Mineral County

A Tough Trip through Paradise

A Tough Trip Through Paradise Indeed… When Montana rancher and outfitter, Andrew Garcia, died in January, 1943, in his log home near Rivulet (Mineral County), few could imagine the impact his memoirs would have on Montana history until they were finally published in 1967.

The book, “Tough Trip Through Paradise, 1878-1879” chronicles just a brief period in the life of man who saw and survived many adventures upon his arrival in Montana in 1876. By 1909, Andrew Garcia and his wife, settled into their ranch at Fish Creek, near Rivulet, and later operated a guiding and outfitting business among other ventures. The land was hard and the people were just as hard; surviving the Depression added to the edge. In a 1940 interview, Garcia stated, “I have a ranch of six hundred and sixty-seven acres…I only cultivate about a hundred and thirty acres, as there is no use putting in stuff and then not be able to sell it for anything. I used to keep a couple hundred Aberdeen Angus cattle right along and made some money that way, but since cattle and everything else went to hell. I also used to make good money raising fruit, but that blizzard of 1924 got quite a lot of the trees, while now the fruit trucks from Yakima put the fruit business on the bum proper.”

Natural resource use has long been the basis for Mineral County’s economy. Mining, forestry, ranching, and farming are the heritage of the county’s residents. Life was never easy for the settlers of this county, living in a land in which nature has the upper hand and convenient access to resources was difficult. Much has changed but today’s residents continue to struggle to remain in the area. Many new residents in Mineral County are unfamiliar or ill-prepared for the climate, growing season, access to resources, and limited services available to them; often very different from whence they came. Compounding this situation is the incredibly small tax base for county infrastructure; public lands make up 92% of Mineral County, leaving only 8% private, taxable land for reliable support.

Mineral County MSU Extension has a history of an individualistic approach to most agricultural, natural resource, horticulture, and community development related issues on the local level. Responding to new and changing needs with university-based research data and resources is a strength of the MSU Extension program in Mineral County. Public support for MSU Extension remains high and it is helpful that every dollar of county support for Extension in Mineral County leverages three times as much support from federal and state partners to meet the needs of our citizens. The educational resources, technical service, and ability to adapt and address local needs is paramount to the success of local constituents and MSU Extension in Mineral County.

If only Andrew Garcia had had access to a local MSU Extension office when he lived in Mineral County, perhaps it would not have been such a “tough trip through paradise.”

Caption: Andrew Garcia (1853-1943) poses for a photo at his ranch near Fish Creek, ca. 1932.

Credit: Cat.# 942-340, Montana Historical Society Research Center Photograph Archives, Helena, MT

Empowering community members to take control of their future

In the heart of every small community, there is a collection of relationships, shared histories, and mutual support. While these bonds strengthen our neighborhoods, they also bring to light a critical aspect of life that is often overlooked: estate planning. Many people may think of estate planning as a task reserved for the wealthy or as a subject too morbid to discuss. However, in a small community, the importance of estate planning cannot be overstated.

In March, MSU Extension Mineral County hosted Marsha Goetting, MSU Extension family economics specialist and professor at MSU, for a 2-day Estate Planning workshop. Day 1 was held at the St. Regis Community Center and day 2 at the MSU Extension Mineral County Office in Superior, with a total of 23 attendees. Participants were engaged in this interactive workshop with polling devices and a safe space to openly discuss sensitive topics, such as mortality and family dynamics. Goetting emphasized the importance of early planning, encouraging attendees to think about their futures and the well-being of their loved ones with topics including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives.

Caption: Marsha Goetting teaching estate planning principles in St. Regis, MT.

Credit: Emily Park

Gardening in Unique Environments

For several years, residents in and around DeBorgia, MT, have gathered in late April for MSU Extension sponsored “Gardening in the West End” presentations to address local horticultural constraints and methods to address them in the far western portion of Mineral County. This year, fire wise planning for property was a requested topic as was selecting, planting, and managing small fruits, fruit trees, and perennial landscape plants. The two programs were titled, "Fruits and Nuts in the West End (Trees and shrubs, that is, along with landscape perennials)" taught by MSU Extension Agent, Dave Brink, and "Managing for Fire Resilience; Your Home and Forest" taught by Cindy Peterson, MSU Extension Associate Forestry Specialist (and local resident).

Hosted in the historic DeBorgia Schoolhouse, one of only three buildings in DeBorgia to survive the 1910 fire, the requested topic seemed most appropriate. Collaborating with Cindy Peterson, attendees gained valuable insight for planting and growing fruit shrubs and trees in the area as well as steps to make their properties resilient to wildfire and what tools they should learn to use and keep on hand. Unfortunately, the tools and techniques demonstration portion was cancelled due to rain but many landowners did appreciate the discussion and display of many of the tools available. Likewise, the bounty of Extension printed material and contact information was deemed valuable by all attendees. While the success of any decisions clients make based on the information provided remains to be seen, local clientele appreciate and report favorable results from individual assistance as opposed to more formalized programming events.

Caption: The historic DeBorgia Schoolhouse, site of the annual "Gardening in the West End" programs.

Credit: Dave Brink

 

Caption: Extension materials made available for review by "Gardening in the West End" attendees.

Credit: Dave Brink

Contact

301 2nd Avenue East #730
Superior, MT 59872
406-822-3545
https://www.montana.edu/extension/mineral/