The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad built a spur line north from Lewistown in 1913. The spur split at Roy Junction (now Hilger), with one line continuing north to Winifred and this spur turning east and terminating at Roy. We have to assume that the depot was built at about that time, in about 1913. At one time along with the depot was a water tank, locomotive coaling tower and livestock pens and loading chutes. The spur was abandoned when the last train out of Roy, which pulled up the tracks, left Roy on July 10, 1972.
Platted in 1913 by the Milwaukee Railroad, by 1914 the town had a population of 400 and growing. Drought came to the area in 1917, lasting, off and on, through the "Dirty Thirties", forcing many homesteaders from their farms. This also forced many banks into insolvency. By 1917 Roy had two banks and at least one of Roy's banks would fail in the 1920s. The town rebounded, only to be again crippled by the drought and economics of the "Dirty Thirties". The early history of the town follows.
Early History of Roy
The Milwaukee Railroad Company decided to build a feeder route out this way to handle the business which would be created by the homesteaders. They planned to build a new town at Roy, which was then only a post office at Bert Sargeant's ranch, located just outside the present city limits of Roy. Land, located about twelve miles north and east of the Judith Mountains and lying at an elevation of 3,100 feet, was selected and arrangements made through a subsidiary of the company, the Milwaukee Land Company, to purchase the land, then belonging to Frank Stephens and Bert Sargeant, on which to plot the townsite. The town survey was completed on December 3, 1912.
One of the first sleeping places was built during the summer of 1913 by Ed Hansen and John Sidell. It was constructed such that there was a bar and cafe downstairs and rooms upstairs... This establishment was known as the Roundup Hotel and was located where the present American Legion Bar stands.
About this time, in 1918, Nels Christensen erected an impressive mercantile store on the corner north of the Roundup and west of the European Hotel It was the largest in eastern Fergus county, at the time and taller than most of the buildings previously erected. It was two stories high, 25 feet wide and 140 feet long... Sleeping rooms and offices of many business men were on the upper story. There were doctors, lawyers dentists and realtors-and horse thieves--in town at that time.
The first separate eating place in Roy was owned by William H. Giersch and was located on the south end of Main Street (south of where the Legion Bar is now located). It was known as the Roy Cafe and was very convenient to travelers because it was on the way into town... Probably the first grocery store in Roy was owned by J. C. Hamm and Peter Raben. Joseph Hamm was a construction contractor and did not spend much time in the store. They allowed credit to get the best of them and eventually had to sell their business. John Nylander and Leonard Tronsdale were building a large grocery and clothing store at the time, so they bought Hamm and Raben's building for a warehouse.
Roy could boast of a bank in 1913, [the Farmers' State Bank] though it was perhaps a modest structure. It was located on the corner of 1st and Main and the first banker's name was Leon M. Bolter, John Heckler, cashier. [Later] the bank was moved into the new brick building on the corner lot.
The post office was moved from the Sargeant ranch and located on the lot north of the Roy Café. Jay Gove was postmaster and ran a news agency as well. He sold magazines, newspapers, candies, postcards, Roy pennants and cigars... Charles Kolar built the first hardware store, about three lots north of the Roy Mercantile. There were no other hardware stores or lumber yards at the time, most of them being built a year later.
The elevator had a capacity of 25,000 bushels. There was a connecting warehouse where coal and other supplies were sold. During that same year the same company constructed a lumber yard on the corner lot west of the new bank building.
1917--Joe Reeble rebuilt the hotel. Two-thirds of a story higher, it was better built and had a large dining room and a telephone office. The rooms were all plastered and sound proof.
Dr. Patten opened an office next to the drugstore. The Farmer's Equity elevator was erected. It was preceded by a machine shed which was built the previous year.
The Security State Bank was constructed near the European by Matt Oster, a merchant from Denton. Ed Cartwright started the first moving picture house. It was the Piano and was located south of the Meat Market.
The first telephone was installed in Roy in 1916. For many years Ed Kalal had the only phone. Later Pearl Smith had a phone in her store in Roy. In 1961 MidRivers Telephone Cooperative brought phone service in to everybody in the area. The towns of Fergus and Roy and the immediate area surrounding received electricity in the fall of 1939. Those living east, down to Valentine received electricity in 1952 as far as Baumans, and the next year it was installed on to Valentine. Those living south of Roy received service about the same time. The area north of Roy, towards the river, did not get electricity until after the highway and bridge were constructed, in 1960. The Roy community began work on a water-sewer system the latter part of the 1970's, with Federal Grant funding. The project was completed about 1981.
The businessmen of Roy organized the Roy Volunteer Firemen in Stephens Livery Barn in 1914. In April of 1915 they purchased a hand-pulled chemical wagon... Sometime later, in the 50's, a new fire station (in use today) was built with funds collected through donations... [A] hand-pulled wagon was used until the first fire truck was purchased in 1959... In 1965 the fire service was updated with the purchase of another truck. It was a 3/4 ton, 4-wheel drive Ford with a 300 gallon tank. By the mid 80's the fire equipment was pretty well outdated and in 1986 the old Dodge was retired and a brand new GMC truck complete with a new pumping system and a 300 gallon tank was purchased. It was put into good use several times that first year because of many grass fires.
The first school was held at the Smith-Laraway Ranch in 1910 and part of 1911. The lumber was hauled from Lewistown and the first schoolhouse was built, located over the hill, south west of Roy, near the road... The Roy High School started September 11, 1919, with an attendance of 30 pupils... The high school ran until June of 1922... the school closed because of shortage of money and students... The high school reopened in September of 1927... !n 1936 a new addition was added to the school to include a new gym and two class rooms... A bond election to construct a new school was passed in the fall of 1944. January 20, 1947 the new high school building opened.
From MT GenWeb