Located not far from the Canadian border, Redstone was initially settled even before homesteading was allowed. The first “squatter” may have been Elmer “Hominy” Thompson, a cowboy, rancher, and camp cook. Several other squatters arrived after him and commenced to form a “town.” One such resident was “Dutch” Henry, a rambling bronc rider and gang leader to several renegades. When at one of his area camps, Dutch oftentimes went by the nearby Harry Gray ranch, when just the women and children were home, to ask for a bucket of milk. When the bucket was returned, a dollar or half-dollar lay at the bottom of it as payment for their kindness. The early economy was based around sheep rearing, ranching, and farming. Supplies for the residents had to be shipped in from Plentywood or Culbertson. It wasn’t until 1903 that Redstone got its first general store. Olaf Bergh built a stone building in which to house the store. He also opened a coal mine to supply coal to the town’s folk. Olaf’s wife suggested the name of the settlement because of the red shale in the area. In 1905 a post office was established with Elmer Bergh serving as postmaster.
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