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Red Lodge
Main Street in Red Lodge
Main Street in Red Lodge
Location of Red Lodge, Montana
Location of Red Lodge, Montana
Country United States
State Montana
County Carbon
Area
 • Total 2.71 sq mi (7.03 km2)
 • Land 2.71 sq mi (7.03 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
5,568 ft (1,697 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 2,257
 • Density 832.84/sq mi (321.05/km2)
Time zone UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code
59068
Area code(s) 406
FIPS code 30-61525
GNIS feature ID 0789456
Website cityofredlodge.net

Red Lodge is a town in and the county seat of Carbon County, Montana, United States. It is part of the Billings Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,257 at the United States Census, 2020.

Geography

Red Lodge is located at 45°11′15″N 109°14′55″W / 45.18750°N 109.24861°W / 45.18750; -109.24861 (45.187515, -109.248475).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.80 square miles (7.25 km2), all of it land.

History

On September 17, 1851, the United States government signed a treaty with the Crow Nation, ceding the area which now contains Red Lodge to the Crow Indians. Rich coal deposits were found there in 1866, and gold was discovered nearby in 1870. An 1880 treaty between the U.S. government and the Crow allowed the area to be settled starting April 11, 1882.

The Red Lodge post office was established on Dec 9, 1884 with Postmaster Ezra L. Benton. A rail line was constructed into town, and coal shipments began in June 1889. The boundaries of the Crow Reservation were redrawn October 15, 1892, opening the whole area to settlement. From then until the 1930s, coal mining defined the town.

In the late 19th century, many new settlers came to Red Lodge. The majority came from Italy, Scotland, Wales, England, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, and Austria-Hungary. By the mid-1880s, migrants were still outnumbered by large numbers of Native Americans. By 1892 the population reached 1,180.

In 1896, Red Lodge had twenty saloons and, as the library records show, riotous and violent living was characteristic of the town. By 1906 the population had grown to 4,000 and by 1911 this had increased to 5,000.

Red Lodge suffered in the Great Depression, which forced many mines to close. To offset this downturn, the manufacture of illegal bootleg liquor, labeled syrup, became an economic mainstay and was sold as far away as Chicago and San Francisco.

In 1931 work began on the Beartooth Highway linking Red Lodge to Yellowstone National Park; it was officially opened in 1936.

The downtown has been redeveloped since the mid-1980s for historic and cultural tourism, as the Red Lodge Commercial Historic District. The buildings in downtown Red Lodge had fallen into disrepair, in large part because population had dropped from its 1915 peak of 6000 people to about 2,000.

As of 2006, an estimate suggests that the population of Red Lodge may increase from about 1,200 people in the winter to over 1,800 people during the summer tourist season, arriving via the Beartooth Highway.

Outdoor recreation

Red Lodge Palisades
Red Lodge Mountain Palisades

Red Lodge is well known for many outdoor recreation opportunities: skiing, mountain biking, and backpacking are nearby. In April it is host to a popular triathlon called the Peaks to Prairie.

Climate

Red Lodge experiences a continental climate (Köppen Dfb) with cold, somewhat dry winters and warm, wetter summers. Summers are cooler than in areas of Montana further north, due to the high elevation. Winters however, are milder than areas further to the east due to the chinook wind influence, as with most of Montana.

Climate data for Red Lodge, Montana
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 70
(21)
70
(21)
72
(22)
80
(27)
88
(31)
96
(36)
101
(38)
96
(36)
92
(33)
86
(30)
80
(27)
71
(22)
101
(38)
Average high °F (°C) 34.1
(1.2)
37.4
(3.0)
43.9
(6.6)
52.7
(11.5)
61.9
(16.6)
71.7
(22.1)
79.2
(26.2)
79.1
(26.2)
68.6
(20.3)
56.7
(13.7)
41.7
(5.4)
35.5
(1.9)
55.2
(12.9)
Daily mean °F (°C) 23.0
(−5.0)
26.5
(−3.1)
32.5
(0.3)
40.7
(4.8)
49.5
(9.7)
57.9
(14.4)
64.3
(17.9)
63.8
(17.7)
54.3
(12.4)
44.2
(6.8)
31.0
(−0.6)
24.5
(−4.2)
42.7
(5.9)
Average low °F (°C) 11.8
(−11.2)
15.5
(−9.2)
21.0
(−6.1)
28.6
(−1.9)
37.0
(2.8)
44.1
(6.7)
49.3
(9.6)
48.5
(9.2)
40.0
(4.4)
31.7
(−0.2)
20.2
(−6.6)
13.4
(−10.3)
30.1
(−1.1)
Record low °F (°C) −38
(−39)
−42
(−41)
−30
(−34)
−10
(−23)
7
(−14)
25
(−4)
30
(−1)
22
(−6)
8
(−13)
−13
(−25)
−25
(−32)
−42
(−41)
−42
(−41)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.31
(33)
1.06
(27)
2.27
(58)
2.88
(73)
3.96
(101)
2.56
(65)
1.69
(43)
1.37
(35)
2.12
(54)
2.04
(52)
1.38
(35)
1.13
(29)
23.77
(605)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 15.0
(38)
13.9
(35)
22.1
(56)
21.0
(53)
8.0
(20)
0.5
(1.3)
0
(0)
0
(0)
3.7
(9.4)
11.7
(30)
13.6
(35)
13.8
(35)
124.8
(317)
Source 1: NOAA (normals, 1971–2000)
Source 2: The Weather Channel (Records)

Smith Mine disaster

In 1943 tragedy hit Smith Mine #3 near Bearcreek, the area's largest remaining mine. An explosion trapped and killed 74 men with only three of the workers in the mine that day escaping making it the worst coal mine disaster in Montana's history. The mine was shut down shortly thereafter but was reopened in the late 1970s. The Red Lodge cemetery contains a memorial.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1890 624
1900 2,152 244.9%
1910 4,860 125.8%
1920 4,515 −7.1%
1930 3,026 −33.0%
1940 2,950 −2.5%
1950 2,730 −7.5%
1960 2,278 −16.6%
1970 1,844 −19.1%
1980 1,896 2.8%
1990 1,958 3.3%
2000 2,177 11.2%
2010 2,125 −2.4%
2020 2,257 6.2%
source:
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 2,125 people, 1,082 households, and 513 families residing in the city. The population density was 758.9 inhabitants per square mile (293.0/km2). There were 1,675 housing units at an average density of 598.2 per square mile (231.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.3% White, 0.4% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9% of the population.

There were 1,082 households, of which 19.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.6% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 52.6% were non-families. 43.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.92 and the average family size was 2.62.

The median age in the city was 47.3 years. 16.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.8% were from 25 to 44; 34.4% were from 45 to 64; and 19.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.

Education

Red Lodge is served by three public schools: Mountain View Elementary School, Roosevelt Middle School, and Red Lodge High School. They are known as the Rams.

Red Lodge Carnegie Library serves the area.

The Yellowstone Bighorn Research Association's Geology Field Station is located south of Red Lodge.

Infrastructure

Red Lodge Airport is a public use airport located one mile (1.85 km) northwest of town.

Notable people

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Red Lodge (Montana) para niños

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