Melstone is a

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...

small town "Small Town" is a 1985 song written by John Mellencamp and released on his eighth album ''Scarecrow (John Mellencamp album), Scarecrow''. The song reached #6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and #13 on the Adult Contempo ...

in far eastern Musselshell 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, along

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 The highway has mostly been superseded by Interstate 90 (I-90 ...

. 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 The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), better known as the Milwaukee Road , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until 1986. The company experienced financi ...

, 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 entirel ...

valley. Melstone was named for Melvin Stone, a journalist for the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

''. He happened to be on a train where the person sitting next to him, the railroad president, asked his name and impulsively decided to name the community after him. The Melstone Oil Field west of town developed in the 1950s and saw renewed production in the 1990s.

Geography

Melstone is located on the north side of the Musselshell River valley in eastern Musselshell County, about west of the Rosebud County line.

passes through the town, leading west-southwest to

Roundup A roundup is a systematic gathering together of people or things. Roundup, Round Up or Round-up may also refer to: Agriculture * A muster (livestock) (AU/NZ) or a roundup (US/CA) is the process of gathering livestock. * Roundup (herbicide), a M ...

, the Musselshell

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

, and southeast to Forsyth. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, Melstone has an 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, Melstone 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 96 people, 52 households, and 24 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 75 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.9%

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 ...

, 2.1%

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 ...

, and 1.0% 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 1.0% 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 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, 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

of 2000, there were 136 people, 56 households, and 38 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 87 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.59%

, 0.74% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 1.47% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races.

or Latino 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 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 $15,027. There were no families and 5.8% of the population living 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 no under eighteens and 10.7% of those over 64.

Education

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

Media

The newspaper providing local news is the ''Roundup Record-Tribune''. It is published weekly and serves Musselshell County and the neighboring counties.

Notable residents

* Evelyn Genevieve Sharp, early American

aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators because they a ...

References

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