Broadus is a town in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Powder River County,

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

, United States. The population was 456 at the 2020 census.

History

American Indian Wars

The Powder River Battles, part of the 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 southwest of present-day Broadus, and on June 13, 1876, six companies of the 7th Cavalry led by Major

Marcus Reno Marcus Albert Reno (November 15, 1834 – March 30, 1889) was a United States career military officer. He served in the American Civil War where he was a combatant in major battles, and later under George Armstrong Custer in the Great Sioux War a ...

marched along the Powder River to within north of the town's present location before turning west toward the Little Bighorn.

Town

The Broadus post office was established in 1900, and named after the Broaddus family, early settlers in the area. When the town's streets were being planned, they were made wide enough for a horse-drawn carriage to turn around. The original streets are still this wide today. In 1918 publication of the '' 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. When Belle Creek Oil Field opened in the late 1960s, the economy of Broadus boomed. Oil and gas production continue to be important to the local economy.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , all land.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Broadus has a

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...

, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps. Broadus has a cold

due to its very dry winters. There are significant

diurnal temperature variation In meteorology, diurnal temperature variation is the variation between a high air temperature and a low temperature that occurs during the same day. Temperature lag Temperature lag, also known as thermal inertia, is an important factor in diur ...

s throughout the year, and strong

continental Continental may refer to: Places * Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US * Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US Arts and entertainment * ''Continental'' (album), an album by Saint Etienne * Continen ...

seasonal swings between the warm to hot summers and the cold winters.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 468 people, 21 households, and 11 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 254 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.6% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 1.7% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or 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

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

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

of 2000, there were 451 people, 199 households, and 125 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 267 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.45%

, 1.11% Native American, 0.22% Asian, and 0.22% from two or more races.

or 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

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 The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of unde ...

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 Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $15,938. About 13.6% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, 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 km) northwest of town.

Education

Broadus and

Powder River County, Montana Powder River County is a county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,694. Its county seat is Broadus. History Powder River County's area was probably first entered by Europeans when French trappers worked ...

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. 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.

Media

The '' Powder River Examiner'' is the local newspaper. 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 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. Annual events include a July 4 Celebration, County Fair in August, street dances, and a Christmas stroll early in December.

Notable people

* Jess Lockwood, 2017 and 2019 PBR World champion attended Powder River County District High School. * Lee Randall, Republican member of the

Montana House of Representatives The Montana House of Representatives is, with the Montana Senate, one of the two houses of the Montana Legislature. Composed of 100 members, the House elects its leadership every two years. Composition of the House In the event that the parti ...

from 2009 until 2017.

References

External links

{{Authority control Towns in Powder River County, Montana County seats in Montana