Denton is a town in Fergus 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 205 at the 2020 census. Central Montana Rail, Inc. is headquartered in Denton.

History

A post office called Denton has been in operation since 1888. It was named after the Missouri county where the postmaster previously lived. The town was established at its present site when the railroad was extended to that point. The fast-moving West Wind Fire swept through the town in December 2021. Twelve families lost their homes. The wildfire destroyed or damaged many structures including garages, barns and grain elevators. There were no serious injuries as the town was evacuated minutes before the fire, which burned , reached the town.

Geography

Montana Highway 81 passes through town. 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.

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 255 people, 120 households, and 64 families living 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 156 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 99.2%

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 ...

and 0.8% 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 people of any race were 2.0% of the population. There were 120 households, of which 23.3% had

children A child () is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking ...

under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% 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, 4.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.7% were non-families. 42.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age in the town was 44.8 years. 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22% were from 25 to 44; 22.7% were from 45 to 64; and 27.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.8% male and 48.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 301 people, 133 households, and 82 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 158 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 99.34%

, and 0.66% from two or more races.

or Latino people of any race were 1.00% of the population. There were 133 households, out of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were

living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.96. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 22.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 109.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males. The median income for a household in the town was $28,393, and the median income for a family was $32,232. Males had a median income of $23,125 versus $16,528 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 $14,982. About 5.9% of families and 8.5% 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 4.9% of those under the age of eighteen and 2.4% of those 65 or over.

Education

Denton Public Schools educates students from kindergarten through 12th grade. They are known as the Trojans. Denton High School had 19 students in 2021.

Notable people

Don Koehler Donald A. Koehler (September 1, 1925 – February 26, 1981) is one of 24 known people in medical history to have verifiably reached a height of or more. He was generally recognized as the tallest living man in the world from at least 1969 u ...

, one of the few people on record to grow over eight feet tall * James A. Shelton, Navy ensign who received the Navy Cross posthumously for his service during the

Battle of Midway The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II, Pacific Theater of World War II that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of t ...

References

External links

* {{authority control Towns in Fergus County, Montana