Hesper is an unincorporated community in Western Yellowstone County

Yellowstone County, Montana

-National protected areas:* Nez Perce National Historical Park * Pompeys Pillar National Monument-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 129,352 people, 52,084 households, and 34,219 families residing in the county. The population density was 49 people per square mile . There were...

, 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...

. It is located Northeast of Laurel and west of Billings. The elevation is 3,327 feet (1014 m..) Hesper appears on the Mossmain U.S. Geological Survey Map.

History

Hesper was established in 1917 as a town adjoining the Hesper ranch & also the name of the school district. The name Hesper or Hesperus

Hesperus

In Greek mythology, Hesperus is the Evening Star, the planet Venus in the evening. He is the son of the dawn goddess Eos and is the brother of Eosphorus , the Morning Star. Hesperus' Roman equivalent is Vesper...

, is the evening star, & according to old mythology, the king of the western land. The community is named after the Hesper Farm, founded by Ignatius Daniel O'Donnell.

Most of the original township itself is no longer in use, with many of the original structures leveled or abandoned. The community is home to the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch and is considered a Billings subdivision.