Plentywood, Montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Plentywood
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Grain Elevator in Plentywood
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Location of Plentywood, Montana
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| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
| County | Sheridan |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.36 sq mi (3.51 km2) |
| • Land | 1.36 sq mi (3.51 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,047 ft (624 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,669 |
| • Density | 1,229.92/sq mi (474.91/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
59254
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| Area code(s) | 406 |
| FIPS code | 30-58375 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2411443 |
Plentywood is a city in Montana, USA. It is the main town, or county seat, of Sheridan County. In 2020, about 1,669 people lived there.
Contents
Plentywood's Past: A Look at Its History
In 1881, the famous Native American leader Sitting Bull and his group gave up to US forces near where Plentywood is today.
Outlaws like Butch Cassidy used a secret trail through Plentywood. They moved stolen cattle into Canada. The many hidden valleys, called gulches, helped them stay hidden. Later, a law called the Enlarged Homestead Act of 1909 encouraged more people to settle in Montana, including the Plentywood area. As more settlers arrived, some of the outlaws left.
The first business in Plentywood opened in 1900. A post office was set up two years later. Plentywood officially became a city in 1912. This happened after the Great Northern Railway built a train line through the area. This line eventually connected Bainville to Opheim.
Local stories explain how Plentywood got its name. The city was named after a nearby creek. One day, a group of cowboys were trying to start a fire. Their cook was struggling with damp buffalo chips. A cowboy named Dutch Henry then said, "If you'll go two miles up this creek, you'll find plenty wood."
In the 1920s, Plentywood became known across the country. This was because some people with communist ideas were elected to local government jobs. One historian said that these "Reds" held every elected office in Sheridan County. This was a very unusual time in American history. By 1932, this political movement had mostly ended.
Plentywood's Location and Natural Features
Plentywood covers about 1.17 square miles (3.03 square kilometers) of land. There is no water within the city limits.
The area around Plentywood has small, rolling hills. A lot of the land is used for farming. Boxelder Lake is located north of the town. Brush Lake State Park is about 31 miles (50 km) south.
Plentywood's Climate
Plentywood has a semi-arid climate. This means it is usually dry, but not a desert. It gets enough rain to support some plant life.
| Climate data for Plentywood, Montana, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1906–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 59 (15) |
68 (20) |
77 (25) |
89 (32) |
97 (36) |
105 (41) |
109 (43) |
108 (42) |
105 (41) |
96 (36) |
75 (24) |
55 (13) |
109 (43) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 44.9 (7.2) |
47.4 (8.6) |
65.7 (18.7) |
77.8 (25.4) |
87.1 (30.6) |
91.8 (33.2) |
96.6 (35.9) |
97.3 (36.3) |
92.2 (33.4) |
78.1 (25.6) |
61.3 (16.3) |
45.2 (7.3) |
99.2 (37.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 20.6 (−6.3) |
25.8 (−3.4) |
38.9 (3.8) |
54.3 (12.4) |
66.5 (19.2) |
74.8 (23.8) |
82.0 (27.8) |
82.3 (27.9) |
71.5 (21.9) |
54.7 (12.6) |
36.9 (2.7) |
23.7 (−4.6) |
52.7 (11.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 9.4 (−12.6) |
14.3 (−9.8) |
26.8 (−2.9) |
40.4 (4.7) |
52.0 (11.1) |
61.3 (16.3) |
67.2 (19.6) |
66.4 (19.1) |
55.7 (13.2) |
41.0 (5.0) |
25.6 (−3.6) |
13.2 (−10.4) |
39.4 (4.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | −1.8 (−18.8) |
2.7 (−16.3) |
14.7 (−9.6) |
26.5 (−3.1) |
37.5 (3.1) |
47.8 (8.8) |
52.4 (11.3) |
50.6 (10.3) |
39.9 (4.4) |
27.3 (−2.6) |
14.4 (−9.8) |
2.7 (−16.3) |
26.2 (−3.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −28.0 (−33.3) |
−21.5 (−29.7) |
−9.2 (−22.9) |
11.2 (−11.6) |
23.1 (−4.9) |
36.3 (2.4) |
42.7 (5.9) |
38.1 (3.4) |
23.9 (−4.5) |
10.6 (−11.9) |
−7.0 (−21.7) |
−21.9 (−29.9) |
−32.2 (−35.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −44 (−42) |
−48 (−44) |
−33 (−36) |
−14 (−26) |
9 (−13) |
28 (−2) |
34 (1) |
30 (−1) |
16 (−9) |
−11 (−24) |
−28 (−33) |
−36 (−38) |
−48 (−44) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.39 (9.9) |
0.35 (8.9) |
0.60 (15) |
1.02 (26) |
2.04 (52) |
3.07 (78) |
2.54 (65) |
1.46 (37) |
1.26 (32) |
0.88 (22) |
0.61 (15) |
0.47 (12) |
14.69 (372.8) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 4.4 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 5.3 | 8.0 | 11.0 | 8.6 | 6.0 | 5.8 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 70.3 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
Plentywood's Population and People
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 888 | — | |
| 1930 | 1,226 | 38.1% | |
| 1940 | 1,574 | 28.4% | |
| 1950 | 1,862 | 18.3% | |
| 1960 | 2,121 | 13.9% | |
| 1970 | 2,381 | 12.3% | |
| 1980 | 2,476 | 4.0% | |
| 1990 | 2,136 | −13.7% | |
| 2000 | 2,061 | −3.5% | |
| 2010 | 1,734 | −15.9% | |
| 2020 | 1,669 | −3.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Plentywood's Population in 2010
In 2010, Plentywood had 1,734 people living in 820 households. About 462 of these were families. The city had about 1,482 people per square mile.
