In 1903 the first pioneers arrived and began to uncover the bounty of the land, share joys and sorrows, and build their hopes into realities. The past 100 years have seen vast changes in the lives of everyone, the horse and wagon have been replaced by automobiles and jet airplanes. We welcome you to discover the rich bounty of our past, whether you currently live in Westby, once lived in Westby, or are discovering it for the first time.

Long before anyone dreamed of a town, vast stretches of unclaimed hills and prairie lay in the area now forming the triple border of Canada and the American states of Montana and North Dakota.



In fact, statehood had already been conferred before settlers began to move into this region. The earliest recorded “homesteader” was Sig Nelson who drove a herd of cattle from Nelson Lakes south of Minot, ND in 1903. Since Montana did not open up for homesteading until 1908, Mr. Nelson and others who arrived in 1905-06 were actually “squatters.” This meant that they came in, picked out their 320 acres, built a shack, and “squatted” there until they could file for a homestead. Some of the early homesteaders only stayed part of the year, returning to the East for the winter. Many men again came West in the spring with their families or a new bride.



Winter or summer, homesteading was a difficult task. Just traveling to this area meant a 30 to 60 mile trip by horse and wagon or horseback after the end of the railroad. The work was hard and slow. Rocks had to be picked by hand and turning the sod with oxen hitched to a 14-inch plow moved at about two miles per hour. Oxen were preferred over the faster horses, however, since oxen did well on prairie grass, whereas horses had to be fed oats. Another important yet difficult task was constructing a shack or house in which to live. Although some built sod houses, many chose to construct wooden shacks, hauling the lumber to build these modest dwellings from the end of the railroad line, at least 30 miles away, by wagon. Sometimes the pioneers experienced what the wind could do. One man moved his shack to a new location, then went to his brother’s house to eat dinner. Upon his return, the shack was gone, scattered all over the prairie by the wind. Wind, hail, blizzards, and prairie fires were all elements to be fought or take protection against. The early pioneers had only kerosene lamps and lanterns for light and coal for the stoves to heat and cook. It was not an easy life; nevertheless, one pioneer stated, “To me it was quite a thrill to break up the new land. Was not I the first to break it up since God made the earth!”



With more and more homesteader families moving into the area, it was inevitable that somewhere would spring up a town. In 1909 a group of Danes in the northwestern corner of North Dakota decided to start a town and applied for a post office to be called Westby. In Danish “by” means town, and since this would be the most westerly town in North Dakota, it was named Westby. On August 3, 1910, James Hanson became the first postmaster. Ed Simonson drove the first star route between Ambrose, Skermo Post office and later to Westby. A blacksmith shop was set up by Mr. J.P. Neve, and Nels Nelson built a store that was operated by Oliver Sannerud. The first lumberyard and bank were started by Harold Borg. Jacob Freund ran a feed barn. This was Westby until rumor had it that the Soo Line had plans to extend their railroad line west from Ambrose to the North Dakota/Montana border.



The prospects of a city on a railroad created a furor of excitement, and when the railroad’s route was assured, the town’s building and people picked up and moved to the North Dakota line to await the railroad’s construction. The actual move was about three miles northwest of Westby’s first site. Since North Dakota had prohibition, the saloons were all built on the Montana side. This split the town, with the business “proper” on one side of the line and the business “improper” on the other. When the railroad did plot a town, however, the one on the North Dakota line was ignored. Higher railroad rates in Montana caused the officials, with typical financial acumen, to locate the new town on the Montana side. Thus the business section abandoned the North Dakota site, and in 1914, the town was moved into Montana. Large buildings like the Nelson-Sannerud Merchandise were moved from North Dakota by a large steam engine that pulled the building over a number of round poles used as rollers. A dozen strong men kept carrying the rollers to the front as the building passed over them.



The construction of the railroad meant not only the moving of the town to Montana, but it also meant jobs for the local people and easier access for new settlers, supplies, and equipment. There would be no more 40-mile trips in the dead of winter for supplies. Worries about men or teams lost in blizzards were no longer present. The weather sometimes won out and due to heavy snows, Westby was even cut off by rail from Ambrose for weeks at a time. The railroad did enable the town to grow and prosper like never before.



