Western Montana
Encyclopedia
Western Montana is the western region of the state of Montana
, United States
. Although there is no firm definition, Western Montana is roughly considered by some the western third of the state.
Western Montana that is dominated by the Rocky Mountains
. Most of Western Montana is covered in forest
, prominent species being Ponderosa pine
, aspen
, and Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir
.
Common fauna
include the black bear
, moose
, elk
, and coyote
. The grizzly bear
lives in Glacier National Park
and the surrounding areas.
Precipitation is lower in the valleys, which are mostly semiarid and receive 8 to 25 inches of precipitation, largely in snow
, and higher in the mountains, some areas of which quality as temperate rainforest, especially in the northwest around Glacier National Park
and Libby
.
Winters are cold, sometimes bitterly cold and summers are warm.
, Flathead
, and Kalispel
people. In the late 19th century white people
arrived and established mines and cities in the mountains and valleys.
Gold was discovered in Last Chance Gulch in the 1860s and soon the city of Helena was born. Today Helena is the State capitol of Montana. Helena still has much of the charm of a 19th century mining town. Many of the old buildings have been renovated and hundreds of 19th century victorian homes and mansions fill Helena's old neighborhoods. Helena is one of the best preserved mining towns on the Western frontier. Copper was discovered In Butte
and the surrounding areas in the 1870s. Vast quantities of copper
were mined, leaving behind the largest Superfund
clean up site in the history of the nation. Copper is still mined at Berkeley Pit
in Butte. Missoula is the largest city in Western Montana and the second-largest in the state after Billings
.
Western Montana though fairing better than much of the nation is still the portion of the state hit hardest by the current economic downturn. Places like Missoula have been hit hard with the devastation of its timber industry. The closing of the Smurfit Stone's Mill in 2009 alone is expected to cause the loss of over 2000 jobs through 2012.
Missoula has lost some of its retail base with the loss of major nation retailers such as Macys. Much of western Montana has felt the effects of a housing bust as well.
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...
. Although there is no firm definition, Western Montana is roughly considered by some the western third of the state.
Geography, Biomes and Climate
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
. Most of Western Montana is covered in forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
, prominent species being Ponderosa pine
Ponderosa Pine
Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the Ponderosa Pine, Bull Pine, Blackjack Pine, or Western Yellow Pine, is a widespread and variable pine native to western North America. It was first described by David Douglas in 1826, from eastern Washington near present-day Spokane...
, aspen
Aspen
Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by...
, and Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir
Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir
The Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. glauca, is an evergreen conifer native to the interior mountainous regions of western North America, from central British Columbia and southwest Alberta in Canada southward through the United States to the far north of Mexico...
.
Common fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
include the black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
, elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
, and coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
. The grizzly bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
lives in Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park may refer to:*Glacier National Park in British Columbia, Canada*Glacier National Park in Montana, USA-See also:*Glacier Bay National Park, in Alaska, USA*Los Glaciares National Park, in Argentina...
and the surrounding areas.
Precipitation is lower in the valleys, which are mostly semiarid and receive 8 to 25 inches of precipitation, largely in snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
, and higher in the mountains, some areas of which quality as temperate rainforest, especially in the northwest around Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park may refer to:*Glacier National Park in British Columbia, Canada*Glacier National Park in Montana, USA-See also:*Glacier Bay National Park, in Alaska, USA*Los Glaciares National Park, in Argentina...
and Libby
Libby, Montana
Libby is a city in and the county seat of Lincoln County, Montana, United States. The population was 2,626 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Libby is located at , along U.S. Route 2....
.
Winters are cold, sometimes bitterly cold and summers are warm.
History
Western Montana was originally inhabited by the Salish, Kootenai, ShoshoneShoshone
The Shoshone or Shoshoni are a Native American tribe in the United States with three large divisions: the Northern, the Western and the Eastern....
, Flathead
Flathead
Flathead may refer to:* Flat-head screwdriver, a screwdriver designed to turn slotted screws* Flat-head screw, a screw with a flat top, designed to be installed in a countersunk hole* Flathead engine, a valve configuration...
, and Kalispel
Kalispel
Kalispel may refer to:* Pend d'Oreilles , a tribe of Native Americans* Kalispel-Pend d'Oreille, the language of the Pend d'Oreilles tribe* Kalispell, Montana, a city in the United States...
people. In the late 19th century white people
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
arrived and established mines and cities in the mountains and valleys.
Gold was discovered in Last Chance Gulch in the 1860s and soon the city of Helena was born. Today Helena is the State capitol of Montana. Helena still has much of the charm of a 19th century mining town. Many of the old buildings have been renovated and hundreds of 19th century victorian homes and mansions fill Helena's old neighborhoods. Helena is one of the best preserved mining towns on the Western frontier. Copper was discovered In Butte
Butte
A butte is a conspicuous isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; it is smaller than mesas, plateaus, and table landform tables. In some regions, such as the north central and northwestern United States, the word is used for any hill...
and the surrounding areas in the 1870s. Vast quantities of copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
were mined, leaving behind the largest Superfund
Superfund
Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances...
clean up site in the history of the nation. Copper is still mined at Berkeley Pit
Berkeley Pit
The Berkeley Pit is a former open pit copper mine located in Butte, Montana, United States. It is one mile long by half a mile wide with an approximate depth of . It is filled to a depth of about with water that is heavily acidic , about the acidity of cola or lemon juice...
in Butte. Missoula is the largest city in Western Montana and the second-largest in the state after Billings
Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
.
Western Montana though fairing better than much of the nation is still the portion of the state hit hardest by the current economic downturn. Places like Missoula have been hit hard with the devastation of its timber industry. The closing of the Smurfit Stone's Mill in 2009 alone is expected to cause the loss of over 2000 jobs through 2012.
Missoula has lost some of its retail base with the loss of major nation retailers such as Macys. Much of western Montana has felt the effects of a housing bust as well.
Cities
- Helena, MontanaHelena, MontanaHelena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
- Missoula, MontanaMissoula, MontanaMissoula is a city located in western Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788 and the population of Missoula County at 109,299. Missoula is the principal city of the Missoula Metropolitan Area...
- 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...
- Kalispell, MontanaKalispell, MontanaKalispell is a city in and the county seat of Flathead County, Montana, United States. The 2010 census put Kalispell's population at 19,927 up 5,704 over 2000. At 40.1% this is the largest percentage of growth of any incorporated city in Montana. Kalispell is the largest city and commercial center...
- Bozeman, MontanaBozeman, MontanaBozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The 2010 census put Bozeman's population at 37,280 making it the fourth largest city in the state. It is the principal city of the Bozeman micropolitan area, which consists...