Meagher County, Montana
Encyclopedia
National protected areaProtected areaProtected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
s
- Gallatin National ForestGallatin National ForestFounded in 1899, Gallatin National Forest is located in south central Montana, United States. The forest comprises 2.1 million acres and has portions of both the Absaroka-Beartooth and Lee Metcalf Wilderness areas within its boundaries...
(part) - Helena National ForestHelena National ForestHelena National Forest is located in west-central Montana, in the United States. Covering 976,000 acres , the forest is broken into several separate sections. The eastern regions are dominated by the Big Belt Mountains, and are the location of the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness, which remains...
(part) - Lewis and Clark National ForestLewis and Clark National ForestLewis and Clark National Forest is located in west central Montana, United States. Spanning , the forest is managed as two separate zones. The eastern sections, under the Jefferson Division, is a mixture of grass and shrublands dotted with "island" pockets of forested areas. Here, cattle leases to...
(part)
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 1,932 people, 803 households, and 529 families residing in the county. 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/km² (1/sq mi). There were 1,363 housing units at an average density of <1/km² (1/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 97.20% White
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...
, 1.04% Native American
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...
, 0.16% Asian
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...
, 0.05% Pacific Islander
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...
, 0.57% 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 0.98% from two or more races. 1.50% of the population were Hispanic
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...
or Latino
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...
of any race. 28.8% were of German, 14.5% Norwegian, 13.3% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, 12.4% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
and 7.8% American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 803 households out of which 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.80% 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, 6.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.10% were non-families. 31.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.00% under the age of 18, 6.10% from 18 to 24, 22.70% from 25 to 44, 28.10% from 45 to 64, and 18.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 100.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,375, and the median income for a family was $33,879. Males had a median income of $22,083 versus $15,417 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 county was $15,019. About 16.40% of families and 18.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.40% of those under age 18 and 13.00% of those age 65 or over.
History
Meagher County was named for Thomas Francis MeagherThomas Francis Meagher
-Young Ireland:Meagher returned to Ireland in 1843, with undecided plans for a career in the Austrian army, a tradition among a number of Irish families. In 1844 he traveled to Dublin with the intention of studying for the bar. He became involved in the Repeal Association, which worked for repeal...
, territorial governor of Montana.
The first county seat was Diamond City, the main city of the Confederate Gulch mining district. This entire area is no longer part of Meagher County, but today lies in neighboring Broadwater County
Broadwater County, Montana
-Economy:Agriculture is one of the primary industries in Broadwater County. RY Timber and Wheat Montana Bakery were the largest private employers according to the 2000 Census.-Demographics:...
.
Unincorporated communities
- MartinsdaleMartinsdale, MontanaMartinsdale is an unincorporated community in southeastern Meagher County, Montana, United States. The town was a station stop on the now-abandoned transcontinental main line of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , and is a community center for nearby ranches and farms...
- MindenMinden, MontanaMinden is a ghost town in Meagher County, Montana, United States. It possessed a post office from 1896 to 1903....
- RinglingRingling, MontanaRingling is a small unincorporated community in southern Meagher County, Montana, United States, along the route of U.S. Route 89. The town was a station stop on the transcontinental main line of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St...
- SixteenSixteen, MontanaSixteen is a former unincorporated community in southwestern Meagher County, Montana, United States. The town was a station stop on the transcontinental main line of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , and was a community center for a small number of area ranchers and ...
See also
- List of cemeteries in Meagher County, Montana
- List of lakes in Meagher County, Montana
- Confederate Gulch and Diamond CityConfederate Gulch and Diamond CityConfederate Gulch is a steeply incised valley on the west facing slopes of the Big Belt Mountains. Its small stream drains westward into Canyon Ferry Lake, on the upper Missouri River Valley near present day Townsend, Montana...
(historically in Meagher County, but now in Broadwater County) - List of mountains in Meagher County, Montana
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Meagher County, Montana