Ross Fork

The town was named for the Ross family and its proximity to the fork of the Judith River and Rock Creek. A Great Northern Railroad spur line brought growth to the area in 1912 and a post office opened in 1913. It was a farming town and a railroad town. In 2000 the MDT considered removing Ross Fork from the map, along with four other Fergus County towns. Ross Fork no longer had a post office or a school.

Yet, the grain elevator still stood sentinel over the rural community, like the Simpson family has done for 50 years. Originally from Moore, 10 miles to the south, Betty and Joe Simpson started farming at Ross Fork in 1960.

“We came down here and proceeded to raise wheat and kids,” Joe Simpson jokes.

But his family made no jokes about being erased from the map. Like the residents of Flatwillow they spoke up and kept their place on the map.