Leadore is an incorporated

small town "Small Town" is a 1985 song written by John Mellencamp and released on his 1985 album ''Scarecrow''. The song reached #6 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and #13 Adult Contemporary. Content Mellencamp wrote the song about his experiences ...

in Lemhi County,

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

, United States. The population was 105 at the 2010 census.

History

The town of Leadore dates from 1910, when the

Gilmore and Pittsburgh Railroad The Gilmore and Pittsburgh Railroad (G&P), now defunct, was an American railroad located in southwestern Montana and east-central Idaho. Constructed in 1909 and 1910 between Armstead, Montana, and Salmon, Idaho, the G&P served mining and agricult ...

was constructed from Armstead, Montana, over

Bannock Pass Bannock Pass is a high mountain pass in the Beaverhead Mountains, part of the Bitterroot Range in the Rocky Mountains. The pass lies on the Montana-Idaho border on the Continental Divide, at an elevation of above sea level Height above mean sea ...

and into the Lemhi Valley. This occurred because the original location for the train station in the town of

Junction Junction may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Junction'' (film), a 2012 American film * Jjunction, a 2002 Indian film * Junction (album), a 1976 album by Andrew Cyrille * Junction (EP), by Basement Jaxx, 2002 * Junction (manga), or ''Hot ...

had to be altered when the owner of the land refused to sell. The town was home to the railroad's repair shops, and was the point where the railroad's branch line to Gilmore connected with the main line. Though the railroad ceased operating in 1939, Leadore has remained the largest town in the immediate area. In 2001 a replica of the town's old railway station was constructed in Leadore. The new building serves as the town's community center.

Geography

Leadore is located in southeastern Lemhi County at (44.679604, -113.360664), in the Lemhi Valley. The

Lemhi River The Lemhi River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 3, 2011 river in Idaho in the United States. It is a tributary of the Salmon River, which in turn is tributary t ...

flows through the northeast side of the city, running northwest to join the Salmon River at

Salmon, Idaho Salmon is a city in Lemhi County, Idaho. The population was 3,112 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Lemhi County. Located in the Lemhi River valley, Salmon is home to the Sacajawea Interpretive, Cultural and Education Center, wh ...

Idaho State Highway 28 State Highway 28 (SH-28) is a state highway in Idaho which runs from Idaho State Highway 33 (SH-33) near Mud Lake to U.S. Route 93 in Salmon. The entire length of the route is designated as the Sacajawea Historic Byway by the state of Idaho. ...

(Railroad Street) passes through the center of Leadore, leading northwest to Salmon, the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

, and southeast to

Interstate 15 Interstate 15 (I-15) is a major Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the western United States, running through Southern California and the Intermountain West. I-15 begins near the Mexico–United States border, Mexican border i ...

at Sage Junction. Idaho State Highway 29 leads northeast from Leadore to the

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 ...

state line at

on the

Continental Divide A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not ...

. Montana Secondary Highway 324 continues northeast from Bannock Pass to join Interstate 15 at Clark Canyon Dam, northeast of Leadore. 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 ...

, Leadore has a total area of , all of it land.

Climate

Leadore has a

steppe 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 semi-ar ...

(BSk) 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.

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 105 people, 48 households, and 24 families residing in the city. 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 81 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 100.0%

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 ...

. There were 48 households, of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% 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, 2.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 50.0% were non-families. 50.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 31.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 3.38. The median age in the city was 41.3 years. 27.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.1% were from 25 to 44; 25.8% were from 45 to 64; and 20% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.4% male and 48.6% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 90 people, 43 households, and 20 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 66 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 100.00%

. There were 43 households, out of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% were

living together, 2.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.2% were non-families. 46.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 3.10. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 1.1% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $11,786, and the median income for a family was $13,750. Males had a median income of $32,188 versus $16,250 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 city was $9,452. There were 47.6% of families and 44.8% of the population living 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 50.0% of under eighteens and 28.6% of those over 64.

Notable People

Dennis M. Hilliard, District Ranger for the USDA Forest Service Leadore Ranger District from March 2003 through June 2008. First President of the Upper Lemhi River Chamber of Commerce, service from April 2004 through June 2008. Volunteer Fire Fighter for the Leadore Community Volunteer Fire Department from 2003 through June 2008. Dennis was one of the founders of the Eastern Idaho Houndsman Association. An avid hunter and houndsman who raised Bluetick Coonhounds. Dennis served in the Vietnam War from 1969-1971.

References

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