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a m e r i c a n l o c a l h i s t o r y n e t w o r k w y o m i n g w e b s i t e
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A BETTER AND HAPPIER
CLASS OF PEOPLE
Farmers and Ranchers in Sheridan and Johnson Counties
As Reviewed by the Sheridan Post, Summer 1905
Researched & Edited by Cynde Georgen
Transcribed by Irene Hause
2003
Beginning in mid-June 1905 and continuing for another month or so, Sheridan Post writers J. F. Mills and C. S. Mills traveled around the rural areas of Sheridan County, talking to the farmers and ranchers they met. They took the snippets of information gleaned from these short visits and put together a series of articles highlighting the agricultural activities of the summer. The Mills' included names, places, acreage owned, types of crops planted, numbers of animals raised, plus occasional personal notes about the men and women and, sometimes, how long they had been in the area.
The articles featured information on drainages throughout the county, including:
| Amsden Creek | Jim Creek | Soldier Creek |
| Badger Creek | Lower Prairie Dog Creek | Squirrel Creek |
| Box Elder Creek | Pass Creek | Tongue River |
| Clear Creek | Piney Creek | Twin Creek |
| Columbus Creek | Prairie Dog Creek | Wolf Creek |
| Dutch Creek | Six-Mile Creek | Young's Creek |
| Five-Mile Creek | Smith Creek |
In addition, one article focused on the drainages north of Buffalo in Johnson County:
| French Creek | Rock Creek | Shell Creek |
| Johnson Creek | Sayles Creek | Spring Creek |
From this article comes our title quote: "… a better and happier class of people is not to be found on earth."
Noticeably absent from the series is any mention of the Big Horn area, including Little Goose Creek and its tributaries. Apparently the writers did not include that section of the county in their wagon trips, as no such article appears between March 1905 and November 1905.
Contents
PART I "Goose, Rapid, Beaver -- The Valleys And Table Lands Along These Streams Dotted With Prosperous Farms -- Country Looking Fine At This Time -- During The Past Few Days A Post Representative Called Upon The Farmers Living Along Big Goose, Rapid And Beaver Creeks, And Found Them Busy At The Spring Work"
PART II "Tongue River Ranches And The Mines And Ranchester Visited By A Representative Of The Post -- Large Acreage Of Small Grain Sown -- How Things Are Progressing At Dietz, Carneyville, Monarch And Ranchester -- Tongue River Ranchmen Have Fine Land And Plenty Of Water For Irrigation Purposes"
PART III "Dayton Is Booming -- An Electric Lighting Plant For The Town Practically Assured -- Citizens Agree To Use 200 Lights -- Brief Mention Of The Business Men And Interest Of The Hamlet -- Town Surrounded By Fine Ranches On Smith Creek, The Tongue Rivers And Wolf Creek -- What J. F. Mills Of The Post Learned Of That Section During His Visit There Last Week"
PART IV "More Ranch News -- Something About The People And Ranches Along Soldier Creek, Wolf Creek, Five-Mile, Pass Creek, Etc. -- Northern Part Of Co., Looking Good -- Parkman, A Prosperous Village, Surrounded By A Fine Ranching Country -- Much Grain Grown Without Irrigation -- Many Storage Reservoirs In Use, And Many More Being Constructed"
PART V "Piney And Clear Creek -- Post Correspondent Visits Ranches On Above-Named Streams -- Clearmont A Live Freighting Burg -- The Piney Creek And Valley A Beautiful Place -- Clear Creek And Valley Still Nicer Than Piney -- Healy, Patterson & Healy's Big Steam Sheep-Shearing Outfit, And Many Other Things Of Interest"
PART VI "More About Ranchmen -- Johnson County People Prosperous And Contented With Their Lot -- Some Of The Best Country On Earth -- The Creeks Of French, Johnson, Sayers, Rock, Shell And Their Tributaries, And Lake Desmet Were Visited By C. S. Mills In The Interest Of The Post"
PART VII "The Man With The Hoe And The Men With The Rope Were Visited By A Post Representative Last Week -- Ranchmen Are In Good Spirits -- The Range Is Good And Stock In Better Condition Than For Ten Years -- Much Good Beef Will Go To Market At Once -- Grass And Grain Crops Are Fully Up To The Average Or Better -- Farmers Will Have Lots Of Wheat, Oats And Hay"
PART VIII "More About Ranches -- A Post Representative Visited Prairie Dog And Dutch Creek Ranchmen Last Week -- Found Them In The Midst Of Haying -- On Prairie Dog The Alfalfa And Timothy Are Heavy Crops, As Are The Wheat And Oats -- Dutch Creek Wild Hay Is Not Yielding As Heavily As Usual, But Is A Very Fine Quality"
