Editing Broadus, Montana

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Broadus, Montana
|settlement_type          = [[Town]]
|nickname                 = B-Town{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Broadus MT Powder River County Courthouse.jpg
|imagesize                = 250px
|image_caption            = Powder River County Courthouse
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = Powder_River_County_Montana_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Broadus_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Broadus, Montana
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             =

<!-- 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        = [[Powder River County, Montana|Powder River]]
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = Mayor
|leader_name              = Chad Gatlin<ref>{{cite web |title=Mayor |url=https://townofbroadus.com/mayor |website=Town of Broadus |access-date=31 January 2025}}</ref>
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=September 5, 2022}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 0.91
|area_land_km2            = 0.91
|area_water_km2           = 0.00
|area_total_sq_mi         = 0.35
|area_land_sq_mi          = 0.35
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|pop_est_footnotes        = 
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 456
|population_density_km2   = 500.25
|population_density_sq_mi = 1295.45

<!-- 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             = 3032
|coordinates              = {{coord|45|26|35|N|105|24|30|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 59317
|area_code                = [[Area code 406|406]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 30-09700
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2411728<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2411728}}</ref>
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
}}

'''Broadus''' is a town in and the [[county seat]] of [[Powder River County, Montana|Powder River County]], [[Montana]], United States.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}</ref> The population was 456 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].

==History==

===American Indian Wars===
The [[Powder River Battles (1865)|Powder River Battles]], part of the [[Powder River Expedition (1865)|Powder River Expedition of 1865]], were fought near the present-day town from September 1–15, 1865, by the U.S. Army against Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors. On March 17, 1876, the [[Battle of Powder River]] occurred about {{convert|34|mi|km}} southwest of present-day Broadus, and on June 13, 1876, six companies of the [[7th Cavalry Regiment (United States)|7th Cavalry]] led by Major [[Marcus Reno]] marched along the Powder River to within {{convert|10|mi|km}} north of the town's present location before turning west toward the [[Battle of Little Bighorn|Little Bighorn]].

===Town===
The Broadus post office was established in 1900, and named after the Broaddus family, early settlers in the area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=27678|title=Profile for Broadus, Montana|publisher=[[ePodunk]]|access-date=May 28, 2010}}</ref><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> When the town's streets were being planned, they were made wide enough for a horse-drawn carriage to turn around.<ref name="bg" /> The original streets are still this wide today. In 1918 publication of the ''[[Powder River Examiner|Broadus Independent]]'' began, and is still published today, although it is now called the ''Powder River Examiner''.

In 1920, Broadus was chosen as the county seat of the newly established Powder River County. As an incentive for voters choosing Broadus, Margaret Trautman promised a donation of 80 acres from her ranch to the town.<ref name="bg">{{cite web|last1=Pickett|first1=Mary|title=At a crossroads: After century, Broadus may see changes in future|url=http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/at-a-crossroads-after-century-broadus-may-see-changes-in/article_f53dea30-d974-11df-99e4-001cc4c03286.html|publisher=Billings Gazette|access-date=July 29, 2017|date=October 17, 2010}}</ref>

When Belle Creek Oil Field opened in the late 1960s, the economy of Broadus boomed.<ref name="mhs">{{cite web|title=Montana Place Names Companion|url=http://mtplacenames.org/|publisher=Montana Historical Society|access-date=July 29, 2017}}</ref> Oil and gas production continue to be important to the local economy.

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|0.35|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, all land.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_30.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 26, 2020}}</ref>

===Climate===
According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Broadus has a [[semi-arid climate]], abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Broadus, Montana Climate Classification |url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=721142&cityname=Broadus%252C+Montana%252C+United+States+of+America&units= |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=Weatherbase}}</ref>

Broadus has a cold [[semi-arid climate]] due to its very dry winters. There are significant [[diurnal temperature variation]]s throughout the year, and strong [[continental climate|continental]] seasonal swings between the warm to hot summers and the cold winters.

