History

Historical Background

Sheriff James Stuart before Montana was a territory.

Sheriff William Thomas (Wild Cat Bill) Hamilton 1865 – 1868

Sherriff Henry Alfred “Fred” Kanouse 1870 - 1872

The small log cabin in the photo served as the county Jail and the gallows can be seen next to it. On November 28, 1872 a soldier and two teamsters were arrested and locked up before they could do harm to Fort Bentonites. Sometime during the evening, it is thought the prisoners set fire to the jail to affect their escape. It didn’t go too well for them as the remains of the soldier and one teamster were found among the ashes. The third man apparently made good on his escape as his body was never found.

The Sheriff's Office was once responsible for a huge portion of Northeastern Montana. The Chouteau County Sheriff's Office has been continuously in operation from the earliest days of settlement of the county. The county is one of the original nine counties that was created on February 2, 1865 and named after Jean and Pierre Chouteau. The area encompasses plains, two mountain ranges, three rivers, and several lesser creeks and streams as well as the majority of the Upper Missouri National Monument, just under 4000 square miles in all. Old records of trials, sentences, and executions were maintained in ledgers and have since been turned over to the Montana Agricultural Museum in Fort Benton. Artifacts from those early years can be found in that museum, as is a portion of the old jail cells brought to Fort Benton via steamboat around 1880.

The Old Jail of Chouteau County

The Old Jail of Chouteau County MT about 1881

Sheriff John Jerome Healy, 1877 – 1882

The "Old Jail" of Fort Benton, Montana was built in 1881. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was described in one document as the oldest county jail in Montana. The Sheriff in office at the time it was built was Sheriff John Jerome Healy (b.d 1834 - 1908), one document states "he was neither good nor bad, but a little of both". It cost $15,000 to build, because of this Sheriff John Healy lost his next election. Voters felt the jail was too luxurious to house prisoners. The jail housed a few Vigilante-day offenders, notorious outlaws, moonshine runners, and people's involuntary stay linked to the misdeeds and misery that are the reason for jails.

Brothers John, Harvey (Kid Curry) and Lonny Logan in Montana, circa 1890

One notable notorious outlaw who had a stay was Harvey Logan (AKA Curry) "Kid Curry" and his brother Lonny Logan (AKA Curry) for the murder of Powell "Pike" Lundasky. Landasky confronted Curry believing him involved with his daughter but was later found out it was his younger brother Lonny. The brothers who were members of the BlackJack Ketcham and Wild Bunch Gangs were released while waiting for trial and left town.

Sheriff Tom L Clary 1896 – 1902

Sheriff George Lee Bickle 1908 -1912

Sheriff Merritt Flannigan 1918 -1921

Sheriff Oscar Orland Marty 1930 – 1942

Chouteau County Jail, built in 1881

Sheriff Paul Williams 1978 - 1995

The Old Jail did have other uses: There was a women's cell upstairs, that was little-used and would provide emergency shelter for people in need. The children of the community would use the hallway next to the dispatch office to change ice skates and warm up after skating at the nearby outdoor rink. The last Sheriff to hold office in the Old Jail was Sheriff Paul Williams, Williams was the driving force behind the construction of the new jail. Sheriff Paul Williams was the Sheriff of Chouteau County for 17 years, being appointed by Sheriff John Saksa in 1978.

The 150-year-old jail was demolished in 1986.

Sheriff Paul Williams and Deputy Sheriff Ron Saville April 6, 1988

Sheriff John Jack Bradley 1942- 1958

Sheriff Frank Anderson 1958

Sheriff John C. Saksa 1958 – 1978

Sheriff Doug Williams 1995-2005

Sheriff Doug Williams announces he will appoint Deputy Sheriff Vern Burdick to take over as Sheriff of Chouteau County

Dew Drop Inn, the artistic work of a long ago inmate.

Great Falls Tribune Dec 30, 1931

Great Falls Tribune April 27, 1986

Great Falls Tribune June 17, 1904

Great Falls Tribune April 27, 1986

Great Falls Tribune April 9, 1986

Great Falls Tribune April 4, 1986

Today's Sheriff's Office facility was built in 1986. This modern, up-to-date facility houses the Sheriff, Undersheriff, and the deputies. The facility also houses the Detention facility, and the 911 Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). Chouteau County Sheriff's Office covers the towns of Big Sandy, Carter, Fort Benton, Geraldine, Highwood, Loma, Square Butte, and all rural areas within Chouteau County.