Opheim is a town in Valley 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 75 at the 2020 census.

History

*Opheim was named for Alfred Sumner Opheim (1872-1949), who together with his wife Helen (Ouandahl) Opheim (1874-1930), served as the first postmasters of the town. *The town was founded before the expansion of the Great Northern Railway, but benefited by having its own depot. In the early 1990s, railway abandonment occurred between the towns of Scobey and Opheim. *Opheim was once the location of Opheim Air Force Station, a former

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

General Surveillance Radar station. Since its closing in 1979, the population has decreased significantly. *The city was also home to many banks, bars, stores, and a movie theater, all of which have changed hands or closed. The town has no major source of income and is currently facing a slow economic decline. *Granrud's Lefse was started in a garage in Opheim in 1977 by Evan and Myrt Granrud. It is one of the few area bakeries that still produces the traditional Norwegian potato

flatbread A flatbread is bread made usually with flour; water, milk, yogurt, or other liquid; and salt, and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are Unleavened bread, unleavened, although some are leavened, such as pita bread. A Se ...

Lefse Lefse () is a traditional soft Norwegian flatbread. It is made with riced potatoes, can include flour, all purpose (wheat) flour, and includes butter, and milk, cream, or lard. It is cooked on a large, flat griddle. Special tools are used to pr ...

. It was sold in 2018 and moved to Scobey, Montana. *Opheim has a strong

Norwegian-American Norwegian Americans () are Americans with ancestral roots in Norway. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the latter half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th century. There are more than 4.5 milli ...

heritage as reflected by the high school's mascot, the Vikings. Opheim High School was the source of media attention in 2008 when the graduating class consisted of one student. *Opheim celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011 over the 4th of July weekend. Hundreds of former residents and former students enjoyed a number of events marking a rich history of immigrant homesteaders that once made Opheim a thriving town of almost 500 residents and business providing services to all of north Valley County.

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 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, Opheim 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 85 people, 47 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 69 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.6%

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 2.4% from two or more races. There were 47 households, of which 12.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% 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, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.9% were non-families. 46.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.81 and the average family size was 2.54. The median age in the town was 58.4 years. 11.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 3.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 15.4% were from 25 to 44; 42.4% were from 45 to 64; and 27.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 45.9% male and 54.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 111 people, 56 households, and 31 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 83 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 99.1%

, and 0.9% from two or more races. There were 56 households, out of which 21.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were

living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.9% were non-families. 41.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.98 and the average family size was 2.63. In the town, the population was spread out, with 17.1% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 20.7% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 31.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females there were 105.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100 males. The median income for a household in the town was $24,583, and the median income for a family was $36,563. Males had a median income of $38,333 versus $25,625 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 $24,680. 7.2% of the population and no families 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 ...

. none under the age of 18 and 20.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Education

Opheim Public School educates students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Opheim High School's team name is the Vikings.

References

{{Authority control Towns in Valley County, Montana