About Dillon MT |
Southwestern Montana is well known for its pristine rivers and mountains. They provide the basis for the area's well known fishing, hunting, agricultural and recreational activities. For the fisherman the Beaverhead River passes Dillon while the Ruby River runs by Sheridan to join the Beaverhead and Big Hole to form the Jefferson near Twin Bridges.
Beaverhead County, located in the southwest corner of Montana, is surrounded on three sides by the Continental Divide. The county's land area consists of deep valleys separated by forested mountain ranges. Four different mountain ranges are located in the county including the Beaverhead Mountains of the Bitterroot Range, the Tendoys, the Centennial Range, and the Pioneer Mountains.
The geographical surface of Beaverhead County displays a variety of land forms ranging from flat pediments to jagged peaks, from broad-river valleys to narrow gorges. Elevations in the county range from 11,154 feet at Tweedy Mountain in the Pioneer range to 4,770 feet on the Big Hole River.
The county is comprised of two major drainage basins -- the Beaverhead River Basin and the Big Hole River Basin -- and one significant river sub-basin, the Red Rock River Basin. This network of upper watershed drainage basins make up headwaters of the Missouri River.
Dillon History
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Dillon began as an important shipping point from Utah to the gold fields of Montana. The Utah and Northern Railroad reached Dillon in the fall of 1880, but the town was named for the president of the Union Pacific Railroad, Sidney V. Dillon. Sheep were introduced to the rich agricultural valley in 1869. At one time Dillon was the largest wool shipping point in Montana. The first cattle were brought to the valley in 1865 and they, too, have played a major role in Dillon’s development. The area was central to early Montana mining camps and |
settlements. Bannack, Montana’s first territorial capital and now a well-preserved ghost town, is nearby. The Montana Normal College was established in Dillon in 1892 and is now called University of Montana-Western. Fortune smiled on the company of Lewis and Clark as they traveled through this area looking for a way west. Three generations later, the Nez Perce fled this region after a tragic battle at the Big Hole. Amid the scenic byways, abundant wildlife and historic towns, you’ll find country with a lasting role in the settling of the western frontier.
Wikipedia
- Dillon, Montana
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