Melstone, Montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Melstone, Montana
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Location in Musselshell County and the state of Montana
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| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
| County | Musselshell |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.61 sq mi (1.59 km2) |
| • Land | 0.61 sq mi (1.59 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,914 ft (888 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 126 |
| • Density | 204.88/sq mi (79.13/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
59054
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| Area code(s) | 406 |
| FIPS code | 30-49000 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412981 |
Melstone is a small town in eastern Musselshell County, Montana, United States. It is located along U.S. Route 12. In 2020, 126 people lived there.
The town started in 1908. It was a base for workers building the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. Even though the railroad stopped running in 1980, Melstone is still a community hub. It serves farmers and ranchers in the lower Musselshell River valley.
Melstone got its name from Melvin Stone. He was a journalist for the Chicago Tribune. The president of the railroad met him on a train. He liked the name and decided to name the new town after him.
The Melstone Oil Field is west of town. It started producing oil in the 1950s. Oil production became active again in the 1990s.
Contents
Melstone's Location and Area
Melstone is on the north side of the Musselshell River valley. This is in eastern Musselshell County. It is about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of the Rosebud County line.
U.S. Route 12 goes through the town. This road leads west-southwest 35 miles (56 km) to Roundup. Roundup is the main town in Musselshell County. The road also goes southeast 67 miles (108 km) to Forsyth.
The U.S. Census Bureau says Melstone covers about 0.62 square miles (1.59 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Melstone's Climate
Melstone has a semi-arid climate. This means it is usually dry but not a desert. It gets some rain, but not a lot.
| Climate data for Melstone, Montana, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1909–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 70 (21) |
77 (25) |
81 (27) |
92 (33) |
97 (36) |
108 (42) |
111 (44) |
110 (43) |
106 (41) |
99 (37) |
80 (27) |
71 (22) |
111 (44) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 57.9 (14.4) |
60.9 (16.1) |
71.2 (21.8) |
80.3 (26.8) |
87.4 (30.8) |
95.4 (35.2) |
100.9 (38.3) |
99.8 (37.7) |
95.1 (35.1) |
84.4 (29.1) |
69.1 (20.6) |
58.0 (14.4) |
102.4 (39.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 34.8 (1.6) |
38.0 (3.3) |
48.7 (9.3) |
58.6 (14.8) |
67.8 (19.9) |
77.6 (25.3) |
87.6 (30.9) |
86.8 (30.4) |
75.5 (24.2) |
59.9 (15.5) |
45.8 (7.7) |
35.7 (2.1) |
59.7 (15.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 24.6 (−4.1) |
27.4 (−2.6) |
36.6 (2.6) |
45.9 (7.7) |
55.1 (12.8) |
64.4 (18.0) |
72.6 (22.6) |
71.1 (21.7) |
60.8 (16.0) |
47.3 (8.5) |
35.1 (1.7) |
26.0 (−3.3) |
47.2 (8.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 14.4 (−9.8) |
16.7 (−8.5) |
24.6 (−4.1) |
33.3 (0.7) |
42.4 (5.8) |
51.2 (10.7) |
57.5 (14.2) |
55.5 (13.1) |
46.0 (7.8) |
34.8 (1.6) |
24.5 (−4.2) |
16.2 (−8.8) |
34.8 (1.5) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −14.0 (−25.6) |
−8.8 (−22.7) |
1.0 (−17.2) |
18.2 (−7.7) |
27.9 (−2.3) |
39.5 (4.2) |
47.4 (8.6) |
43.0 (6.1) |
31.1 (−0.5) |
15.6 (−9.1) |
0.7 (−17.4) |
−9.8 (−23.2) |
−23.7 (−30.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −43 (−42) |
−51 (−46) |
−35 (−37) |
−10 (−23) |
8 (−13) |
23 (−5) |
35 (2) |
32 (0) |
18 (−8) |
−9 (−23) |
−30 (−34) |
−43 (−42) |
−51 (−46) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.51 (13) |
0.44 (11) |
0.77 (20) |
1.8 (46) |
2.92 (74) |
2.77 (70) |
1.54 (39) |
1.10 (28) |
1.18 (30) |
1.32 (34) |
0.59 (15) |
0.53 (13) |
15.47 (393) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 8.7 (22) |
6.5 (17) |
6.9 (18) |
3.6 (9.1) |
1.0 (2.5) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
2.5 (6.4) |
5.6 (14) |
8.0 (20) |
42.9 (109.25) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 5.1 | 4.5 | 6.2 | 8.6 | 9.9 | 10.9 | 7.3 | 5.4 | 5.6 | 5.9 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 78.2 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 3.5 | 20.6 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
People Living in Melstone
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 477 | — | |
| 1930 | 215 | −54.9% | |
| 1940 | 203 | −5.6% | |
| 1950 | 195 | −3.9% | |
| 1960 | 266 | 36.4% | |
| 1970 | 227 | −14.7% | |
| 1980 | 238 | 4.8% | |
| 1990 | 166 | −30.3% | |
| 2000 | 136 | −18.1% | |
| 2010 | 96 | −29.4% | |
| 2020 | 126 | 31.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Melstone's Population in 2010
In 2010, there were 96 people living in Melstone. These people lived in 52 households. About 24 of these households were families.
Most people in Melstone were White (96.9%). A small number were African American (2.1%). Some people were of two or more races (1.0%). About 1.0% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 19.2% of households had children under 18. Many households (51.9%) were made up of single people. About 28.8% of households had someone aged 65 or older living alone. The average household had 1.85 people. The average family had 2.79 people.
The average age in Melstone was 50 years old. About 20.8% of residents were under 18. About 25% were 65 years or older. There were slightly more females (53.1%) than males (46.9%).
Learning and Schools in Melstone
Melstone Public Schools teaches students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The high school sports teams are called the Melstone Broncs.
In 2006, the Melstone High School boys' basketball team made history. They won the State Boys Basketball Championship. They were the smallest school ever to win this title. The Melstone Broncs beat the Gardiner Bruins in an exciting overtime game.
Local News in Melstone
The local newspaper for Melstone is the Roundup Record-Tribune. It is published every week. This newspaper shares news for Musselshell County and nearby areas.
Famous People from Melstone
- Evelyn Genevieve Sharp was an early American aviator. She was a pilot.
