Raynesford is located in the northwest part of Judith Basin County on Highway 87, 13 miles east of Belt, is the small rural community of Raynesford, Montana. Situated in the foothills between the Highwood and Little Belt Mountains in the Otter Creek Valley, it is an area rich in grasslands, and abundant water for cattle, sheep, horses and all types of wildlife. There is also excellent fishing alon
g Otter Creek. Around the early 1900’s there was talk that the Great Northern Railroad was going to build a railroad through the Judith Basin country. Since water was required for the steam engines about every six miles, the crossing at Big Otter Creek was a natural site for a station. This area was first called Otter by area residents. However when the railroad negotiated a “deal” with Edmund Huggins for forty acres of his homestead claim for a townsite, a stipulation was included that the town would be named in honor of his youngest daughter, Henrietta Raynesford Huggins. Raynesford is still a small ranching community. It is known for producing some of the heaviest calves in the fall due to our good grasses and water. The school that was put up in 1968 has been turned into the Raynesford Community Center. Several of the people who live in or around the Raynesford area commute to Geyser, Belt, or Great Falls to work. Information from the Judith Basin County Growth Policy
