Blaine County
Blaine County is on the north line of the state, bordering Canada opposite Saskatchewan.
In 1912 Blaine, Phillips and Hill counties were formed from Chouteau County.
The county was named for James G. Blaine, former United States Secretary of State.
The original boundary of Blaine County included a portion of land in the west that is now included in Phillips County.
Historically, this land was part of the Blackfeet tribe’s hunting territory, and was populated as far as the eye could see with herds of bison. Settlements for farming and ranching would begin to grow in numbers during the late 1880s, following the construction of the Great Northern Railroad in 1887. Large scale homesteading would begin around 1910.
The Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, occupies an area within the southeastern portion of Blaine County.
The reservation, established in 1888, was set aside for the Assiniboine and Gros Ventre tribes. Montana Highway 66 crosses the reservation from north to south and connects Fort Belknap Agency with the town of Hays near the Little Rocky Mountains.
Located at the junction of U.S. Highway 2 and Montana State Highway 66, the town is home to Aaniiih Nakoda College, one of Montana’s seven tribal colleges, as well as tribal governmental offices.
The Bears Paw Mountains make up the southwestern portion of the county.
The main industry in Blaine County is agriculture
As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,044.
The county seat is Chinook, which sits on the Milk River in the western part of the county.
There used to be a sugar beet factory in Chinook where tons of sugar beets were processed each year, but today, very few beets are raised in Chinook and the factory is closed. The name lives on as the high school's team name and the beet-growing era is commemorated with an annual Sugar Beet Festival in the fall.
With a 2020 population of 1,185, it is the second smallest county seat on U.S. Highway 2, Montana’s Hi-line.
The largest populated community in the county is Fort Belknap Agency, some 25 miles east on Highway 2.
Cities, Towns and Other Communities
Cities
Chinook ~ Harlem
Census-designated Places
Fort Belknap Agency ~ Hartland Colony ~ Hays ~ Hogeland ~
Lodge Pole ~ North Harlem Colony ~ Turner ~ Turner Colony ~ Zurich
Unincorporated Communities
Cleveland ~ Lloyd ~ Lohman ~ North Fork ~ Rattlesnake ~ Savoy
Ghost Town
Cleveland, Coburg
Blaine County Courthouse
400 Ohio Street
Chinook, MT 59523
County Clerk has birth, death and land records from 1912.
Clerk of the District Court has marriage, divorce, probate and court records
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Blaine County Data
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Biographies
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Birth Records
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Cemeteries
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Census Records
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Church Histories / Records
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County Records
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Death Records
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Family Bibles and Records
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History Topics
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Marriages
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Military Records
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Miscellaneous Data
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News Gleanings
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Obituaries and Death Notices
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School Records
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Wills/Probate Records
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Website Updates
May 2024
Cemetery Records:
St Paul's Mission Cemetery burials (complete); Hays Cemetery
burials (complete)
Marriage
Records: Marriage Certificates 1912 (in process),
Marriage Licenses 1912 ( in process)
Obituaries and Death Notices: Mrs. J. K.
Greenough, Fritz Kayser, Andrew Swanson, John Maddux, Louis Long,
Sherman Keller, Leonard Popma, Martin Peterson
Previous Updates
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Surrounding Counties
Chouteau County - southwest
Fergus County - south
Hill County - west
Phillips County - east
Rural Municipality (RM) of Reno No. 51, Saskatchewan (SK) - northwest
RM of Frontier No. 19, Saskatchewan, SK - north
RM of Lone Tree No. 18, Saskatchewan, SK - northeast
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