Government

Currently, Sweet Grass County is governed by three elected commissioners. Local law enforcement is provided by the Sweet Grass County Sheriff's Department and the Montana Highway Patrol. Fire protection services are handled by the Big Timber Fire Department.

Big Timber is the government seat of Sweet Grass County. Three other communities (Melville, McLeod, and Greycliff) lie within the county’s borders, but Big Timber is the only incorporated town.  In 2002 there were 2,091 active registered electors.

Government History

Soon after Sweet Grass County was organized, the commissioners established the three judicial townships of Big Timber, Stillwater, and Melville. In 1941 the only organized township in the county was at Big Timber. This township had two Justices of the Peace, but no constables.

One of the duties of the county was to enforce the law within its boundaries. In Sweet Grass County in 1906, vagrancy and other petty crimes caused the commissioners to pass a resolution in order to dissipate the illusion that a short sentence to jail was just a pleasant vacation. The board ordered the sheriff to put all prisoners to work on the county roads and they were to be under guard - shackled with ball and chain if necessary. Any prisoner refusing to work would be put on a bread and water diet by the Sheriff.

The unique stone architecture of the town’s public buildings gives Big Timber an unforgettable look. In 1897, a courthouse site was purchased from Harvey Bliss for $100. Bids for construction of a courthouse were opened, and the new building was approved on November 6, 1897, at a cost of $9,590.

The building sustained extensive fire damage in 1908, necessitating considerable repair work. The building was damaged again by fire in 1918 for which the county received indemnity totaling $2,662.75. Repairs following this fire were made costing $1,700. Repair work and construction of an addition were contracted for in 1929 at a cost of $1,697.