Broadus, Montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Broadus, Montana
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Powder River County Courthouse
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| Nickname(s):
B-Town
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Location of Broadus, Montana
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| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
| County | Powder River |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.35 sq mi (0.91 km2) |
| • Land | 0.35 sq mi (0.91 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,032 ft (924 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 456 |
| • Density | 1,295.45/sq mi (500.25/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
59317
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| Area code(s) | 406 |
| FIPS code | 30-09700 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2411728 |
Broadus is a small town in Montana, United States. It is the main town and the county seat of Powder River County. In 2020, 456 people lived there.
Contents
Broadus History: Past Events and Growth
Early Battles Near Broadus
Some important battles happened near where Broadus is today. These were part of the Powder River Expedition in 1865. The U.S. Army fought against Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors.
Later, in 1876, another battle took place southwest of Broadus. Also, the 7th Cavalry, led by Major Marcus Reno, marched near the town before heading to the famous Battle of Little Bighorn.
How Broadus Town Began and Grew
The Broadus post office first opened in 1900. The town was named after the Broaddus family, who were early settlers in the area. When the town was planned, its streets were made extra wide. This was so horse-drawn carriages could easily turn around. These wide streets are still a feature of Broadus today.
In 1918, the local newspaper, the Broadus Independent, started being published. It is still printed today, but it is now called the Powder River Examiner.
In 1920, Broadus was chosen as the county seat for the new Powder River County. To help convince voters, a woman named Margaret Trautman gave 80 acres of her ranch land to the town. This helped Broadus become the county seat.
The town's economy grew a lot in the late 1960s. This happened when the Belle Creek Oil Field opened. Oil and gas production are still very important to the local economy.
Broadus Geography and Climate
Broadus Land Area
Broadus covers about 0.35 square miles (0.91 square kilometers) of land. There is no water area within the town limits.
Broadus Climate and Weather
Broadus has a semi-arid climate. This means it is quite dry, especially in winter. The weather can change a lot between day and night. Also, there are big differences between the warm summers and cold winters.
| Climate data for Broadus, Montana, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1920–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 70 (21) |
75 (24) |
84 (29) |
93 (34) |
101 (38) |
110 (43) |
110 (43) |
106 (41) |
104 (40) |
95 (35) |
80 (27) |
74 (23) |
110 (43) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 55.0 (12.8) |
57.8 (14.3) |
72.1 (22.3) |
80.7 (27.1) |
87.5 (30.8) |
95.0 (35.0) |
101.3 (38.5) |
99.7 (37.6) |
95.2 (35.1) |
83.4 (28.6) |
69.0 (20.6) |
54.9 (12.7) |
102.0 (38.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 36.8 (2.7) |
40.3 (4.6) |
51.5 (10.8) |
60.7 (15.9) |
70.5 (21.4) |
81.2 (27.3) |
90.8 (32.7) |
89.6 (32.0) |
79.0 (26.1) |
63.2 (17.3) |
48.2 (9.0) |
37.7 (3.2) |
62.5 (16.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 24.1 (−4.4) |
27.4 (−2.6) |
37.6 (3.1) |
46.7 (8.2) |
56.4 (13.6) |
66.7 (19.3) |
74.8 (23.8) |
72.8 (22.7) |
62.4 (16.9) |
48.7 (9.3) |
35.1 (1.7) |
25.6 (−3.6) |
48.2 (9.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 11.4 (−11.4) |
14.4 (−9.8) |
23.7 (−4.6) |
32.6 (0.3) |
42.3 (5.7) |
52.1 (11.2) |
58.8 (14.9) |
56.1 (13.4) |
45.8 (7.7) |
34.2 (1.2) |
22.1 (−5.5) |
13.5 (−10.3) |
33.9 (1.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −15.1 (−26.2) |
−9.1 (−22.8) |
0.4 (−17.6) |
15.2 (−9.3) |
26.2 (−3.2) |
38.7 (3.7) |
48.5 (9.2) |
42.8 (6.0) |
30.9 (−0.6) |
15.6 (−9.1) |
−0.4 (−18.0) |
−10.1 (−23.4) |
−22.2 (−30.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −38 (−39) |
−40 (−40) |
−36 (−38) |
−5 (−21) |
12 (−11) |
28 (−2) |
35 (2) |
28 (−2) |
16 (−9) |
−12 (−24) |
−28 (−33) |
−47 (−44) |
