Melville, Montana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Melville
Unincorporated community
Melville Lutheran Church
Melville Location in Montana
Country	United States
State	Montana
County	Sweet Grass
Elevation	5,020 ft (1,530 m)
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP codes	59055
GNIS feature ID	774098

Melville is a small community in Montana, United States. It's called an unincorporated community because it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. You can find Melville in the northern part of Sweet Grass County.

It's located just west of U.S. Route 191, a main road. Melville is also north of Big Timber, which is the main town and government center for Sweet Grass County. Melville is quite high up, about 5,020 feet (1,530 meters) above sea level. Even though it's a small community, Melville has its own post office with the ZIP code 59055. This post office first opened a long time ago, on January 4, 1883.

History of Melville

Melville was started in 1877, about 20 miles north of Big Timber. It was named after Rear Admiral George Melville, who was a famous explorer of the Arctic. The post office began operating in 1883.

The first Lutheran church group in Montana was formed in Melville in 1885. For many years, church services were held in the local schoolhouse until a proper church building was finished in 1914.

Melville was mainly a community for ranching, and many of the first settlers were from Norway. The town became a popular spot for people to gather, especially on Saturday nights. They would have dances, horse races, and even gambling. Because of all this activity, Melville quickly became known as a very lively and exciting place.

At its busiest time, Melville had many different businesses. There was a flourmill, where grain was ground into flour, and a cheese factory. The town also had a hotel, at least four saloons, two general stores, and a drug store. When the railroad reached Big Timber, it made it easier for Melville to get special items like dried fruits and green coffee.

Melville is located along the Sweet Grass Creek, which is a local waterway. The town was important for providing supplies to the sheep camps located in the nearby Crazy Mountains. It is also the home base for the Cremer Stock Ranch, which is well-known for raising animals used in western rodeos.

Melville's Climate

The weather in Melville is described by the Köppen Climate System as a humid continental climate. This type of climate, often called Dfb, means it has warm summers and cold, snowy winters.