Carter County, Montana
Carter County, MT
PO Box 315
214 Park Street
Ekalaka, MT 59324
Phone: (406) 775-8749
Fax: (406) 775-8750
Ekalaka is located in the Southeastern corner of Montana and is 3,313 square miles. Farming and ranching are the principle industries, with beef production number one on the list.
Ekalaka is 36 miles south of the US Highway #12 and MT Highway #7 junction at Baker. Ekalaka is also located 72 miles north of Alzada on Route #323. To take Route #323, turn north at the intersection of US Highway #212 and Wyoming Highway #112. MT Route #323 is a direct route to the Black Hills of South Dakota and Devils Tower in Wyoming.
Carter County Geography
Ekalaka was named in honor of Ijkalaka, daughter of Eagle Man of the Ogalala Sioux. She was the wife of David H. Russell, the first white settler in the picturesque Russell Creek Valley. She got her name from her restless nature. She grew up on a ranch in Powder River Territory, Wyoming.
Ijkalaka and David had four children before moving to a valley in the southeast Montana Territory in 1881. The family were the first settlers in that region. When the post office was built in 1885, the burgeoning nearby town was named for Ijkalaka, spelled phonetically so visitors could write the name.
