1867, when Bozeman was
chosen as the county seat by 475 votes, nearly 200 majority over
Farmington, the other principal candidate, with a few votes for
Gallatin City. The act of the legislature granting the people
permission to vote for the county seat, provided that it should be
named Farmington, this being a plan of C. P. Blakely, representative
to the legislature, who aimed to have the county seat on his Middle
Creek farm. Bozeman was therefore known officially for a few months
as Farmington, but the legislative assembly adjusted the matter at
the next session, and Bozeman has continued as the county seat.
Description of the County
Gallatin County lies just west of the Bridger range
of mountains. The valley is from 4,500 to 4,600 feet above sea
level. It is surrounded on nearly all sides by high mountains, some
of the lofty peaks retaining snow that may be seen practically all
summer from the valley. These mountains are storehouses for the
snows of winter that in the spring and summer melt slowly and come
down the mountain streams for irrigation to some of the land in the
valley.
In some of these mountains are springs and lakes
forming the nucleus for reservoirs, providing water systems for some
of the cities in the valley. The high mountains give protection from
severe storms such as prevail in some of the plains countries, and
provide cool nights following the hot summer days. The county is
abundantly watered. The Madison River is on the west side, while the
East Gallatin and the West Gallatin with their tributaries, Middle
Creek, Spanish Creek, Bozeman Creek. Rocky Creek, Bridger Creek,
Spring Creek, Cottonwood, Bear Creek. Flathead and others, issuing
from a semi-circle of lofty mountains, cut through surrounding
foothills and flow rapidly over gravelly beds down the length and
breadth of the rich valley, until they unite to form the Gallatin
River, which helps to form the Missouri. |
