Phillip Thorpe, A. F. Nichols and D. H. Ketchum were appointed by Governor Edgerton as County Commissioners of Gallatin County. The county was organized by these men at the Nichols’ ranch near Gallatin City on March 11, 1865. W. M. Wright was appointed clerk. The commissioners were sworn in by Thomas Dunbar, probate judge, and the bond of the clerk was approved. The commissioners appointed C. D. Loutzenheiser as Sheriff to serve until the election. J. B. Campbell, County Treasurer, and George D. Thomas, County Assessor, were appointed by the governor, and the bonds of all were approved.
The first officers elected on September 4, 1865, were:
Thomas Cover, clerk
John S. Mendenhall, sheriff
P. W. McAdow, treasurer
John M. Bozeman, probate judge
George D. Thomas, assessor
Stephen Allen, superintendent of schools
F. M. Meredith, surveyor
J. H. Shober, district attorney
Phillip Thorpe, A. F. Nichols and D. H. Ketchum, county commissioners.
On November 11, Thomas Cover resigned as clerk, and W. M. Wright was appointed in his place.
Other Early Officers
The second group of Gallatin County officers included:
W. M. Wright, clerk
O. D. Loutzenheiser, sheriff
J. B. Campbell, treasurer
Thomas Dunbar, probate judge
George D. Thomas continuing as assessor, and the other officers holding for another year.
The next group included:
Stephen Sales, clerk
J. C. Guy, sheriff, holding office three years
A. Lamme, treasurer
Caleb Fritz, probate judge
B. M. Davis, assessor
F. L. Stone, superintendent of schools, holding the office nine years
George W. Link, surveyor
J. H. Shober, continuing as district attorney
J. H. D. Street. L. J. Beck and J. L. Noble, county commissioners.
Early Representatives
Members of the house of representatives from Gallatin County were:
James Gallaher, 1865-1866
James Gallaher and J. R. Weston, 1867
Lester S. Willson and A. L. Shaffer, 1868
A. Lamme and V. A. Cockrill, 1869
C. M. Tate, 1870
A. B. Moore, 1874
R. P. Vivion, D. P. Hobbins, and Otho Curtis, 1876
W. L. Perkins, 1878
A. L. Corbly and Michael Hanley, 1880
Caldwell Edwards and H. J. Wright, 1882.
Early members of the territorial council from Gallatin County were:
F. G. Risk, 1865-66
Sample Orr, 1867
T. R. Edwards, 1868
J. P. Barnes, 1869
J. L. Noble, 1870
Phillip Thorpe, 1871
Owen Garrigan, 1872
Joseph J. Davis, 1873
J. J. Lewis, 1874
S. W. Langhorne and W. O. P. Hays, 1875
P. W. McAdow, 1876
W. O. P. Hays, 1878-1880
George D. Thomas, 1882.