Lumber was shipped in, and soon two lumberyards were in business. The Knutson Opera House was the first building to be constructed in the new town site. There was, however, a flurry of activity with men and teams grading, excavating, and getting the ground ready for new businesses and residences. Honstain Brothers built the first Farmers Elevator at a cost of $6,740. The elevator’s capacity was 30,000 bushels. During that very busy summer of 1914, the first school building was erected for the 30 students who attended that fall. In the fall of 1914 Westby had a newspaper, two general stores, a hardware store, two banks, two lumberyards, a hotel, three rooming houses. In addition to, two pool halls, two drug stores, a dance and show hall, two saloons, a millinery store, photo gallery, men’s clothing store, a blacksmith shop, two livery barns, four elevators, a brewery and ice house, a bakery, seven eating places, two dray lines, and a doctor. The first two churches built in Westby were the Lutheran and Roman Catholic churches. Prior to this, services were held in the homes with ministers coming from nearby towns. Numerous rural churches were also built to serve the religious needs of the people in their areas.



As more and more businesses sprang up in Westby, people from the surrounding area began to do shopping there. The town soon had good streets for the soil was sandy, and there were many sources of gravel nearby. On the side streets hitching posts for horses were installed for the convenience of those coming to town in wagons and buggies. Since Westby was a border town, residents of Canada, North Dakota, and Montana did much visiting and neighboring, ignoring the state and national borders that separated them politically. Holidays such as Independence Day were celebrated in Westby, as each town would do. Farmers and families could not travel very far with horses and buggies on the prairie “roads.” Sometimes traveling carnivals would pass through town and educate the local populace on the wonders of the world. Many adults and children were entertained by the chautaquas, assemblies for educational purposes, combing lectures, plays, and musical entertainment and held in large circus-style tents or outdoors. Large crowds of people gathered to observe these kinds of entertainment as well and sporting events such as baseball games between local town teams.



Improvements in transportation continued to benefit the Westby community in many ways. After the railroad line in 1014, the next important event was the arrival of the motor car in 1016. The dray lines and livery stables which had only flourished for two years, quickly modernized, adding a Grant and a Maxwell car for their means of transportation. Large steam engines came into use to haul grain to the elevators, and the role of the horse as necessary transportation gradually diminished.



During these early World War I years, prices rose and businesses boomed. Crops were not very good, due to rust, hail, drought, or some combination of the three. Some area homesteaders found they could not make a go of it on their land and sold homesteading rights to new arrivals more enthusiastic about “proving up” the land. Some of these originals moved to Westby or Ambrose to begin businesses or work for established businesses while others returned east. Many area young men were called up to serve duty to protect and preserve our country. The Red Cross furnished yarn so that the women could knit scarves and mittens for the soldiers. In the fall of 1918 a flue epidemic hit the community of Westby and other areas. School was closed, and the building was turned into a hospital because whole families would get sick, and there was no one to care for them. There were only two doctors in the area to tend to the severe cases. The illness struck young and old alike, and an average of one person per day died during November in the Westby area. Those who escaped the flu kept busy doing chores for those who were sick and thus the community survived this terrible epidemic.



City government began early in 1914 when Henry Reuter, the Immigration Officer and first person to be a Montana resident in Westby, became the mayor. As the only eligible candidate, he was the inevitable first mayor before Westby’s incorporation as a town. On December 14, 1916, 46 votes, none dissenting, were cast for incorporation, and Nels Nelson was elected as the first mayor of the official town of Westby.



As the “roaring twenties” began, Westby was still an ambitious, busy little town. Many businesses had changed hands, and new ones had been added. Then prices went down, and stores were forced to close. Auctioneers from wholesale houses came out and some days would stand on the roofs of stores and throw free merchandise down for anyone to have. Businesses gradually shut down, and in 1925, the local newspaper, the Westby NEWS, went out of existence. During the 20’s Walter Oleson opened his light plant, and the first telephone office in town was opened. From 1924 to 1928, there were three good crop years, but the poor crop of 1929 coupled with the stock market crash in late 1929 set the stage for a decade of depression.



