Editing Bonner-West Riverside, Montana

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Bonner-West Riverside, Montana
|settlement_type          = [[Census-designated place]]
|image_skyline            = 
|imagesize                = 160px
|image_caption            = Pine Grand stand baseball stadium in Bonner
|image_map                = Missoula_County_Montana_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Bonner-West_Riverside_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location in Missoula County and the state of Montana
<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Montana]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Montana|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Missoula County, Montana|Missoula]]
<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =
<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2023">{{cite web |title=2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Montana |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2023_Gazetteer/2023_gaz_place_30.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |accessdate=May 28, 2024}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 4.18
|area_land_km2            = 3.97
|area_water_km2           = 0.21
|area_total_sq_mi         = 1.61
|area_land_sq_mi          = 1.53
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.08
<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=&g=1600000US3008462&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P1| title=P1. Race – Bonner-West Riverside CDP, Montana: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| access-date=May 28, 2024}}</ref>
|population_total         = 1690
|population_density_km2   = 425.34
|population_density_sq_mi = 1101.69
<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Mountain Time Zone|Mountain (MST)]]
|utc_offset               = -7
|timezone_DST             = MDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -6
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 3288
|coordinates              = {{coord|46|52|25|N|113|52|28|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]
|postal_code              = 59851
|area_code                = [[Area code 406|406]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 30-08462
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2407883<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2407883}}</ref>
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
}}
[[File:Two Rivers Memorial Park - Bonner Montana.jpg|thumb|Rock marking Two Rivers Memorial Park]]
[[File:John Mullan monument near Missoula Montana.jpg|thumb|upright|[[John Mullan (road builder)|John Mullan]] monument]]

'''Bonner-West Riverside''' ([[Montana Salish|Salish]]: '''Nʔaycčstm''', "Place of the Big Bull Trout"<ref>{{Cite web
| title = Salish Audio Files
| work = Salish-Pend d'Oreille Culture Committee
| access-date = 2014-06-28
| date = 2014
| url = http://www.salishaudio.org/SalishLC/SalishLC.html
}}</ref>) is a [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in [[Missoula County, Montana|Missoula County]], [[Montana]], United States, including the unincorporated communities of Bonner, [[Milltown, Montana|Milltown]] (formerly Riverside), West Riverside, and Pinegrove. It is part of the [[Missoula metropolitan area]]. The population was 1,690 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2020"/>

Bonner was named for Edward L. Bonner, president of the Missoula and Bitter Root Valley Railroad.<ref name="names">{{cite book|last1=Carkeek Cheney|first1=Roberta|title=Names on the Face of Montana|date=1983|publisher=Mountain Press Publishing Company|location=Missoula, Montana|isbn=0-87842-150-5|page=5}}</ref> Bonner was also a partner in Eddy, Hammond & Company, who were contracted by the [[Northern Pacific Railroad]] for lumber to build their railway between the [[Thompson River (Montana)|Thompson]] and [[Blackfoot River (Montana)|Blackfoot]] rivers.<ref name="mhs">{{cite web|title=Montana Place Names Companion|url=http://mtplacenames.org/|publisher=Montana Historical Society|access-date=25 July 2017}}</ref> Eddy, Hammond & Company founded the Montana Improvement Company, which built a sawmill in Bonner in 1886.<ref name="mhs"/>

Milltown is named for the mill. West Riverside is named for its position west of Milltown, formerly called "Riverside" for its position at the confluence of the Blackfoot and [[Clark Fork River|Clark Fork]] rivers. Pinegrove was named either for the Pine family that settled there or for the many large pines in the area. The associated Piltzville was named for Billy Piltz, early mill worker and yard boss.

== History ==
The area east of Missoula was born with the sawmill located there by [[Andrew B. Hammond]]. Hammond, with partners Richard Eddy and Edward Bonner, founders of the Montana Improvement Company (MIC), enticed the nearly complete Northern Pacific Railroad (NP) to pass through Missoula. They were rewarded with lucrative NP lumber contracts. Hammond, on behalf of the MIC, purchased land east of Missoula on Blackfoot River for a sawmill and dam to hold the mill's supply of logs. The Blackfoot Milling Company began operation on 6 June 1886 and by August produced an average of 55,000 board feet of lumber per day. In addition to the NP contracts, the Blackfoot Mill (or Hammond Mill) provided stulls (mining shaft supports) and lumber for construction. It continued to expand and in 1889 it produced 24 million board feet of lumber and was considered the largest mill between Wisconsin and the West Coast.<ref name="BlackfootMilling">{{cite web |title=Big Blackfoot Milling Company |url=https://www.bonnermilltownhistory.org/big-blackfoot-milling-company |website=Bonner Milltown History Center & Museum}}</ref> The sawmill was purchased by the [[Anaconda Copper|Anaconda Company]] in 1898.<ref name="mhs"/>

