City Officials

[Reference: POLK Directories and Gazette Documentation] 

Revised 5 September 2003

Coulson

Coulson didn’t have a formal grouping of city officials. John Alderson, in late 1881 tried to rally the town into an activity that might have created one, but apparently the movement failed. Local residents simply got together and made decisions when an occasion arose. Such was the case in 1880 when John Alderson shot Dave Currier, and a trial was held by a gathering of local citizens to determine his fate.

Billings

Although the city was created in 1882, no local administrative offices were established until a special charter was granted to the city in 1885 allowing it to be incorporated.  On January 11, 1893 it was re-incorporated as the “Town of Billings.” In May of 1885, the following officials were elected, and since that time, the number of offices has grown dramatically. Elections were originally scheduled annually for the first Monday in April, but corrected to every two years.

o       Mayor              John Tully

o       Councilmen     Lucius Whitney, L.H. Fenske, J.J. Walk, H. W. Rowley, S.H. Erwin & C.E. Westbrook

o       Treasurer         Fred Sweetman

o       Assessor          Fred Sweetman

o       Marshall          Henry Terell

o       Attorney          E.N. Harwood

o       Clerk               E.N. Harwood

o       Magistrate       J.D. Matheson (e.g., Police)

Partial Lineage for the Office of Mayor: (election every two years):

ü      1885                John Tully (Founding Mayor)

ü      1889                Fred H Foster

ü      1891

ü      1893                Fred H Foster

ü      1895   

ü      1897   

ü      1899

ü      1901                W B George

ü      1903                Fred H Foster (Changed to Democrat)

ü      1905                Fred H Foster

ü      1907                Fred H Foster

ü      1909                Fred H Foster

ü      1912                Frank T Woods

ü      1913                Robert Leavens

ü      1916                Edwin A Gerhart       

ü      1918                William M Johnston   

ü      1919                W Lee Mains

ü      1922                William M Beers

ü      1925                Edwin Grafton

ü      1929                Arth Trenerry

ü      1930                Arth Trenerry

ü      1932                Fred L Tilton

ü      1933                Fred L Tilton

ü      1934                Fred L Tilton

ü      1935                C J Williams

Laurel

Laurel was incorporated in 1908.

Partial Lineage for the Office of Mayor is:

ü      1908                Ed Fenton (Founding Mayor)

ü      1912                Walter R Westbrook

ü      1913                Albert E Stripp, MD

ü      1916                Albert E Stripp, MD

ü      1918                Benjamin L Price

ü      1919                Chester T Davis

ü      1922                Frank Wright

ü      1925                Hans C Knudsen

ü      1929                Jas A Kucera

ü      1930                Jas A Kucera

ü      1932                Roscoe Broughton, MD

ü      1933                Roscoe Broughton, MD

ü      1934                Roscoe Broughton, MD

ü      1935                Roscoe Broughton, MD

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Katy Hestand
Yellowstone County Coordinator