Hamilton, Montana
Encyclopedia
Hamilton is a city in and the county seat
of Ravalli County
, Montana
, United States
. The population was 3,705 at the 2000 census
. Significant outlying population growth is shown in the area; the ZIP Code Tabulation Area
for Hamilton's ZIP Code
, 59840, had a population of 12,327
at the 2000 census.
Hamilton was founded by copper king
Marcus Daly
in the late 19th century. It was named for J.W. Hamilton, who provided the right-of-way to the railroad. Daly is said to have wanted to begin business in the then county seat of Grantsdale, but was denied the opportunity. He supposedly founded Hamilton out of his own pocket as a reaction to being rebuffed at Grantsdale.
In the summer of 2000, Hamilton made international headlines when forest fires throughout the Bitterroot Valley
filled the area with smoke and prompted the evacuation of many residents. President Clinton
declared a state of emergency in the area and dispatched National Guardsmen to assist with fighting the fires.
Hamilton is, as of 2004, home to two microbiological research and production facilities: the government-run Rocky Mountain Laboratories, and a branch of the Corixa Corporation
(bought in the late 1990s from Ribi ImmunoChem Research, Inc.). The Corixa Corporation was bought by GlaxoSmithKline
in 2005. In the mid 2000s, the government constructed a Biosafety Level 4 biohazard
laboratory as part of the Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML) facility, one of the earliest civilian-run Bio-Safety Level 4 (BSL-4) labs in the United States. This facility has begun operations using highly-pathogenic organisms.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 3,705 people, 1,772 households, and 855 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,603.6 people per square mile (619.3/km²). There were 1,915 housing units at an average density of 828.8 per square mile (320.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.22% White, 0.11% African American, 0.89% Native American, 0.78% Asian, 0.22% from other races
, and 1.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.65% of the population.
There were 1,772 households out of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.3% were married couples
living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.7% were non-families. 47.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 24.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.95 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.2% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 28.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 82.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $22,013, and the median income for a family was $30,665. Males had a median income of $25,795 versus $22,138 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,689. About 14.3% of families and 17.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.4% of those under age 18 and 15.3% of those age 65 or over.
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Ravalli County
Ravalli County, Montana
-National protected areas:*Bitterroot National Forest *Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge*Lolo National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000 , there were 36,070 people, 14,289 households, and 10,188 families residing in the county. The population density was 15 people per square mile...
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 3,705 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. Significant outlying population growth is shown in the area; the ZIP Code Tabulation Area
ZIP Code Tabulation Area
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are statistical entities developed by the United States Census Bureau for tabulating summary statistics from Census 2000. This new entity was developed to overcome the difficulties in precisely defining the land area covered by each ZIP code...
for Hamilton's ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
, 59840, had a population of 12,327
at the 2000 census.
History
Copper Kings
The Copper Kings, industrialists William Andrews Clark, Marcus Daly, and F. Augustus Heinze, were collectively known for the epic battles they fought in Butte, Montana and the surrounding region during the Gilded Age over the control of the local copper mining industry, a fight which had...
Marcus Daly
Marcus Daly
Marcus Daly redirects here, see also Marcus Daly Marcus Daly was an Irish-born American businessman known as one of the three "Copper Kings" of Butte, Montana, United States.- Early life:...
in the late 19th century. It was named for J.W. Hamilton, who provided the right-of-way to the railroad. Daly is said to have wanted to begin business in the then county seat of Grantsdale, but was denied the opportunity. He supposedly founded Hamilton out of his own pocket as a reaction to being rebuffed at Grantsdale.
In the summer of 2000, Hamilton made international headlines when forest fires throughout the Bitterroot Valley
Bitterroot Valley
The Bitterroot Valley is located in southwestern Montana in the northwestern United States. It extends over 100 miles from remote Horse Creek Pass north to a point near the city of Missoula...
filled the area with smoke and prompted the evacuation of many residents. President Clinton
William Clinton
Bill Clinton is the 42nd President of the United States. William Clinton may also refer to:*William de Clinton, 1st Earl of Huntingdon , English nobleman from prominent Norman family dating to William the Conqueror; Lord High Admiral as of 1333*William Henry Clinton , British general from...
declared a state of emergency in the area and dispatched National Guardsmen to assist with fighting the fires.
