Ashland is a
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
(CDP) in
Rosebud 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 464 at the
2000 census. Ashland is immediately east of the boundary of the
Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation and also along the
Tongue River. It is the location of the
St. Labre Indian Catholic High School, established in 1884 as a boarding school by a Catholic mission to the Cheyenne.
The town was established in 1881 and called Straders after the first postmaster.
The name was changed to Ashland in 1886.
Geography
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 CDP has a total area of , all land.
Ashland had the original supervisor office for the
Custer National Forest.
There remains an Ashland Ranger District. The 436,000 acre Ashland Ranger District contains the largest contiguous block of land in Federal ownership in eastern Montana and has one of the largest grazing programs in the nation.
This area is also rich in coal and wildlife. Some oil and gas activity has taken place, but no producing wells have been found to date.
The area offers a variety of topography, varying from rolling grasslands to steep rock outcrops. Vegetation varies from prairie to dense stands of
ponderosa pine.
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, Ashland 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
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 2000, there were 464 people, 151 households, and 104 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 170 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 21.55%
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 ...
, 75.22%
American Indian, 0.22%
Asian, and 3.02% 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 1.94% of the population.
There were 151 households, out of which 49.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.7% were
married couples living together, 21.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.07 and the average family size was 3.60.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 40.9% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 15.5% from 45 to 64, and 2.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $22,222, and the median income for a family was $24,167. Males had a median income of $24,688 versus $19,000 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 CDP was $9,577. About 30.4% of families and 34.7% 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 41.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
Education
St. Labre Indian Catholic High School
St. Labre Catholic School is home of the Braves and Lady Braves. Grades are Pre-K Through 12. The school has been established for almost 129 years now. St. Labre is in the 3-B district along with Lame Deer, Lodge Grass, Colstrip, Forsyth and Baker. The School is particularly known for their Boys and Girls Basketball team the Braves and Lady Braves.
Ashland Public School. Grades include K-8.
Media
The Forsyth-based ''Independent Press'' covers news for all of Rosebud County, which includes Ashland.
Economy
Emerging industries
As reported in the May 12, 2022, issue of Independent Press,
a newspaper serving Rosebud County, officials made a visit to the site in Ashland for a planned factory that will make latex gloves. The
Northern Cheyenne Tribe is backing the project. The factory expected be operational in 18 months, and employ up to 100 workers.
References
{{Authority control
Census-designated places in Rosebud County, Montana