Located in the boundary of Township 30, Range 2, West of the 5th Meridian (30-2-W5), Mountain View County includes the following urban municipalities: the Town of Carstairs, the Town of Didsbury, the Town of Olds, the Town of Sundre, and the Village of Cremona. Mountain View County also includes the following hamlets/urban areas: Eagle Hill, Water Valley, and Westward Ho.

In 1883, the Northwest Territorial Council passed the Municipal Ordinance, allowing for the establishment of local government areas. In response to this ordinance, many townships -- typically comprised of 36 sections of land --, organized to form herd districts (1883), fire districts (1886), and statute labor districts (1887). In 1897, all three ordinances amalgamated with the passing of the Local Improvement Ordinance. Local improvement districts maintained public works such as road building, management of fires, noxious fumes, and animals. A 1903 amendment of the Local Improvement Ordinance allowed local improvement districts to include between 3 and 6 townships.

In 1912 with the passing of the Rural Municipality Act, the Province of Alberta created the Department of Municipal Affairs. The Act allowed 9 townships to apply for incorporation as a rural municipality as long as the land contained 1 person/square mile. Under this provision some local improvement districts organized as municipalities while others chose to continue as local improvement districts. In 1918, the Government of Alberta required the organization of all local improvement districts into municipalities with the Municipal Districts Act.

In 1912, the Rural Municipality of Mountain View No. 310 formed. In 1912, Local Improvement District No. 280 formed. In 1913, the Rural Municipality of Rosebud No. 280 formed. In 1944, the Municipal Districts of Rosebud No. 280, Beaver Dam No. 281, Mountain View No. 310 and Westerdale No. 311 merged to form the Municipal District of Dog Pound No. 280. In 1944, the Municipal District of Dog Pound No, 280 became the Municipal District of Mountain View No. 280. In 1945, the Municipal District of Mountain View No. 280 renumbered as the Municipal District of Mountain View No. 49. In 1961, the Municipal District of Mountain View No. 49 became the County of Mountain View No. 17. In 1998, the County of Mountain View No. 17 became Mountain View County.

The series consists of minutes, tax rolls and assessments, disbursements, and cashbooks of the following former local authorities of Mountain View County: Local Improvement District 15-B-5, Local Improvement District 17-C-5, Local Improvement District No. 280, Local Improvement District No. 281, Local Improvement District No. 311, Rural Municipality of Mountain View No. 310, the Municipal District of Rosebud No. 280, the Municipal District of Mountain View No. 310, the Municipal District of Mountain View No. 49, the Municipal District of Westerdale No. 311, the Municipal District of Waterloo No. 312, the Municipal District of Beaver Dam No. 281, and County of Mountain View No. 17 dating from 1904 – 1972.

The fonds also contains a map illustrating the land boundaries of Mountain View County No. 17.