DescriptionNamed Giffen in 1881, after Nat McGiffen, the town’s name changed to Sand Coulee when the McGiffens left the area. Eugene Willis, an African American, in 1883 established the first coal-mining company, Sand Coulee Coal Company. Recognizing the potential, James J. Hill purchased the company and renamed it Cottonwood Coal Company. Hill’s Montana Central Railway reached Sand Coulee in 1888, helping spur a boom. Sand Coulee produced 600,000 tons of coal annually between 1891 and 1896, and its bituminous coal powered the smelters at Great Falls, Butte, and East Helena, as well as the steam engines of the Great Northern Railway. As it grew, the town developed 3 distinct sections: Shacktown, where many of the miners lived; Middletown or Finn Town, named for the large Finnish population; and Downtown, where the majority of the businesses located. Sand Coulee reached its height in 1891–97 and slowly withered when the railroad switched to diesel engines in the 1930s and natural gas became more prevalent for home heating. Personal NamesMcGiffen, NatWillis, EugeneHill, James J.Other Name(s)GiffenContributing InstitutionMontana Historical Society Library and ArchivesGeolocation[1] Elevation3474 ft.CountyCascade County
