Daniels County Communities Past and Present

BREDETTE

Bredette was situated about 20 miles southeast of Scobey and 30 odd miles northwest of Poplar. From the northeast, Morgan Creek flows to the forks of the Poplar River on the west. It was part of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Sheridan County. A prairie trail, which supplied Old Scobey from about 1900, came through the community from Poplar.

From May 1 to July 1, 1914, only those people with numbers could file on 160-acre homesteads. After that date, any qualified person was eligible to file. Land was appraised at $2.50 to $7.00 an acre. This had to be paid in five annual installments in addition to the usual homestead requirements.

Veterans of the Civil and Spanish-American wars could file a preemption or soldier’s choice, which would keep others off the land for a period of time.

Many did this, but few completed their entries.

Many of the first settlers were Danish people. In the spring of 1916, members of the Church of the Brethren, called Dunkards, came from Indiana to homestead. For ...