The “dirty thirties” saw hard times affecting everyone. After the bank closed, the Rostad Drug Store became the center to which the local merchants and townspeople were to obtain currency change. With no rain, there were few decent crops and no grass or hay for livestock. Some farmers plowed out Russian thistles to feed their cattle. Anyone who had a crop could not get any money selling it. Other crops fell prey to grasshoppers or hungry range cattle. President Roosevelt inaugurated the WPA and many residents benefited from these jobs paying $40-$50 per month. From 1933 to 1937 the Fort Peck Dam construction project employed many area people either directly or in service occupations such as stores near the dam site. A big improvement for Westby was the building of Highway 5 to Plentywood. No longer needed was the famous “old blue trail.” The drought, depression and advances in roads and automobiles, however, all contributed to a decline in population and the demise of some of the little towns that had once dotted the northeastern Montana prairies.



A political and a social event, taking place in 1939 are worth mentioning. In April Westby voters went to the polls and balloted at a “candidate-less” election. No names appeared on the ballot, although a mayor and city council were elected. Each voter “wrote in” his favorite choice, and when the votes were counted, Elmer Hultgren emerged mayor, Bert Hoel and Martin Nereson aldermen in ward one, and Anton Nelson and Hans Hanson, alderman in ward two. The Plentywood HERALD article of April 6, 1939, commented, “That Westby citizens were given the chance to really vote for persons of their choice, cannot be denied, and the election without candidates’ names on ballot is exceptional in Montana political history.”



On May 27, 1939, Westby celebrated its 25th anniversary as a town. Hundreds of people trekked to Westby for the occasion. Aided by ideal weather and intermittent rain showers that cheered the people, the day was marked with an outstanding parade, speeches, ball games, and climaxed by dancing. Highlights of the seven-block long parade were old model vehicles carrying eight of the founders of Westby dressed in silk top hats, floats representing pioneer days constructed by various town organizations, and a children’s parade which featured “cleverly decorated doll buggies, ponies, bicycles, and gaily costumed youngsters.” Prizes were given for best floats, biggest family, person coming farthest distance, oldest car, oldest man and woman present. This celebration brought an end to the depression era and lifted everyone’s spirits as all looked forward to a better future.



In the 40’s the rains came and agricultural interest once again prospered. As World War II began, Westby felt the impact, too. Food, clothing, and gasoline were rationed, and several young men gave their lives in defense of our country. The brightest event was the coming of the REA whose office was located in Westby for a short time, then moved to its present location in Medicine Lake. It must have been quite an experience to flick a switch and have the lights go on for the first time in many a rural Westby home! Nineteen forty-seven began in Westby with a disastrous fire that threatened to burn the west side of Main Street. In 1936 and 1937 fires had destroyed many buildings on the east side of Main Street. The 1947 fire was reported in the Plentywood HERALD as follows: “A thick brick wall of the drug store next to the Ferguson building, combined with the efforts of fire fighters with buckets of water, prevented further spread of the blaze. The Westby fire department, with only chemical and no town water system, was handicapped in fighting the fire. The Plentywood fire department was called about 7:30pm and covered the 26 miles to Westby in less than an hour, but with the temperature at over 20 degrees below zero, the water on the new Plentywood truck was frozen by the time it reached the scene. After thawing out the booster tank of icy water, which was covered in an attempt to prevent freezing during the trip, Plentywood firemen aided in cooling building walls to prevent further fire.” According to the article, the fire, which burned through the night, could be seen 20 miles out of Westby. No one was injured, the Home Cafe, Lloyd Schultz barber shop and Aubrey Ferguson living quarters and all contents were destroyed. The efforts of members of the community prevented the disaster’s becoming worse, and thus ended the decade of the 40’s.



The Fifties brought improvements to Westby as the town achieved better telephone service thanks to the RTA. In 1951 the 780th Radar Squadron was built on a hill eight miles east of Westby. Often base families lived in Westby until housing was available on the site. Many base children attended Westby School, affording us the opportunity to mingle with people from all parts of the world. The 780th Radar Squadron officially closed in 1979. An addition to the school was built in 1955 to accommodate the extra students. Water for the town was a problem with everyone having individual wells, some of which had good water, and some of which were too alkali or rusty. In 1958 while Roy Listoe was mayor, a special election was held and the vote passed to bond the town for construction of a city-wide water system. A new post office was built in 1960, and during the early 60’s many of the buildings along Main Street were given new fronts, as the business people and citizens continued to display pride in their town.