−47 (−44) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.43 (11) |
0.52 (13) |
0.78 (20) |
1.77 (45) |
2.75 (70) |
2.37 (60) |
1.72 (44) |
1.28 (33) |
1.23 (31) |
1.12 (28) |
0.47 (12) |
0.48 (12) |
14.92 (379) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 9.7 (25) |
7.2 (18) |
2.7 (6.9) |
3.6 (9.1) |
0.8 (2.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.5 (3.8) |
4.4 (11) |
4.1 (10) |
34 (85.8) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 7.4 | 9.7 | 8.9 | 6.8 | 6.0 | 5.3 | 5.9 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 71.8 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 3.9 | 3.3 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 14.5 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
Broadus Population and People
Population Changes Over Time
The number of people living in Broadus has changed over the years. Here's a quick look at the population from 1950 to 2020:
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1950 | 517 | — | |
| 1960 | 628 | 21.5% | |
| 1970 | 799 | 27.2% | |
| 1980 | 712 | −10.9% | |
| 1990 | 572 | −19.7% | |
| 2000 | 451 | −21.2% | |
| 2010 | 468 | 3.8% | |
| 2020 | 456 | −2.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Broadus in 2010: Who Lives There?
In 2010, there were 468 people living in Broadus. There were 218 households, which are groups of people living together in one home.
Most people in Broadus were White (95.1%). A small number were Native American or Asian. About 3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 23% of households had children under 18. Many households (42.7%) were married couples. Almost half of all households (44.5%) had just one person living there. Many older people (65 or older) lived alone.
The average age in Broadus in 2010 was 51.3 years old. About 20% of the people were under 18. More than half of the population was female (53.8%).
Broadus Infrastructure and Services
Broadus Airport
The town has its own airport, called Broadus Airport. It is located about three miles (5 km) northwest of the town. It is owned by the county and is open for public use.
Education in Broadus
Broadus Public Schools
Broadus has its own public school system, District No. 79J. This system includes an elementary school, a junior high school, and Powder River County High School. The high school sports teams are known as the Hawks.
In 2014, there were 135 students in the junior and senior high schools combined. The elementary school had about 150 students in 2005-2006, from pre-kindergarten to sixth grade.
Henry A. Malley Memorial Library
The Henry A. Malley Memorial Library is the public library for the Broadus area. It provides books and resources for everyone in the community.
Broadus Local Media
The Powder River Examiner
The local newspaper for Broadus is called the Powder River Examiner. It is published every week, keeping everyone up to date on local news.
Broadus Attractions and Fun Things to Do
Powder River Historical Museum
The Powder River Historical Museum is a great place to learn about the past. It has many old items, including a special building called "Mac's Museum." This museum has a huge collection of seashells, minerals, and arrowheads collected by Mac McCurdy.
The museum also features:
- A real one-room schoolhouse from the past.
- An old pioneer cabin.
- A jail cell.
- A car barn with old vehicles.
- A windmill.
- Old saddles, bits, and spurs.
- Displays showing what early businesses were like.
- Items found from the Battle of Powder River.
Powder River/Reynolds Battlefield
You can visit the Powder River/Reynolds Battlefield, which is about 34 miles (55 km) southwest of Broadus. It is on private land but can be reached by a road called Montana Secondary Highway 391. There is a rock monument with headstones for four soldiers who died there. There is also a small memorial from the Northern Cheyenne people.
Annual Events in Broadus
Broadus has several fun events each year:
- A big celebration on July 4th.
- The County Fair in August.
- Street dances.
- A special Christmas stroll early in December.
Notable People from Broadus
- Jess Lockwood: A famous bull rider who won the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) World Championship in 2017 and 2019. He went to Powder River County District High School.
- Lee Randall: A Republican politician who was a member of the Montana House of Representatives from 2009 to 2017.
See also
In Spanish: Broadus (Montana) para niños
