Roundup is a city in and the

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 ...

of 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. The population was 1,742 as of the 2020 census. The city was incorporated in 1909. It has a Commissioner-Executive form of government.

History

Roundup served as a place for cattlemen to "round up" their cattle along the Musselshell River. It was the trailhead in the Great Montana Centennial Cattle Drive, and now drives happen annually. The post office opened in 1883. In 1907, the

Milwaukee Road 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 Midwestern United States, Midwest and Pacific Northwest, Northwest of the United States from 1847 ...

reached Roundup. ''From Hell to Breakfast in Old Montana'', by Leland Blanchard, tells the story of pioneers who lived and worked in Roundup in the early 1900s.

Geography

Roundup is located in west-central Musselshell County. U.S. Routes 12 and 87 pass through the city. US 12 leads east to Forsyth and west to Harlowton, while US 87 leads northwest to Lewistown and south to

Billings Billings is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 census. Located in the south-central portion of the state, it is the seat of Yellowstone County and the principal city of the Billin ...

. The two highways pass through Roundup as Main Street and 1st Avenue West. 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 ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. The southern border of the city follows the north bank of the Musselshell River, an east- and then north-flowing tributary of the

Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...

. The Bull Mountains rise to the south of Roundup.

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, Roundup has a

cold semi-arid climate Cold is the presence of low temperature, especially in the atmosphere. In common usage, cold is often a subjective perception. A lower bound to temperature is absolute zero, defined as 0.00K on the Kelvin scale, an absolute thermodynamic ...

, 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 1,788 people, 814 households, and 445 families residing in the city. 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 973 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.7%

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 ...

, 0.3%

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 ...

, 1.3% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 2.4% 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 4.1% of the population. There were 814 households, of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% 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, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.3% were non-families. 40.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age in the city was 43.6 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.2% were from 25 to 44; 31.6% were from 45 to 64; and 16.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.0% male and 52.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,931 people, 833 households, and 498 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 978 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.05%

, 0.16%

, 0.78% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.47% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races.

or Latino people of any race were 2.74% of the population. There were 833 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were

living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.96. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 87.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $23,144, and the median income for a family was $31,129. Males had a median income of $25,875 versus $17,011 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 city was $15,123. About 13.7% of families and 20.3% 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 27.4% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The area has

coal mine Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...

s, which combined with the agriculture, maintain the economy of the town. Roundup is a hub in

Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc., doing business as Amazon, is an American multinational technology company engaged in e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. Founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos in Bellevu ...

's supply chain with a growing industry of prep centers, or businesses that specialize in packing goods to meet the requirements of Amazon's highly automated warehouses.

Arts and culture

The Musselshell Valley Historical Museum highlights the early settlement of the area. Signal Peak Energy largely funded a coal exhibit. Several recreated locations, such as a hospital, general store, and school, allow visitors to experience life as it was. Roundup School-Community Library is a public library which serves the area.

Parks and recreation

The Musselshell River on the southern side of town provides the opportunity for fishing. Fish in the river include brown trout, smallmouth bass, and catfish. Other activities are floating the river or harvesting the mussels the river is named for. Hunting options are plentiful. The area has an abundance of whitetail and mule deer, antelope, and gamebirds. The large number of animals can become a safety hazard, so an annual archery-only hunt is authorized in and around the town after the usual hunting season.

Education

Roundup School District educates students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Roundup High School's team name is the Panthers. In the 2021-2022 school year, 174 students were enrolled in the high school.

Media

The local newspaper is the ''Roundup Record-Tribune''. It is published weekly and serves Musselshell County and the neighboring counties. There are two radio stations licensed in Roundup. KQLJ-LP is a religious channel affiliated with

Three Angels Broadcasting Network The Three Angels Broadcasting Network (3ABN) is a Christian media television and radio network which broadcasts Seventh-day Adventist religious, music and health-oriented programming, based in West Frankfort, Illinois, United States. Although ...

. KXEM is also a religious channel. It is part of Your Network of Praise. The studios for radio station KLMB 99.9 FM are located in Roundup, although the station is licensed in neighboring Klein, Montana.

Infrastructure

U.S. Route 87 U.S. Highway 87 (US 87) is a north–south United States highway (though it is signed east–west in New Mexico) that runs for from northern Montana to southern Texas, making it the longest north–south road to not have a "1" in ...

passes through the town from north to south while

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 ...

travels east to west. Roundup Airport is a public use airport located north of town.

Notable people

* Earl W. Bascom, rodeo pioneer, cowboy artist * Richard Cebull, Chief Judge,

United States District Court for the District of Montana The United States District Court for the District of Montana (in case citations, D. Mont.) is the United States District Court whose jurisdiction is the state of Montana (except the part of the state within Yellowstone National Park, which is und ...

Vern Countryman Vernon Countryman (May 13, 1917 – May 2, 1999) was an American legal scholar at Harvard Law School who was an expert on bankruptcy and commercial law. Early years and education Vern Countryman was born in Roundup, Montana. His father, Alex ...

, legal expert on bankruptcy and commercial law; born in Roundup * Bill Holm, art historian; born in Roundup * John Milkovich, member of the

Louisiana State Senate The Louisiana State Senate (; ) is the upper house of Louisiana’s legislature. Senators serve four-year terms and participate in various committees. Composition The Louisiana State Senate has 39 members elected from single-member districts ...

; reared in Roundup *

Elizabeth Pilant Elizabeth Hope Carter Pilant (June 26, 1905 – April 27, 1987) was an American educational psychologist and folklorist, a professor of English on the faculty at Ball State University from 1947 to 1971. Early life and education Carter was born ...

, college professor and folklorist; went to high school in Roundup * Lee Steen, outsider artist; lived most of his life and worked in Roundup

References

External links

* {{authority control Cities in Musselshell County, Montana County seats in Montana Cities in Montana