Phillips County Museum News for Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Cole, Montana was a whistle-stop community about 10 miles northwest of Saco on the Great Northern Railroad branch line to Turner. In 1934, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers was looking for gravel to use in the building of Ft. Peck Dam. Charles McChesney and Stan Hetrick of Saco notified them that gravel could be found in the Cole area. Tests were run and they indicated that there were millions of cubic yards of gravel. The J. L. Shiely Company of St. Paul set up a gravel screening and washing plant. Other contracts for toe and blanket gravel went to the Becker County-Shiely Company.

Almost overnight Cole became a bustling town of over 1000 people. Workers lived in box cars, tents, bunkhouses and shacks. Reports from that time indicate that it wasn’t safe to walk on the streets after dark.

Many businesses sprang up to supply the needs of the workers. Some of the businesses included a store, butcher shop, nightclub, tavern, theatre, garage and several cafes.

It was estimated that a total of 5000 50-car train loads or over 5,000,000 cubic yards of gravel were hauled out by the Shiely Company. When the Ft. Peck Dam was completed, gravel continued to be taken out of Cole for other projects such as the Fresno Dam and the Great Northern Railway. Even today gravel from that area is being used.

Today, the only reminder of the once bustling town are piles and piles of gravel and dirt.

The Phillips County Museum will be closing for the winter months on December 30. We will be open from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. up until that time.