Melstone is a rural small town in far eastern

Musselshell County Musselshell County is a county in south-central Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,730. Its county seat is Roundup. History Musselshell County was created in 1911 by Montana Governor Edwin L. Norris. The area was taken from ...

, Montana, United States, along

U.S. Route 12 U.S. Route 12 (US 12) is an east–west United States Numbered Highways, United States highway, running from Aberdeen, Washington, to Detroit, Detroit, Michigan, for almost . The highway has mostly been superseded by Interstate 90 (I-90) an ...

. The population was 126 at the 2020 census. The town was established in 1908 as a base for operating crews on the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, then under construction in Montana. Although the railroad was abandoned in 1980, Melstone survives as a community center for farmers and ranchers in the lower

Musselshell River The Musselshell River is a tributary of the Missouri River, long from its origins at the confluence of its North and South Forks near Martinsdale, Montana to its mouth on the Missouri River. It is located east of the Continental divide entire ...

valley. It has a K-12 school with a staff of 16, which in the Fall of 2017 successfully began a 4-day school week. The Melstone Oil Field west of town developed in the 1950s and saw renewed production in the 1990s.

Geography

Melstone is located at (46.599081, -107.869851). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Melstone has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 96 people, 52 households, and 24 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 75 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.9% White, 2.1% African American, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or

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 1.0% of the population. There were 52 households, of which 19.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them; 40.4% 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, 3.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 1.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 53.8% were non-families. 51.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 28.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.85 and the average family size was 2.79. The median age in the town was 50 years. 20.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 3.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.7% were from 25 to 44; 33.2% were from 45 to 64; and 25% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 46.9% male and 53.1% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 136 people, 56 households, and 38 families residing in the town. The population density was 198.8 people per square mile (77.2/km²). There were 87 housing units at an average density of 127.2 per square mile (49.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.59% White, 0.74% Native American, 0.74%

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 ...

, 1.47% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or

of any race were 1.47% of the population. There were 56 households, out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were

living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 30.4% 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 2.43 and the average family size was 3.03. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 86.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $31,250, and the median income for a family was $33,438. Males had a median income of $36,250 versus $12,083 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,027. There were no families and 5.8% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 10.7% of those over 64.

Current events

In 2006, Melstone made history by winning the State Boys Basketball Championship, being the smallest school ever to win. The Melstone Broncs defeated the defending state champion Gardiner Bruins in an overtime win. The Broncs won 83-78 for the Class C boys basketball crown at MetraPark Arena in Billings, Montana. 2008 marked the town's centennial.

Education

Melstone Public Schools educates students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Melstone High School's team name is the Broncs.

Notable residents

Evelyn Genevieve Sharp Evelyn Genevieve "Sharpie" Sharp (October 1, 1919 – April 3, 1944) was an American aviator. She was a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). Sharp died at age 24, when the plane she was flying lost an engine during takeoff. Early ...

, early American

aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...

References

{{Authority control Towns in Musselshell County, Montana 1908 establishments in Montana Populated places established in 1908