Bonner was the company town, encompassing the mill plus housing for mill managers and supervisors and a company store.<ref name="BlackfootMilling"/> By 1888, it included a post office, and in 1889 Bonner Hall, which housed the Masonic Lodge and the first school. In 1892, the elegant Margaret Hotel was built to house dignitaries. Later, a school, two churches, a library and community gardens were added. Only mill employees lived there. When the mill changed hands, Bonner with all its buildings was included. Bonner remained a possession of the mill until finally sold to private ownership in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bonner |url=https://www.bonnermilltownhistory.org/bonner |website=Bonner Milltown History Center & Museum |access-date=22 February 2021}}</ref>

Milltown, originally called "Riverside", was organized a half mile downstream. John McCormick leased small lots of his "farmland" to mill workers and loggers who constructed small dwellings with materials "borrowed" from the mill. By 1892, Riverside already had a dozen homes, a livery stable, boarding house, and three saloons. In 1903, the anticipated construction of the new dam brought more workers who leased land. No one owned the land their homes were on until decades later.<ref>{{cite web |title=Milltown |url=https://www.bonnermilltownhistory.org/milltown |website=Bonner Milltown History Center & Museum |access-date=22 February 2021}}</ref>

In 1910, West Riverside was platted across the Blackfoot from Riverside, allowing for private land ownership. Population increased there with the establishment of the Western Lumber Company. Farming and more private homes became available to the east in [[Piltzville, Montana|Piltzville]] and to the west in Pine Grove.<ref>{{cite web |title=Communities |url=https://www.bonnermilltownhistory.org/communities |website=Bonner Milltown History Center & Museum |access-date=22 February 2021}}</ref>

"On January 16, 1919, the 'greatest fire in the history of Western Montana' burned a large portion of the mill to the ground."<ref>{{Cite web
| title = The Mill at Work
| work = Two Rivers History - A Confluence of Stories
| access-date = 2014-01-05
| url = http://tworivershistory.net/the-mill-at-work.html
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131112011848/http://www.tworivershistory.net/the-mill-at-work.html
| archive-date = 2013-11-12
| url-status = dead
}}</ref> The mill was rebuilt and operational again by September 1919. Through the 1970s and 1980s, the Bonner Mill was thought to be the world's largest of its type.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://missoulian.com/news/local/bonner-company-gets-k-grant-to-create-new-jobs/article_1d83b9d4-5d02-544a-baf2-3ced3700f417.html|title=Bonner company gets $416K grant to create 65 new jobs|last=Erickson|first=David|work=missoulian.com|access-date=2017-07-01|language=en}}</ref> The [[Anaconda Copper|Anaconda Company]] sold the mill to US Plywood-Champion Papers in 1972. It was sold to [[Stimson Lumber Company]] in 1993 and was closed in 2008, after "122 years of continuous lumber production".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://missoulanews.bigskypress.com/missoula/timbers-back-in-bonner-montana/Content?oid=1542936|title=Timber's back in Bonner, Montana|last=Frank|first=Matthew|date=March 22, 2012|website=Missoula Independent|access-date=2017-07-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
| title = After the Company
| work = Two Rivers History - A Confluence of Stories
| access-date = 2014-01-05
| url = http://tworivershistory.net/after-the-company.html
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131111210558/http://www.tworivershistory.net/after-the-company.html
| archive-date = 2013-11-11
| url-status = dead
}}</ref> In 2011, a heavy snowfall collapsed much of the mill's roof.<ref>{{Cite news
| last = Briggeman
| first = Kim
| title = Heavy snow collapses nearly a third of Bonner mill's roof
| work = The Missoulian
| access-date = 2014-01-05
| date = 2011-01-18
| url = http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/heavy-snow-collapses-nearly-a-third-of-bonner-mill-s/article_b55af766-238c-11e0-9821-001cc4c002e0.html
}}</ref> The last [[Polychlorinated biphenyl|PCBs]] were removed from the site in 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://missoulian.com/news/local/last-of-pcbs-at-bonner-mill-site-being-removed/article_6a398486-b0b5-543f-8098-11c317f245e3.html|title=Last of PCBs at Bonner mill site being removed|last=Briggeman|first=Kim|work=missoulian.com|access-date=2017-07-01|language=en}}</ref>

