Whitehall is a town in Jefferson 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 1,006 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Helena Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Whitehall began as a rail depot created by the Northern Pacific and Montana Railroad on September 25, 1889. The name for the depot came from E.G. Brooke, who was inspired by a similar town in which he stayed in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

while making his way westward. On September 3, 1890, the Jefferson County Commissioners accepted and filed the Townsite of Whitehall.

Geography

Whitehall is in the Jefferson Valley, an area between the Tobacco Root and Highland Mountain ranges, and sits in the heart of the Deerlodge National Forest. The forest features pine and various species of

fir Firs are evergreen coniferous trees belonging to the genus ''Abies'' () in the family Pinaceae. There are approximately 48–65 extant species, found on mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Eurasia, and North Africa. The genu ...

spruce A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' ( ), a genus of about 40 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal ecosystem, boreal (taiga) regions of the Northern hemisphere. ''Picea'' ...

and

juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' ( ) of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere as far south ...

. Waterbodies include seven nearby rivers and multiple mountain lakes. These waters contain several types of trout. 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, Whitehall 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.

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 1,038 people, 473 households, and 283 families residing 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 538 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 94.0%

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 ...

, 0.2%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 1.7% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 3.5% 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 2.0% of the population. There were 473 households, of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% 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, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.2% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% 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 2.84. The median age in the town was 45.7 years. 23% of residents were under the age of 18; 7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.6% were from 25 to 44; 33% were from 45 to 64; and 17.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.9% male and 48.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,044 people, 450 households, and 297 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 507 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 94.54%

, 2.49% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.10%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 0.10% from other races, and 2.49% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.72% of the population. There were 450 households, out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were

living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.86. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $29,940, and the median income for a family was $38,833. Males had a median income of $30,682 versus $19,643 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 $15,527. About 8.8% of families and 12.0% 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 15.7% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Jefferson Valley Museum displays the history of the area, from the Native American tribes to the arrival of the railroads. More than 10,000 artifacts are displayed in a restored dairy barn. The Lewis and Clark Caverns are

limestone caves Limestone is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Limestone forms when t ...

open for guided tours during the summer. There are trails for hiking or bicycling, camping, and plenty of wildlife watching. The Ringing Rocks area has unique rocks that resonate like a bell when struck. Whitehall Community Library is a public library which serves the town.

Recreation

The multiple nearby rivers give great opportunity for fishing. There are four lakes within 60 miles which allow for boating. The town is also near five ski resorts and three recreational hot springs. Whitehall is between two mountain ranges. Both have hiking trails, backpacking, and camping opportunities. The Sage Wall, a natural stone

batholith A batholith () is a large mass of intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock (also called plutonic rock), larger than in area, that forms from cooled magma deep in the Earth's crust. Batholiths are almost always made mostly of felsic or intermediate ...

, is located nearby.

Education

Whitehall Public Schools has two components: Whitehall Elementary School District and Whitehall High School District. The school districts for the community are Whitehall Elementary School District and Whitehall High School District
Text list
/ref> The district includes Whitehall Elementary School (grades K-6), Whitehall Middle School (grades 7-8), and Whitehall High School (grades 9-12). They are a Class B school (108-306 students) which helps determine athletic competitions.. Whitehall's mascot is the Trojans, with school colors of purple and gold.

Media

The local newspaper is ''The Whitehall Ledger''. It is a weekly newspaper. Two radio stations are licensed from Whitehall. KESW-LP is part of Jefferson County Radio, a network of stations owned by Jefferson County Disaster & Emergency Services. KQLR is a

K-Love K-Love (stylized as K-LOVE) is an American Christian radio network. Owned by the Educational Media Foundation (EMF), a non-profit Christian ministry, it primarily broadcasts contemporary Christian music. As of June 2019, the network's progr ...

station, owned by a non-profit Christian ministry.

Infrastructure

Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...

passes by the town with access via exit 249. The terminus of Montana Highway 55 is in Whitehall, while Montana Highway 69 begins. Montana Highway 2 travels through town from east to west. The nearest airport is Bert Mooney Airport in Butte.. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective April 5, 2012. Whitehall Medical Clinic provides local medical care. St. James Healthcare is the hospital in Butte.

Notable people

Sam Adams Samuel Adams (, 1722 – October 2, 1803) was an American statesman, political philosopher, and a Founding Father of the United States. He was a politician in colonial Massachusetts, a leader of the movement that became the American Revolu ...

(1963– ), former mayor of

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

. *

Chet Huntley Chester Robert Huntley (December 10, 1911 – March 20, 1974) was an American television newscaster, best known for co-anchoring NBC's evening news program, '' The Huntley–Brinkley Report,'' for 14 years beginning in 1956. Early life Hunt ...

(1911–1974), broadcaster, graduated from Whitehall High School. * Rob "Robbie" Johnson (b. 1983), Major League Baseball player, played Little League in Whitehall. *

Bill Pullman William Pullman (born December 17, 1953) is an American actor. After graduating with a Master of Fine Arts degree in theater, he was an adjunct professor at Montana State University before deciding to pursue acting. Pullman made his film debut i ...

(b. 1953), actor, has a ranch near town and lives there part-time.

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

(October 20, 2002). - Entertainment: "Yeltsin visits Armenian brandy distillery". - c/o ''

Amarillo Globe-News The ''Amarillo Globe-News'' is a daily newspaper in Amarillo, Texas, owned by Gannett. The newspaper is based at downtown's FirstBank Southwest Tower, but is printed at a facility in Lubbock.Tim Howsare, "", ''Amarillo Globe-News'', September 1 ...

''.

References

External links

*
Whitehall Rotary Club
{{Jefferson County, Montana Towns in Jefferson County, Montana Helena, Montana micropolitan area