Toole County is a county in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,971. Its county seat is Shelby. The county was established in 1914 from parts of Hill County and Teton County and was named after Joseph Toole, the first and fourth governor of Montana. Its northern boundary is the Canada–United States border south of Alberta.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.5%) is water.

Its northern boundary is the Canada–United States border. A part of its southern boundary by the southwestern county corner is formed by Marias River, which flows eastward through the southern part of the county. In 2009 a 14 mile stretch of the river was designated as Marias River State Park. In the eastern part are several creeks, the largest of which is Willow, which rises in the Sweet Grass Hills and follows a southerly course through the county. In the Sweet Grass Hills and elsewhere indications of oil and gas have been found.

Major highways

  • 20px Interstate 15 - connects to Alberta Highway 4 at Canadian border
  • 20px U.S. Route 2

Adjacent counties

  • Glacier County - west
  • Pondera County - south
  • Liberty County - east
  • County of Warner No. 5, Alberta - north
  • County of Forty Mile No. 8, Alberta - northeast

Demographics

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Communities

City

  • Shelby (county seat)

Towns

  • Kevin
  • Sunburst

Census-designated places

  • Camrose Colony
  • Hillside Colony
  • Rimrock Colony
  • Sweet Grass

Other unincorporated communities

  • Devon
  • Dunkirk
  • Ethridge
  • Ferdig
  • Galata
  • Gold Butte
  • Kippen
  • Naismith
  • Ohio Camp
  • Oilmont
  • Virden

Notable people

  • Earl W. Bascom (1906–1995), "Father of Modern Rodeo" and Hall of Fame cowboy, artist, sculptor, actor, inventor; cowboyed in the 1920s on a ranch on Kicking Horse Creek once owned by his cousin C.M. Russell
  • Charles M. Russell (1864–1926), cowboy artist and sculptor; ranched on Kicking Horse Creek near the Sweetgrass Hills; honored in the Hall of Great Westerners in Oklahoma City

See also

  • List of lakes in Toole County, Montana
  • List of mountains in Toole County, Montana
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Toole County, Montana

References

  • Toole County Website (official site)
  • City of Shelby (official site)
  • (Shelby Area Chamber of Commerce)
  • NBMC (24/7 Local News and Events)
  • Shelby Promoter (weekly newspaper)