Most people in Plentywood were White (95%). A smaller number were Native American (1.7%), Asian (0.7%), or African American (0.2%). About 2.1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 22.2% of households had children under 18. Many households (45.2%) were married couples. About 40.6% of all households were single people. Also, 18.6% of households had someone aged 65 or older living alone. The average household had 2.02 people.
The average age of people in Plentywood was 49.7 years. About 19.1% of residents were under 18. About 24.5% were 65 years or older. There were slightly more females (52.2%) than males (47.8%).
Plentywood's Economy and Jobs
Plentywood has been an important place for buying and selling pulse crops since 2005. Pulse crops include plants like peas, beans, and lentils.
C&B Operations is a business in Plentywood that sells farm equipment. They offer a two-year training program to help people become skilled technicians.
The main employers in Plentywood are Sheridan Memorial Hospital and the local school district.
Learning in Plentywood: Schools and Library
Plentywood Schools teach students from kindergarten all the way through 12th grade. There are three schools:
- An elementary school for kindergarten to 6th grade.
- A middle school for grades 7 and 8.
- A high school for grades 9 to 12.
In the 2021-2022 school year, the district had 359 students in total.
Plentywood High School: The Wildcats' Sports History
The sports teams at Plentywood High School are called the Wildcats.
The boys' basketball team has had many successes. In 1969, they played in their first state championship game but lost. In 1976, they won the Montana Class A title. They were one of the smallest Class A teams at that time. In 1978, they won the Class B title. In 1979 and 2007, they finished as runners-up in the state tournament.
The Wildcats' American football team has also done well. In 1971, they reached the state championship game but lost in overtime. In 1981, they won the State B title. Their coach, Ron Smith, is the only coach in Sheridan County to win a State Football title. In 1997, the team reached the state championship again but lost a close game.
The girls' golf team won the State B-C title in 1999 and 2000.
For five years, from 1997 to 2001, the Plentywood girls' 4x400 relay team won the state championship.
In 1977, Plentywood won the Class B State Championship in boys' cross country. The cross country program was later stopped.
The Plentywood boys' track team has won four state titles: in 1970, 1971, 1972, and 1973.
Sheridan County Library
The Sheridan County Library is a public library. It serves the people living in the Plentywood area.
Media in Plentywood
Plentywood is home to Radio International. This includes radio stations KATQ 1070 AM, KATQ-FM 100.1 FM, and KATQ-FM 107.1 FM. These stations broadcast to northeast Montana, western North Dakota, and southern Saskatchewan in Canada.
The Sheridan County News is a local newspaper. It is printed and covers news from the area.
Plentywood's Roads and Transportation
Montana Highway 5 and Montana Highway 16 both pass through Plentywood. They run together from the southeast to the northwest of town. Highway 5 goes east to west, and Highway 16 goes north to south.
The border with Canada is about 16 miles (26 km) north of Plentywood. Travelers use the Raymond–Regway Border Crossing to enter Canada.
Sher-Wood Airport is a public airport. It is located about one mile (2 km) northeast of Plentywood. The closest airport with commercial flights is in Williston, North Dakota. This airport is about 81 miles (130 km) southeast.
Sherwood Memorial Hospital provides medical care for the community.
Famous People from Plentywood
- Robin Selvig: He was a very successful women's basketball coach at the University of Montana for 38 seasons. He grew up in nearby Outlook. His first teaching job was at Plentywood High School.
See also
In Spanish: Plentywood (Montana) para niños