{{Weather box
|location = Broadus, Montana, 1991&ndash;2020 normals, extremes 1920&ndash;present
|single line = Yes
|collapsed = yes
|Jan record high F = 70
|Feb record high F = 75
|Mar record high F = 84
|Apr record high F = 93
|May record high F = 101
|Jun record high F = 110
|Jul record high F = 110
|Aug record high F = 106
|Sep record high F = 104
|Oct record high F = 95
|Nov record high F = 80
|Dec record high F = 74

|Jan avg record high F = 55.0
|Feb avg record high F = 57.8
|Mar avg record high F = 72.1
|Apr avg record high F = 80.7
|May avg record high F = 87.5
|Jun avg record high F = 95.0
|Jul avg record high F = 101.3
|Aug avg record high F = 99.7
|Sep avg record high F = 95.2
|Oct avg record high F = 83.4
|Nov avg record high F = 69.0
|Dec avg record high F = 54.9
|year avg record high F = 102.0

|Jan high F = 36.8
|Feb high F = 40.3
|Mar high F = 51.5
|Apr high F = 60.7
|May high F = 70.5
|Jun high F = 81.2
|Jul high F = 90.8
|Aug high F = 89.6
|Sep high F = 79.0
|Oct high F = 63.2
|Nov high F = 48.2
|Dec high F = 37.7
|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 24.1
|Feb mean F = 27.4
|Mar mean F = 37.6
|Apr mean F = 46.7
|May mean F = 56.4
|Jun mean F = 66.7
|Jul mean F = 74.8
|Aug mean F = 72.8
|Sep mean F = 62.4
|Oct mean F = 48.7
|Nov mean F = 35.1
|Dec mean F = 25.6
|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 11.4
|Feb low F = 14.4
|Mar low F = 23.7
|Apr low F = 32.6
|May low F = 42.3
|Jun low F = 52.1
|Jul low F = 58.8
|Aug low F = 56.1
|Sep low F = 45.8
|Oct low F = 34.2
|Nov low F = 22.1
|Dec low F = 13.5
|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = -15.1
|Feb avg record low F = -9.1
|Mar avg record low F = 0.4
|Apr avg record low F = 15.2
|May avg record low F = 26.2
|Jun avg record low F = 38.7
|Jul avg record low F = 48.5
|Aug avg record low F = 42.8
|Sep avg record low F = 30.9
|Oct avg record low F = 15.6
|Nov avg record low F = -0.4
|Dec avg record low F = -10.1
|year avg record low F = -22.2

|Jan record low F = -38
|Feb record low F = -40
|Mar record low F = -36
|Apr record low F = -5
|May record low F = 12
|Jun record low F = 28
|Jul record low F = 35
|Aug record low F = 28
|Sep record low F = 16
|Oct record low F = -12
|Nov record low F = -28
|Dec record low F = -47

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.43
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.52
|Mar precipitation inch = 0.78
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.77
|May precipitation inch = 2.75
|Jun precipitation inch = 2.37
|Jul precipitation inch = 1.72
|Aug precipitation inch = 1.28
|Sep precipitation inch = 1.23
|Oct precipitation inch = 1.12
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.47
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.48
|year precipitation inch =

|Jan snow inch = 9.7
|Feb snow inch = 7.2
|Mar snow inch = 2.7
|Apr snow inch = 3.6
|May snow inch = 0.8
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 1.5
|Nov snow inch = 4.4
|Dec snow inch = 4.1
|year snow inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 4.7
|Feb precipitation days = 4.7
|Mar precipitation days = 4.7
|Apr precipitation days = 7.4
|May precipitation days = 9.7
|Jun precipitation days = 8.9
|Jul precipitation days = 6.8
|Aug precipitation days = 6.0
|Sep precipitation days = 5.3
|Oct precipitation days = 5.9
|Nov precipitation days = 4.1
|Dec precipitation days = 3.6

|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 3.9
|Feb snow days = 3.3
|Mar snow days = 1.2
|Apr snow days = 1.1
|May snow days = 0.2
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.4
|Nov snow days = 2.0
|Dec snow days = 2.4

