Huntley in Yellowstone County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

The Ruth Dredger

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 3, 2024

1. The Ruth Dredger Marker

Inscription.
The Ruth Dredger was purchased in 1936 for $10,000 by The Huntley Project Irrigation District. It was used to dredge lateral ditches on the Huntley Project from 1936-1952. The dredger had a swinging boom that carried the buckets and could swing 90 degrees, left or right, positioning the buckets on either side of the machine as it moved forward. The main machine was supported by a single crawler track while a second stabilizing track could be positioned at the far side of the ditch.

Donated by: The Huntley Project Irrigation District

Erected by Huntley Project Museum.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1936.

Location. 45° 55.547′ N, 108° 14.467′ W. Marker is in Huntley, Montana, in Yellowstone County. It can be reached from Railroad Highway 0.2 miles west of South 8th Road, on the left when traveling west. The Ruth Dredger and marker are on the Huntley Project Museum grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 770 Railroad Highway, Huntley MT 59037, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally,

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

this marker is in Yellowstone Country

and in Greater Billings.

It is also in the American Mountain West

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 6 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: William Fricke's Carpenter Shop (a few steps from this marker); Welcome to the Huntley Project Museum (within shouting distance of this marker); Osborn Schoolhouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Hoover Potato Digger (within shouting distance of this marker); 1910 Homestead House (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); C-119 "Flying Box Car" Memorial (approx. 3.9 miles away).

Also see . . .
1. Ruth Dredger Served a Niche Market (ConstructionEquipment.com).

Excerpt: The Ruth Dredger was a unique trench-digging machine that served a niche market for many decades. It was invented in 1906 by Charles H. Ruth, a blacksmith in the Imperial Valley of California.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 3, 2024

2. Ruth Dredger
At that time, huge amounts of silt brought down by the Colorado River were being deposited in the Valley and repeatedly clogging the many irrigation ditches fed by the river. After experimenting with several types of primitive machines, irrigation companies declared the Ruth Dredger the most economic of all because of its continuous action and high-volume capability. Following its success in California, the Ruth Dredger Manufacturing Corp. was established in Los Angeles, and it wasn't long before Ruth Dredgers were at work in many states constructing and cleaning irrigation ditches, cleaning canal banks, and building berms and levees to control flooding.

(Submitted on August 25, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. 1930s Ruth Dredging Machine Promotional Film (Youtube).

This rare silent film from 1935 promotes the Ruth Dredger, a trench digging and clearing machine that was built in California in the 1920s. It begins showing "old model Ruths" at the start, before moving on to show the latest "continuous action" models, including a factory-new Ruth being delivered to a customer in Nebraska via railroad.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 3, 2024

3. Ruth Dredger Swinging Boom
Some of the dredgers shown include one working on irrigation canals near Yuma, Arizona and at Coolidge, Arizona.

(Submitted on August 25, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Ruth Dredger & Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 3, 2024

4. Ruth Dredger & Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on August 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 22, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 12 times since then. Photos: 1. submitted on August 24, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 25, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.