Scobey is a city in and 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 ...

of Daniels County,

Montana Montana () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West List of regions of the United States#Census Bureau-designated regions and divisions, division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North ...

, United States. The population was 999 at the 2020 census. Scobey is known for its bird and big game hunting. The nearby Mansfield A. Daniels House is listed on the NRHP.

History

The city was named by local rancher Mansfield Daniels, after whom Daniels County is named, for his friend Major Charles Richardson Anderson Scobey, a cattleman from the Glendive area who served as a

Montana Territory The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted as the 41st state in the Union as the state of Montana. Original boundaries ...

legislator and an

Indian agent In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the government. Background The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the United States first included development of ...

Fort Peck Fort Peck is a town in Valley County, Montana, United States. The population was 239 at the 2020 census. History The name Fort Peck is associated with Col. Campbell K. Peck, the partner of Elias H. Durfee in the Leavenworth, Kansas trading firm ...

and Poplar. "During the height of the homestead boom in the 1910s," according to historical marker author Skanks Beaverton, "Scobey was the largest primary shipping point of grain in the world."

Geography

Scobey is located at (48.790955, -105.419925). Montana Highway 13 and Montana Highway 5 intersect in 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 An economy is an area of th ...

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

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 in ...

of 2010, there were 1,017 people, 472 households, and 252 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical ...

was . There were 600 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.9%

White White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 0.1%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 2.5% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.6% of the population. There were 472 households, of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% 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, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.6% were non-families. 41.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age in the city was 49.9 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.2% were from 25 to 44; 27.8% were from 45 to 64; and 28.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,082 people, 500 households, and 280 families residing in the city. The

was 1,481.6 people per square mile (572.3/km²). There were 611 housing units at an average density of 836.6 per square mile (323.2/km²). The racial makeup of the little city was 95.75%

, 0.74% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.92% from other races, and 2.22% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.50% of the population. There were 499 households, out of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% were

living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.1% were non-families. 39.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.4% 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 2.81. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.0% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 17.6% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 27.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females there were 84.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $45,553 and the median income for a family was $35,521. Males had a median income of $27,411 versus $18,304 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 $17,150. About 8.7% of families and 13.4% 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 12.1% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.

Climate

Scobey experiences 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 semi- ...

( Köppen ''BSk'') with long, cold, dry winters and short, hot, wetter summers.

Infrastructure

Scobey Airport is a public airport located 1 mile (2 km) northwest of town.

Education

Scobey Public Schools provides education for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Daniels County Library is located in Scobey.

Notable people

Kenneth Arnold Kenneth Albert Arnold (March 29, 1915 – January 16, 1984) was an American aviator, businessman, and politician. He is best known for making what is generally considered the first widely reported modern unidentified flying object sighting in ...

, businessman and pilot who made the first widely-publicized UFO sighting * Jay Collins, member of the

Florida Senate The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida House of Representatives being the lower house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted ...

Alvin Straight Alvin Boone Straight (October 17, 1920 – November 9, 1996) was an American man who became notable for traveling on a riding lawn mower from Laurens, Iowa to Blue River, Wisconsin to visit his ailing brother. He inspired the 1999 film ''Th ...

, inspiration for ''The Straight Story'' * Henry Schauer,

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

veteran and

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor ...

recipient * Ron Marlenee, former Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives

References

External links

*
Daniels County Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, Scobey Montana website

Scobey High School Website
* Scobey Schools {{authority control Cities in Daniels County, Montana County seats in Montana Cities in Montana