Hamilton is, as of 2004, home to two microbiological research and production facilities: the government-run Rocky Mountain Laboratories, and a branch of the Corixa Corporation
Corixa
Corixa was a biotechnology/pharmaceutical company based in Seattle, Washington involved in the development of immunotherapeutics to combat autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and cancer. It was founded in 1994...
(bought in the late 1990s from Ribi ImmunoChem Research, Inc.). The Corixa Corporation was bought by GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
in 2005. In the mid 2000s, the government constructed a Biosafety Level 4 biohazard
Biological hazard
Biological hazards, refer to biological substances that pose a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily that of humans. This can include medical waste or samples of a microorganism, virus or toxin that can impact human health. It can also include substances harmful to animals...
laboratory as part of the Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML) facility, one of the earliest civilian-run Bio-Safety Level 4 (BSL-4) labs in the United States. This facility has begun operations using highly-pathogenic organisms.
Geography
Hamilton is located at 46°14′54"N 114°9′35"W (46.248412, -114.159852).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,705 people, 1,772 households, and 855 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,603.6 people per square mile (619.3/km²). There were 1,915 housing units at an average density of 828.8 per square mile (320.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.22% White, 0.11% African American, 0.89% Native American, 0.78% Asian, 0.22% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.65% of the population.
There were 1,772 households out of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.7% were non-families. 47.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 24.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.95 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.2% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 28.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 82.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $22,013, and the median income for a family was $30,665. Males had a median income of $25,795 versus $22,138 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $14,689. About 14.3% of families and 17.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.4% of those under age 18 and 15.3% of those age 65 or over.
Notable residents
- Willy BurgdorferWilly BurgdorferWilly Burgdorfer, an American scientist born and educated in Basel, Switzerland, is an international leader in the field of medical entomology. He is famous for his discovery of the bacterial pathogen that causes Lyme disease, a spirochete named Borrelia burgdorferi in his honor.-Background:Dr....
, the scientist who discovered the cause of Lyme diseaseLyme diseaseLyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the main cause of Lyme disease in the United States, whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii cause most...
. - Marcus DalyMarcus DalyMarcus Daly redirects here, see also Marcus Daly Marcus Daly was an Irish-born American businessman known as one of the three "Copper Kings" of Butte, Montana, United States.- Early life:...
, one of the "Copper KingsCopper KingsThe Copper Kings, industrialists William Andrews Clark, Marcus Daly, and F. Augustus Heinze, were collectively known for the epic battles they fought in Butte, Montana and the surrounding region during the Gilded Age over the control of the local copper mining industry, a fight which had...
" of Butte, MontanaButte, MontanaButte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
, owned the Bitterroot Stock Farm near Hamilton. - Jimmy GabrielJimmy GabrielJames Gabriel is a Scottish former football midfielder who earned two caps with the Scotland national football team. Chiefly associated with English club Everton, Gabriel played extensively in Scotland and England before ending his career with the Seattle Sounders of the North American Soccer...
, former soccer midfielderMidfielderA midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
and coach. - Henry L. MyersHenry L. MyersHenry Lee Myers was a United States Senator from Montana. Born near Boonville, Missouri, he attended private schools, Cooper Institute, and Boonville Academy. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1884, commencing practice in Boonville...
, United States Senator from Montana. - Jerry J. O'ConnellJerry J. O'ConnellJerry Joseph O'Connell was a U.S. Representative from Montana.-Background:Born in Butte, Montana, O'Connell attended the parochial schools and Butte Central High School. He graduated from Carroll College , Helena, Montana, in 1931, and from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., in 1934...
, United States Representative from Montana, was the editor and publisher of the local newspaper. - Val SkinnerVal SkinnerVal Skinner is an American professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour.-Amateur career:Skinner was born in Hamilton, Montana. She was the 1974 Nebraska Junior Girls champion and the 1976 Nebraska High School State champion and won both these titles in 1978. She was also the 1980 Nebraska Match...
, golfer. Winner of six LPGA Tour events - Fred ThomasFred Thomas (Montana politician)Fred Thomas is a former Majority Leader of the Montana Senate.-Biography:Thomas was born on June 27, 1958 in Hamilton, Montana. His grandfather, Fred A. Thomas, was a member of the Montana House of Representatives...
, Majority Leader of the Montana Senate.
External links
- Explore the Bitterroot
- Ravalli Republic newspaper
- Hamilton, Montana community website
- Thebitterrootvalley.com A connection to other towns in the Bitterroot Valley