P a g e 2 G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r Omstad at once proceeded to look for coal all over his claim, and found it in abundance near the surface of the ground. Borrowing money on his find, he purchased a large amount of land surrounding his property, and found coal on a large part of this also. With the money secured from the sale of coal after he had mined it, the railroads became interested, and built stations on his land, thereby forming the nucleus for the two town sites, and greatly aiding in the marketing of his coal and farm products. He also bought modern machinery and built a fine home near one end of his ranch. Later he built a grocery store, hardware and dwelling house. Another town has been laid out near his coal mine, and has been named Coal Ridge. Last year, Mr. Omstad found oil floating down a creek through his farm, and sent for oil experts to decide as to whether the oil was out of his land. The experts agreed that great quantities of oil was in the property and as soon as the ground thaws out in the spring, Mr. Omstad expects to begin work on his oil wells. Last season, Mr. Omstad cultivated 1,200 acres of land and marketed 20,000 bushels of wheat. Accessed via: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ Ruth Garfield Ruth Lane was visiting relatives in Montana when she met Jesse Garfield, a Yellowstone County homesteader. The couple married in 1912 and later moved to a ranch near Ryegate. Jesse became the first sheriff of newly created Golden Valley County in June of 1920 He had been reelected to his first full term of office in November but had not yet been sworn in. On December 6, Jesse went out to the Snowy Mountains to investigate a complaint. When he knocked on the rancher’s door, the man fired his rifle, seriously wounding the sheriff. He made it to his car and tried to drive back to town, but the gas tank had been hit and he ran out gas. He walked back to the town of Franklin where a stopped freight train took him to Billings. Jesse died two weeks later. County commissioners appointed Ruth to fill out her husband’s term as sheriff. She never carried a gun, but she earned the same salary as her husband: $166 a month. The couple’s son, Ford, was about seven at the time. Every day after school, he would wait at the jail in the Golden Valley county courthouse for his mom to finish work. Ruth served out her husband’s two year term. Upon his election in 1922, Sheriff Dick Carr appointed Ruth Garfield undersheriff and probation officer. She served in that capacity for two years before retiring from law enforcement. Ruth Lane Garfield was the first female sheriff in Montana. –Ellen Baumler Ellen Baumler was an award-winning author and Montana historian. A master at linking history with modern-day supernatural events, Ellen's true stories have delighted audiences across the state. The legacy she left behind will be felt for generations to come and we are in debt to her for sharing her extensive knowledge of Montana history in such an entertaining manner. To view and purchase Ellen’s books, visit: http://ellenbaumler.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html Photo courtesy Ford and Barbara Garfield, via Ancestry.com
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