|source 1 = NOAA<ref name=NOAA>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00241127&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access
|access-date = August 5, 2022
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = National Weather Service<ref name = NOWData>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=byz
|publisher = National Weather Service
|title = NOAA Online Weather Data
|access-date = August 5, 2022
}}
</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1950= 517
|1960= 628
|1970= 799
|1980= 712
|1990= 572
|2000= 451
|2010= 468
|2020= 456
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref><ref name="MT">{{cite web|url=http://ceic.mt.gov/Population/PopulationProjections.aspx|title=Census & Economic Information Center|access-date=July 3, 2015|archive-date=July 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704224618/http://ceic.mt.gov/Population/PopulationProjections.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=December 18, 2012}}</ref> of 2010, there were 468 people, 21 households, and 11 families living in the town. The [[population density]] was {{convert|1376.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 254 housing units at an average density of {{convert|747.1|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the town was 95.1% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.6% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.4% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 1.7% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 2.1% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 3.0% of the population.

There were 218 households, of which 22.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.7% were non-families. 44.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.99 and the average family size was 2.80.

The median age in the town was 51.3 years. 20.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16.1% were from 25 to 44; 27% were from 45 to 64; and 32.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 46.2% male and 53.8% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 451 people, 199 households, and 125 families living in the town. The population density was {{convert|1,379.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 267 housing units at an average density of {{convert|816.5|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 98.45% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.11% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.22% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], and 0.22% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.11% of the population.

There were 199 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.

The [[median income]] for a household in the town was $25,156, and the median income for a family was $30,417. Males had a median income of $22,813 versus $15,417 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $15,938. About 13.6% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 19.3% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those age 65 or over.

==Infrastructure==
[[Broadus Airport]] is a county-owned, public-use airport located three miles (5&nbsp;km) northwest of town.<ref>{{FAA-airport|ID=00F|use=PU|own=PU|site=12280.12*A}}</ref>

==Education==
Broadus and [[Powder River County, Montana]] is served by the [[Powder River County High School]], which is part of the Broadus Public School System, District No. 79J. They are known as the Hawks.<ref>{{cite web |title=Member Schools |url=https://www.mhsa.org/memberschools |publisher=Montana High School Association |access-date=April 19, 2021}}</ref> In addition to the high school, Broadus Public Schools also operates an elementary and junior high school. As of November 1, 2014, the junior and senior high schools had a combined enrollment of 135 students. The elementary school had an enrollment of about 150 for the 2005–06 school year, in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade.

The Henry A. Malley Memorial Library is a public library serving the area.<ref>{{cite web |title=Henry A. Malley Memorial Library |url=http://prco.mt.gov/Library |publisher=Montana.gov |access-date=April 13, 2021}}</ref>

==Media==
The ''[[Powder River Examiner]]'' is the local newspaper.<ref>{{cite web |title=Home page |url=https://www.powderriverexaminer.com/ |publisher=Powder River Examiner |access-date=January 3, 2024}}</ref> It is published weekly.

==Attractions==
The Powder River Historical Museum includes many historical items, including a building housing "Mac's Museum", a large collection of seashells, minerals, and arrowheads, put together by Mac McCurdy. The Museum also has an original one-room schoolhouse, a pioneer cabin, jail cell, car barn, windmill, saddles, bits, spurs, displays representing early businesses, and a collection of artifacts from the Battle of Powder River.

The Powder River/Reynolds Battlefield is located on private land near the Powder River about {{convert|34|mi|km}} southwest of present-day Broadus. The battlefield is accessible by [[Montana Secondary Highway 391]], (Moorhead Road) on the west side of the Powder River. There is a rock monument with the headstones of four soldiers killed there as well as a small Northern Cheyenne memorial marking the site.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Vaughn|first1=J.W.|title=The Reynolds Campaign on Powder River|date=1961|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press}}</ref>

Annual events include a July 4 Celebration, County Fair in August, street dances, and a Christmas stroll early in December.

==Notable people==
* [[Jess Lockwood (bull rider)|Jess Lockwood]], 2017 and 2019 [[Professional Bull Riders|PBR]] World champion attended [[Powder River County District High School]].
* [[Lee Randall]], [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] member of the [[Montana House of Representatives]] from 2009 until 2017.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==

{{Powder River County, Montana}}
{{Montana county seats}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Powder River County, Montana]]
[[Category:County seats in Montana]]