Whitetail, Montana facts for kids

Whitetail is a very small place in northern Daniels County, Montana, United States. It is called an unincorporated village. This means it is not officially part of a city or town government.

Whitetail's Early Days

The area where Whitetail is located was first used in the 1880s. It was a camp for people who were moving cattle. The village started to grow when the Soo Line Railroad arrived in 1914. This railroad was supposed to go all the way to Glacier National Park. However, work on the railroad stopped during World War I. It never went any farther than Whitetail.

Population Changes Over Time

At its busiest time, Whitetail had more than 500 people living there. But the number of residents started to go down. By 1940, only 248 people lived in Whitetail. By 1970, the population had dropped to 125.

Main Business and School Closures

From 1940, the main business in Whitetail was making machines called silo blowers. These machines are used on farms. However, the factory that made these machines eventually closed. After that, Whitetail High School closed in 1940. The grade school also closed later, in 1973.

The Border Crossing

Whitetail had a small checkpoint on Montana's border with Canada. About three travelers used this crossing every day. The checkpoint was planned to get $15 million for improvements. This money was part of President Barack Obama's plan to help the economy.

However, things changed for the border crossing. On April 1, 2011, Canada closed its side of the border to traffic going north through Whitetail. The United States then closed its side for southbound traffic on January 25, 2013.

Whitetail Reservoir

There is a dam along Whitetail Creek. This dam creates a body of water called Whitetail Reservoir.