Russell Rowland

On this month's 56 Counties, host Russell Rowland features Butte-Silver Bow County in conversations with Karen Sullivan, Health Officer for Butte-Silver Bow County, and Steve Gammon, Provost/Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at Montana Tech.

Golden Valley County is one of the smallest counties in Montana, with less than 1000 people. Ryegate and Lavina, the two towns that populate this county, both boast around 200 people, and were hit hard when the local railroad closed down. So they rely almost exclusively on agriculture for survival.

Fergus County was one of the pleasant surprises when I was going my tour of Montana for 56 Counties. I had never been to Lewistown before, and was surprised to find a town of nearly 6000 people, with some of the most beautiful sandstone buildings in the state.

Petroleum County is the smallest county in Montana in terms of population, with less than 500 people. But they have an extremely active group called ACES (Agricultural Community Enhancement and Sustainability) that is working hard to make Winnett a place where people want to stay and thrive.