Mineral County turns 100 years old
SUPERIOR – Mineral County turned the ripe old age of 100 this week and ironically, approximately 100 people turned out on the county courthouse lawn on Sunday, August 3 to celebrate the milestone.
Despite early concerns that interest in the event was light, Mineral County Museum Secretary Kay Strombo said she was pleased with the turnout. Strombo said the turnout reinforced, in her mind, that people still care about the county’s history.
“This really is exciting,” Strombo said. “It was great that everyone came out. All the people are donating time and effort and really becoming a part of it. It’s fantastic and I expected no less from this community. It shows how this community really comes together and how people from the county as a whole are interested and want to be a part of it.”
Those who did participate were treated to live music from the Riverside Dixieland Band, ice cream, historical reenactments and a pig roast prepared by Superior Meats and supplied by the county commissioners. Strombo especially singled out Jim Goss of the Mineral County Performing Arts Council for his work putting together the event.
Goss said the 100th anniversary of an effort by area residents to govern their own future by creating a county from what once was part of Missoula County, was worthy of celebrating.
“1914 was a time of prosperity in the area,” Goss said. “The mining, railroad and wood industry was flourishing. It was just before the war. It was a time for Mineral County to flex its muscle and get out of a situation where all the money was going to Missoula and all the services staying in Missoula.”
While many attendees arrived decked out in period garb, one of those who decided to get in the spirit of things was Mineral County Commissioner Roman Zylawy. He said the event was a way to celebrate the independence of the area from a situation where people weren’t getting what their tax money paid for.
“I wanted to help celebrate 100 years of Mineral County being a county,” Zylawy said. “It was time for us to be on our own. Missoula County was very far away. If there was a feud or someone was killed, the sheriff would have to come all the way from Missoula County and that was quite a horse ride. It was time for the area to be independent and make up their own rules. It’s a monumental date for Mineral County.”
Due to concerns among area residents in the early 20th century about a general lack of concern by Missoula County about the area, two men took it upon themselves to make change happen.
On a Sunday in January 1914, Dr. Elmer Fessler and Ed Riberdy traveled to Missoula and walked into the office of a local attorney. The men wanted to know about the possibility of forming a new county. The attorney told the men it was possible and a movement was born.
It took nine months, a number of committees, an assessment of the county’s value and a contentious debate over where the county seat should be but on August 1, 1914, an overwhelming vote of “yes” was received and Mineral County was established.