Park County, Montana
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Park County is a
county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
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 ...
. At the 2020 census, the population was 17,191. Its
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 ...
is Livingston. A small part of
Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...
is in the southern part of the county.


History

The Territorial Legislature of
Montana Territory The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted as the 41st state in the Union as the state of Montana. Original boundaries ...
authorized Park County on February 23, 1887. It was named for its proximity to
Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...
, part of which is now in the county. This area had long been peopled and hunted by indigenous peoples, including the
Crow A crow is a bird of the genus ''Corvus'', or more broadly, a synonym for all of ''Corvus''. The word "crow" is used as part of the common name of many species. The related term "raven" is not linked scientifically to any certain trait but is rathe ...
,
Sioux The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin ( ; Dakota/ Lakota: ) are groups of Native American tribes and First Nations people from the Great Plains of North America. The Sioux have two major linguistic divisions: the Dakota and Lakota peoples (translati ...
, and Blackfoot tribes. The first recorded visit of European-descent people was the
Lewis and Clark Expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gro ...
(1805). Mountain man
Jim Bridger James Felix Bridger (March 17, 1804 – July 17, 1881) was an American mountain man, Animal trapping, trapper, Army scout, and wilderness guide who explored and trapped in the Western United States in the first half of the 19th century. He was ...
wintered with Crow nomads near present-day Emigrant in 1844–45. Hunting and trapping brought many men across this area during the first part of the 19th century, but by 1850 the beaver population had nearly disappeared. Gold was discovered in Emigrant Gulch in 1863, and by 1864 a booming town was serving the area. In late 1864, Yellowstone City, consisting of 75 cabins, was in operation. Two miners, John Bozeman and John Jacobs, laid out the Bozeman Trail in 1864 to allow access to western Montana Territory, and it soon became a well-traveled path between Fort Laramie and western Montana. The road ran through the future Livingston area to Bozeman Pass. By the late 1860s considerable traffic was also arriving (and departing) via the
Yellowstone River The Yellowstone River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long, in the Western United States. Considered the principal tributary of the upper Missouri, via its own tributaries it drains an area with headwaters across the mountain ...
, at an embarkation point in the Livingston area. By the late 1860s, the indigenous peoples, denied access to their previous areas, had become a danger to the settlers, so Territorial Governor Green Clay Smith organized a militia to guard the Livingston area. The group of 600 men encamped at Fort Howie, near the mouth of Shields River, east of present-day Livingston. In 1868 an Indian agency (including a fortified structure) was established on the Crow Reservation, at Mission Creek, southeast of Livingston. A ferry service to the fort was set up to cross the Yellowstone River, east of present-day Livingston. Benson's Landing was the small settlement that grew around the landing, and was a bustling community center for a few decades. Interest in the Yellowstone Park area grew around 1870. By 1872, the federal government had established it as the country's first national park. By 1880 the population of the future Park County was 200. In 1881 the
Northern Pacific Railway The Northern Pacific Railway was an important American transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the Western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest between 1864 and 1970. It was approved and chartered b ...
entered Montana Territory and extended a line to Livingston (which by this time had 500 inhabitants) by November 22, 1882. In 1883 the National Park branch of the Northern Pacific was completed; that year also saw completion of the east–west link of the NP lines, opening the northern part of the nation to commerce and settlement. The local population continued to grow rapidly; by 1887 the territorial legislature had authorized a county and its government had been set into motion. By 1890 the county population had reached 6,900.


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 county has an area of , of which is land and (0.4%) is water. The highest natural point in Montana, Granite Peak at , is in Park County. The county attained its present boundaries in 1978, when the former Yellowstone National Park (part) county-equivalent was dissolved and apportioned between Gallatin County and Park County. Gallatin County received of land area and of water area, whereas Park County received of land and of water. The geographies transferred are known as Census Tract 14 in Gallatin County and Census Tract 6 in Park County.


Major highways

* Interstate 90 * U.S. Highway 89 * U.S. Highway 191 * U.S. Highway 212 * Montana Highway 86


Transit

*
Jefferson Lines Jefferson Lines (JL or JLI) is a regional intercity bus company operating in 14 states in the Midwest and the West of the United States. History The company is operated by Jefferson Partners L.P., located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jefferson P ...


Adjacent counties

* Gallatin County – west * Meagher County – north * Sweet Grass County – east * Stillwater County – southeast * Carbon County – southeast *
Park County, Wyoming Park County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 29,624. The county seat is Cody, Wyoming, Cody. Park County is a major tourism destination. The county has ove ...
– south


National protected areas

* Custer National Forest (part) * Gallatin National Forest (part) *
Lewis and Clark National Forest Lewis and Clark National Forest is located in west central Montana, United States. Spanning . The region was inhabited by various cultures of Native Americans for a period of at least 8,000–10,000 years. When the Lewis and Clark Expedition ca ...
(part) *
Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...
(part)


Politics

Voters in Park County tend to support the Republican Party candidate in national elections (79% since 1904).


Demographics


2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 17,191 people living in the county.


2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 15,636 people, 7,310 households, and 4,177 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 9,375 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 96.5% white, 0.8% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.5% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 26.2% were German, 17.3% were English, 16.2% were Irish, 10.9% were Norwegian, and 7.4% were American. Of the 7,310 households, 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 42.9% were non-families, and 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.75. The median age was 45.4 years. The median income for a household in the county was $38,830 and the median income for a family was $50,252. Males had a median income of $36,878 versus $31,062 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,717. About 7.7% of families and 13.6% 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 19.3% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.


Communities


City

* Livingston (county seat)


Town

* Clyde Park


Census-designated places

* Cooke City * Corwin Springs *
Emigrant Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...
*
Gardiner Gardiner may refer to: Places Settlements ;Canada * Gardiner, Ontario ;United States * Gardiner, Maine * Gardiner, Montana * Gardiner (town), New York ** Gardiner (CDP), New York * Gardiner, Oregon * Gardiner, Washington * West Gardiner, ...
* Jardine * Pine Creek * Pray * Silver Gate * South Glastonbury * Springdale * Wilsall * Wineglass


Other unincorporated communities

* Brisbin * Carbella * Chadborn * Chico * Chimney Rock * Contact * Grannis * Hoppers * Hunters Hot Springs * Independence * Kotke * Miner * Sphinx * White City


Ghost town

* Aldridge


Education

Gardiner Public Schools has two components: Gardiner Elementary School District and Gardiner High School District. Livingston Public Schools has two components: Livingston Elementary School District and Park High School District. Shields Valley Public Schools has two components: Shields Valley Elementary School District and Shields Valley High School District. High school districts:
Text list
/ref> * Gardiner High School District * Park High School District * Shields Valley High School District Elementary school districts: * Arrowhead Elementary School District * Cooke City Elementary School District * Gardiner Elementary School District * Livingston Elementary School District * Pine Creek Elementary School District * Shields Valley Elementary School District


See also

* List of lakes in Park County, Montana * List of mountains in Park County, Montana * National Register of Historic Places listings in Park County, Montana


References

;Specific ;General
Census Tract 14, Gallatin County; Census Tract 6, Park County
US Census Bureau {{Coord, 45.50, -110.52, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MT_source:UScensus1990 1887 establishments in Montana Territory Populated places established in 1887