[[Milltown Reservoir Superfund Site|Bonner Dam]] was built in 1884 (rebuilt in 1886) on the Blackfoot River to hold logs and provide a little energy to the mill.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Bonner Dam |url=https://www.bonnermilltownhistory.org/the-bonner-dam |website=Bonner Milltown History Center & Museum}}</ref> [[Milltown Reservoir Superfund Site|Milltown Dam]] (aka Clark's Dam), finished in January 1908, was built just passed the confluence of the Blackfoot and Clark Fork rivers by Montana's U.S Senator [[William A. Clark]] to supply hydroelectricity to local mills and the city of Missoula.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Milltown Dam |url=https://www.bonnermilltownhistory.org/the-milltown-dam |website=Bonner Milltown History Center & Museum}}</ref> The largest flood ever seen on those rivers occurred six months later, depositing millions of cubic yards of silt laden with heavy metals and arsenic in the Milltown Reservoir from upriver mining sites.<ref>{{cite web |title=Superfund - Rivers & Restoration |url=https://www.bonnermilltownhistory.org/superfund-rivers-restoration |website=Bonner Milltown History Center & Museum}}</ref> As part of a Superfund cleanup site, Bonner Dam was removed in 2005 and Milltown Dam was removed in 2008. The Superfund restoration plan includes a redevelopment effort aimed at economic development and community revitalization.

==Geography==
Bonner-West Riverside is located in central Missoula County and is bordered to the west by the city of [[Missoula, Montana|Missoula]] and to the southeast by unincorporated [[Piltzville, Montana|Piltzville]]. The [[Clark Fork River]] is the southwest border of the CDP, separating it from Missoula. The [[Blackfoot River (Montana)|Blackfoot River]] flows through the CDP, separating Bonner and Milltown to the east from West Riverside and Pinegrove to the west, and joining the Clark Fork south of West Riverside.

[[Interstate 90]] passes through the southern part of the community, with access from Exit 109. [[Montana Highway 200]] and [[Montana Secondary Highway 210]] (former [[U.S. Route 10]]) pass through the CDP, leading west {{convert|5|mi|0}} to the center of Missoula. The two highways split in Milltown, with Highway 200 leading northeast {{convert|159|mi}} to [[Great Falls, Montana|Great Falls]] and Highway 210 leading southeast through Piltztown to join Interstate 90 at [[Clinton, Montana|Clinton]]. [[Butte, Montana]], is {{convert|112|mi}} southeast of Bonner-West Riverside via I-90.

According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the CDP has a total area of {{convert|1.62|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|1.53|sqmi|km2}} are land and {{convert|0.08|sqmi|km2}}, or 5.02%, are water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2023"/>

===Climate===
This [[climate|climatic]] region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters.  According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Bonner-West Riverside has a [[humid continental climate]], abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=586642&cityname=Bonner%2C+Montana%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Bonner-West Riverside, Montana]</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1980= 1742
|1990= 1669
|2000= 1693
|2010= 1663
|2020= 1690
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2010, there were 1,663 people, 690 households, and 460 families residing in the CDP. The population density was {{convert|1,091.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 723 housing units at an average density of {{convert|466.2|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.39% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.24% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 2.36% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.06% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.59% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 2.36% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.71% of the population.

There were 690 households, out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 25.9% under the age of 18, 12.8% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 104.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.7 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $32,557, and the median income for a family was $37,206. Males had a median income of $28,417 versus $25,403 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the CDP was $15,652. About 8.3% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 10.6% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
It is in the [[Bonner Elementary School District]] and the [[Missoula High School District]].<ref name=MissoulaCoSDMap2020>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st30_mt/schooldistrict_maps/c30063_missoula/DC20SD_C30063.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Missoula County, MT|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=2024-03-13}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* A Grass Roots Tribute: The Story of Bonner, Montana. Missoula, MT : Big Sky Composition, 2008.

== External links ==
*{{Cite web
| title = Two Rivers History - A Confluence of Stories - Bonner Milltown Montana
| access-date = 2014-01-05
| url = http://tworivershistory.net/
}}

{{Missoula County, Montana}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Census-designated places in Missoula County, Montana]]