Richey in Dawson County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Richey
In 1911 one of the homesteaders, Clyde Richey, applied for a post office to serve the area, and the town has borne his name ever since. As the railroad built in this direction, a squatter town sprouted up on the prairie and farmers sold stock to build an elevator. In 1916, Great Northern officially surveyed a townsite and sold lots. The "old town" merchants quickly moved to be near the depot and the first newspaper began publication. The entire community celebrated Steel Day, Dec. 2, 1916, when the first train arrived on the tracks, laying the last ties before it as it came.
The Great Northern intended to extend the line across central Montana into Lewiston, but World War I interrupted those plans and the line terminated at Richey. As in so many areas, the other small towns nearby died out as the railroad town became the trade center. In February 1986, the BNSF Railway Company removed the tracks and once again Richey was without a railroad.
Erected by Montana Department of Transportation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical date for this entry is December 2, 1916.
Location. 47° 38.445′ N, 105° 4.004′ W. Marker is in Richey, Montana, in Dawson County. Marker can be reached from State Highway 200 at milepost 27 near South Main Street/South 4th Street, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Richey MT 59259, United States of America. Touch for directions.
More about this marker. This marker is located at the Richey Rest Area.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 6, 2019. It was originally submitted on December 6, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 316 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 6, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.