In 1966 Westby celebrated 50 years as an incorporated town. The invitation issued for the June 17-18 celebration stated, “Bring the whole family for an old-fashioned good time – two big days of fun, reminiscing, and celebration.” The Saturday parade included 120 entries with Montana Governor Tim Babcock as grand marshal. From all over the country former Westby residents and relatives converged on the community to participate in the Jubilee. Prizes were given for kiddies parade entries, floats, homesteaders, antique cars, horses, various costumes, and beards. Ole Odegard and Hilda Lee were crowned King and Queen. It was reported that 7,000 people attended the two-day event. A carnival with rides for the children, two dances, a talent show, free barbecue and pancakes breakfast rounded out the weekend’s festivities. No doubt the people of Westby, including then mayor Jerome Meyer, breathed a sigh of relief at the conclusion to this most successful celebration.



During the Sixties Westby area’s first oil boom began. In 1962 the first well was drilled on the Carl Petersen land. It had long been known that coal was abundant. Early homesteaders had used coal such as the lignite purchased from the P. Biever Mine seven miles southwest of Westby to heat their homes. Oil, however, was more remarkable and harder to obtain. Crews of workers with huge equipment were necessary to locate a suitable site, prepare the surface, and drill through many thousands of feet of geological history until the “black gold” was reached. Peak drilling years in the area were 1964 and 1965. The Flat Lake field produced 871,111 barrels of oil in 1965, and that area had up to 57 producers at one time. The Good Lake area had 33 wells, followed by 15 producers in Comertown. These wells pumped intermittently until the late 70’s when world oil prices skyrocketed and a new flurry of oil activity increased the population with oil workers and added income to the local mineral rights owners and the state and local governments. The mid-eighties saw a decline in oil activity, and the Westby area returned to a more peaceful existence.



Even though the seventies were for the most part a peaceful time in the oil patch, the town of Westby was a busy place. Thanks to a FHA grant, the town further upgraded its water systems in 1972, adding new wells through 1983. During the early 70’s, a city sewer system and city wide propane gas accesses were dug in and installed in businesses and private homes. In 1976, city wide weekly garbage pickup was contracted and is currently handled by Plentywood Sanitation. Also in 1976 the busy people of Westby took time out to present “Which Way, America”, a historical pageant segment dealing with the 1051-1976 era for the American Bicentennial celebration in Plentywood. Over 100 citizens of all ages participated.



The Eighties also saw numerous improvements made to the city’s appearance and efficiency. A new fire station/city hall building was constructed in 1981. New sidewalks and curbs proceeded the re-paving of Main Street, and several other city-streets have been asphalt paved as well. Most of these improvements were due to the persistent efforts of Mayor James Weiler aided by a dedicated city council that consisted of Gene Meyer, Jeff Nordhagen, Kelly Olson, Robert Lagerquist, and clerk – Lynden Lagerquist. The need for better housing was foreseen by a group of private citizens who, forming a corporation, caused the development of the four-plex and eight-plex. These apartments provide low-cost, modern housing for senior citizens and other town residents. The love of summer softball necessitated an adequate facility and many hours of labor have been given to the development and upkeep of the Noelle Meyer Memorial Ballpark. Built and dedicated by the Westby Men’s Club, this much-used field by ball players of all ages is located just west of the Westby City Park.



Throughout its history Westby has been served by 15 mayors. Some of them saw longer terms than others, but all were dedicated men and had the best interests of the town at heart. They were Henry Reuter, Nels Nelson, Berger Larson, Peter Miller, C. N. Rostad, P.G. Anderson, A.T. Olsen, Elmer Hultgren, Idor Ekness, Lawrence Rohweder, Roy Listoe, Stanley Thorpe, Jerome Meyer, Rufus Wittmayer and our present mayor, james Weiler. To these men are we appreciative for giving their time and effort in serving our town.



Standing at the present we look forward to future advances in communication, transportation, and other technology. With the ever-present ties of family, friends, and the land, however, we can keep our feet solidly on the ground while our eyes look upward and outward. The residents of Westby are proud of the past, hopefully for the future, and thankful to those diligent pioneers who helped make this way of life for us so rich and secure.




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