St. Ignatius (

Salish Salish () may refer to: * Salish peoples, a group of First Nations/Native Americans ** Coast Salish peoples, several First Nations/Native American groups in the coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest ** Interior Salish peoples, several First Nat ...

: snyél̓mn,

Ktunaxa The Kutenai ( ), also known as the Ktunaxa ( ; ), Ksanka ( ), Kootenay (in Canada) and Kootenai (in the United States), are an indigenous people of Canada and the United States. Kutenai bands live in southeastern British Columbia, northern ...

: ʔa·kikqǂaǂaǂuk̓pǂiʔit) is a town in Lake County,

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

, United States. The population was 768 at the 2020 census. The town is located on the

Flathead Indian Reservation The Flathead Indian Reservation, located in western Montana on the Flathead River, is home to the Bitterroot Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d'Oreilles tribes – also known as the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation. The ...

History

St Ignatius Mission (St Ignatius Montana) 2002-05

It was named for and is the site of the

St. Ignatius Mission The St. Ignatius Mission is a landmark Jesuit missions in North America, Catholic mission located in St. Ignatius, Montana. It was founded in 1854 by Society of Jesus, Jesuit priests Pierre-Jean De Smet and Adrianus Hoecken, Adrian Hoecken. The ...

, established by Fr.

Pierre-Jean De Smet Pierre-Jean De Smet, SJ ( ; 30 January 1801 – 23 May 1873), also known as Pieter-Jan De Smet, was a Flemish Catholic priest and member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). He is known primarily for his widespread missionary work in the mid-19th ...

, a Belgian

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

Catholic missionary who worked for his entire career in the American Midwest and West. The mission is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. In July 1919 the town was all but wiped out by raging forest fire. Only a bank, one store and a hotel, remained standing.

Geography

St. Ignatius is located at (47.318154, -114.096140).

U.S. Route 93 U.S. Route 93 (US 93) is a major north–south United States highway, numbered highway in the western United States. The southern terminus is at U.S. Route 60 in Arizona, US 60 in Wickenburg, Arizona. The northern terminus is at the ...

passes through town. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

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

Climate

This

climatic Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologic ...

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 The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, St. Ignatius has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 842 people, 333 households, and 210 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 369 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 48.3%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.2%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 42.4% Native American, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.2% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 8.7% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 4.2% of the population. There were 333 households, of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 21.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.9% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.18. The median age in the town was 35 years. 30.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.6% were from 25 to 44; 24.6% were from 45 to 64; and 14.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 788 people, 307 households, and 194 families living in the town. The

was 1,509.1 people per square mile (585.1/km²). There were 328 housing units at an average density of 628.1 per square mile (243.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 52.54%

, 44.67% Native American, 0.13%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.13%

, 0.25% from

, and 2.28% from two or more races.

of any race were 4.19% of the population. There were 307 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.4% were

living together, 18.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.27. In the town, the population was spread out, with 32.1% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 84.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $25,682, and the median income for a family was $34,250. Males had a median income of $30,804 versus $24,844 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $12,336. About 15.5% of families and 19.5% 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 t ...

, including 20.2% of those under age 18 and 17.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

* St. Ignatius High School * Glacier Lake School, a private alternative school * Pinehaven Christian Children's Ranch The St Ignatius School-Community Library is a public library which serves the area.

Notable people

* Sam Burley, middle-distance track athlete; born in St. Ignatius *

Corwin Clairmont Corwin "Corky" Clairmont is a printmaker and conceptual and installation artist from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation. Known for his high concept and politically charged works, Clairmont seeks to explore situat ...

, artist and educator * Tim Ryan, country singer *

Diane Sands Haysel Diane Sands (born March 23, 1947) is an American politician from Montana. As a Democrat, she served in the Montana State Senate, representing the 49th senate district in Missoula, Montana. Biography Born in St. Ignatius, Montana, Sands ...

, member of the Montana House of Representatives; born in St. Ignatius *

Stephanie Trudeau The Miss Montana USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Montana in the Miss USA pageant. From 1994 to 2007, it was directed by Carol Hirata and the Carlton Group, based in Bellvue, Colorado. In 2013, it ...

, 2007 Miss Montana USA; grew up in St. Ignatius

References

External links

*
''Lake County Leader-Advertiser''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Ignatius, Montana Towns in Lake County, Montana