 Scobey is an idyllic prairie town, clean, orderly and picturesque. Like so many places in northeast Montana, the town began primarily as a result of the railroad. Actually, the area had two competing railroads; the Great Northern and the Soo Line, running parallel to each other and seven miles apart. These rail companies were vying for the abundant agricultural products harvested in the area, at least until the years of drought and the Great Depression came along. The Whitetail stop was on the Soo Line, and Scobey, Madooc and Flaxville on the Great Northern. Railroads at that time established sidings and depots about every six miles, and small communities grew up around them.  Scobey was named for Major Scobey, an agent at the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. It’s known as a center of one of Montana’s most productive grain growing regions. Daniels County Courthouse, on Scobey’s main street, is on the National Register of Historic Places. This very unusual county seat building was at one time one-eyed Molly’s ‘house of pleasure.’
Scobey’s (and northeast Montana’s) featured attraction is Pioneer Town, one of the finest museums of its kind. It’s a re-creation of an early 1900s homestead town. Forty-two original structures, some 100 years old, have been brought to this site. Many were falling into disrepair or were to be torn down; most come from nearby places such as Whitetail. The place is a must-visit.
|
