Editing Ismay, Montana

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Ismay, Montana
|settlement_type          = [[Town]]
|motto                    = 
|image_skyline            = 
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = 
|image_map                = Custer_County_Montana_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Ismay_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Ismay, Montana
|pushpin_map              = USA
|pushpin_map_caption      = Location in the United States
<!-- 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        = [[Custer County, Montana|Custer]]
<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|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_total_km2           = 1.09
|area_land_km2            = 1.09
|area_water_km2           = 0.00
|area_total_sq_mi         = 0.42
|area_land_sq_mi          = 0.42
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00
<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 17
|population_density_km2   = 15.64
|population_density_sq_mi = 40.48
<!-- 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             = 2536
|coordinates              = {{coord|46|29|58|N|104|47|34|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 59336
|area_code                = [[Area code 406|406]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 30-38950
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2412796<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2412796}}</ref>
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
}}

'''Ismay''' is a town in [[Custer County, Montana|Custer County]], [[Montana]], United States. There is a post office at Ismay, and a church, and no other businesses or services. The population was 17 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]. The town is the least-populous incorporated municipality in the state of Montana.<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=November 2, 2021}}</ref>

The town's name is an [[Amalgamation (names)|amalgamation]] of Isabella and May, the names of the daughters of [[Albert J. Earling]], division superintendent (later president) of the [[Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ccY1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=2RAGAAAAIBAJ&pg=487%2C2128045 | title=Origins of Names on Milwaukee | work=Roundup Record-Tribune & Winnett Times | date=August 22, 1940 | access-date=April 27, 2015 | page=6}}</ref><ref>Raban, J., ''Bad Land: An American Romance'', Picador 1996, {{ISBN|0-330-34621-0}}</ref> Other communities with related names include [[Earling, Iowa]]; [[Marmarth, North Dakota]]; and [[Alberton, Montana]]. As a publicity stunt coordinated by Kansas City radio station [[KCKC|KYYS]] in 1993, the town unofficially took the name of '''Joe, Montana''', after the [[NFL]] [[quarterback]] [[Joe Montana]].<ref name="mhs">{{cite web |title=Ismay |url=http://mtplacenames.org/ |website=Montana Place Names Companion |publisher=Montana Historical Society |access-date=April 4, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Hanson |first=Amy Beth |date=July 2, 1993 |title=No ordinary Ismay |page=D1 |work=[[The Missoulian]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/119325556/no-ordinary-ismay/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=February 20, 2023}}</ref>

The town's history and contemporary state (circa 1995) is discussed at length in travel writer [[Jonathan Raban]]'s book, ''[[Bad Land: An American Romance]]''.  According to Raban, Ismay's story is emblematic of the settlement and depopulation of the northern [[Great Plains]].

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|0.42|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, all land.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=December 18, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702145235/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=July 2, 2012 }}</ref>

Ismay lies between [[Baker, Montana]] and [[Terry, Montana|Terry]] on the [[BNSF Railway]]'s Hettinger Subdivision.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.multimodalways.org/docs/railroads/companies/BNSF/BNSF%20ETTs/BNSF%20Montana%20Div%20ETT%20%234%201-20-2002.pdf
|title=Montana Division Timetable No. 4
|publisher=BNSF Railway
|date=2002}}</ref> The route was once a mainline segment of the [[Milwaukee Road]].<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.southdakotasrp.com/docs/220607_SD_SRP_Chapter_2_Draft.pdf
|title=South Dakota State Rail Plan
|date=June 2022
|publisher=South Dakota Department of Transportation}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1920= 344
|1930= 277
|1940= 176
|1950= 182
|1960= 59
|1970= 40
|1980= 31
|1990= 19
|2000= 26
|2010= 19
|2020= 17
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|author=United States Census Bureau|author-link=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 14, 2013}}</ref><ref name ="wwwcensusgov"/>
}}

===2020 census===
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]],<ref name="2020 Census">{{cite web |title=U.S. Census website |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US3038950 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=August 31, 2022}}</ref> there were 17 people living in 12 households. The median household income was $56,539.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]],<ref name ="2010 Census">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=December 18, 2012}}</ref> there were 19 people, 9 households, and 5 families living in the town. The [[population density]] was {{convert|45.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 13 housing units at an average density of {{convert|31.0|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the town was 100.0% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]].

There were 9 households, of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, and 44.4% were non-families. 44.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 3.00.

The median age in the town was 46.5 years. 26.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 0% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.1% were from 25 to 44; 42.1% were from 45 to 64; and 10.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 57.9% male and 42.1% female.

===2000 census===
At the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]], there were 26 people, 7 households, and 7 families living in the town. The population density was {{convert|62.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 8 housing units at an average density of {{convert|19.2|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 100.00% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]]. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 3.85% of the population.

There were 7 households, of which 71.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 100.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, and 0.0% were non-families. No households were made up of individuals, and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.71 and the average family size was 3.71.

Age distribution was 42.3% under the age of 18, 34.6% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 3.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.3 males.

The [[median household income]] was $32,083, and the median family income was $32,083. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $9,852. None of the population and none of the families were below the [[poverty line]].

==See also==
*''[[Bad Land: An American Romance]]''

==References==
{{Reflist|1}}

{{Custer County, Montana}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|title=Bad Land: An American Romance|author=Raban, Jonathan|publisher=Pantheon|isbn=0-679-44254-5|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/badlandamericanr1996raba}}

[[Category:Towns in Custer County, Montana]]
[[Category:1908 establishments in Montana]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1908]]