Sidney, Montana
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Sidney 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 Richland 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, less than west of the
North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...
border. The population was 6,346 at the 2020 census. The city lies along 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 ...
. Sidney is approximately midway between
Glendive, Montana Glendive is a city in and the county seat of Dawson County, Montana, United States, and home to Dawson Community College. Glendive was established by the Northern Pacific Railway during the building of the railroad line. The town of Glendive is ...
and
Williston, North Dakota Williston is a city in and the county seat of Williams County, North Dakota, United States. The 2020 census gave its population as 29,160, making Williston the sixth-most populous city in North Dakota. The city's population nearly doubled betwe ...
.


History

Settlers A settler or a colonist is a person who establishes or joins a permanent presence that is separate to existing communities. The entity that a settler establishes is a Human settlement, settlement. A settler is called a pioneer if they are among ...
began arriving in the area in the 1870s, and a
post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...
was established in 1888. Six-year-old Sidney Walters and his parents were staying with Hiram Otis, the local justice of the peace, and Otis decided that Sidney was a good name for the town. The following year,
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 ...
became a state and Sidney was incorporated in 1911. Sidney was originally part of Dawson County, but became the county seat of Richland County at its inception in 1914. Agriculture became an important part of the region after the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project was completed in 1909. A dam was built on the river south of
Glendive Glendive is a city in and the county seat of Dawson County, Montana, United States, and home to Dawson Community College. Glendive was established by the Northern Pacific Railway during the building of the railroad line. The town of Glendive i ...
, which diverted water from the river into a main canal, which runs north–south, parallel to the Yellowstone, irrigating land from Glendive north up to Fairview, where it drains into 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 ...
. This project irrigates and serves water to 450 farms, according to the manager of the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Districts. During the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, Montana artist J. K. Ralston painted a
Federal Arts Project The Federal Art Project (1935–1943) was a New Deal program to fund the visual arts in the United States. Under national director Holger Cahill, it was one of five Federal Project Number One projects sponsored by the Works Progress Administrati ...
mural at the Richland County Courthouse in Sidney. The town received a boost in 1924 when the
Holly Sugar Corporation The Holly Sugar Corporation was an American beet sugar-producing corporation. Founded in 1905 in Holly, Colorado, it expanded during the first half of the 20th century, opening a number of beet sugar refineries in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Texa ...
opened up a sugar refinery in Sidney to process locally grown sugar beets. The area experienced an
oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...
boom and bust in the late 1970s and early 1980s, bringing an influx of people to the town for a short period of time. Around the start of the 21st century, the town experienced another surge in oil exploration activity.


Geography

Sidney is located in the northeastern part of the state. 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 city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Sidney is northeast of
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 ...
, and south of Regina,
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...
.


Climate

Sidney experiences 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 ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''BSk'') with long, cold, dry winters and hot, more humid summers.


Economy

Sidney's economy relies heavily on farming, ranching, and oil production; thus, the surrounding countryside is populated with farms, cattle ranches, and oil/gas extraction sites. From 1925 to 2023, Sidney was home to a sugar beet factory, the largest employer in the city next to the Sidney Health Center and Sidney Public Schools. The sugar beet factory closed in April 2023.


Arts and culture

The town's museum, the MonDak Heritage Center, was founded in 1967. The museum houses artifacts and archives that detail the history of life in eastern Montana and western North Dakota since the first pioneers arrived in the late 19th century. Sidney has a
public library A public library is a library, most often a lending library, that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil servic ...
, the Sidney-Richland County Library.


Government

The town of Sidney has a Mayor and City Council. The City Council has 3 wards, each with 2 councilors. In 2023 the Mayor was Rick Norby.


Education

Sidney has four
public schools Public school may refer to: *Public school (government-funded), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government *Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging private schools in England and Wales *Great Public Schools, ...
; one K, 1st, and 2nd grade (Westside Elementary)
elementary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...
, a 3rd, 4th and 5th grade (Central Elementary)
Elementary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...
, a 6-8
Junior High School Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, middle school includes ...
, and a 9-12 senior
high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...
. Sidney High School's team name is the Eagles. There are no institutions of
higher education Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...
located within the city, but
Williston State College Williston State College (WSC) is a public community college in Williston, North Dakota. It is part of the North Dakota University System. Founded in 1961, WSC provides general, vocational, and technical education. For most of its history the co ...
in
North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...
is within commuting distance. MSU-Billings offers courses through
distance education Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance; today, it usually involves online ...
, and Sidney High School has a variety of adult education classes each year.


Media

The city has two community newspapers, '' The Sidney Herald'' and ''The Roundup''.


Radio

*
KEYZ James Foye III, professionally known as KEYZBABY, is an American record producer, songwriter, audio engineer and recording engineer from Buffalo, New York. He is one half of Ayo N Keyz (The Upperclassmen), a production team with Ayo the Producer. ...
AM 660 *
KGCX KGCX (93.1 FM, "Eagle 93") is a radio station licensed to serve Sidney, Montana. The station is owned by Andrew Sturlaugson's P&A Media. It airs a classic rock music format. The KGCX studios are on 2nd Ave SW in Sidney. History The station was ...
FM 93.1 * KTHC FM 95.1 * KYYZ FM 96.1 *
KDSR KDSR (101.1 FM broadcasting, FM, "101.1 Jack FM") is a list of broadcast station classes#FM, Class C1 radio station licensed to serve Williston, North Dakota. The station is owned by Andrew Sturlaugson, and licensed to P&A Media LLC. It airs ...
FM 101.1


Infrastructure

The eastern end of
Montana Highway 16 Montana Highway 16 (MT 16) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Montana. It begins in West Glendive at a Business Loop of Interstate 94 (I-94), and ends at the Port of Raymond on the Saskatchewan border. The northern portion from U.S. Ro ...
joins Highway 200 in Sidney. The town is served by Sidney-Richland Municipal Airport, located one mile (1.6 km) west of the central business district.. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective April 5, 2012. It has scheduled passenger commuter airline flights through Cape Air.


Demographics


2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 6,346 people, 2,720 households, and 1,596 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 3,087 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 85.6%
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 ...
, 0.7%
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 ...
, 2.0% Native American, 1.5% Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 1.9% from some other races and 8.3% from
two or more races Multiracial Americans, also known as mixed-race Americans, are Americans who have mixed ancestry of two or more races. The term may also include Americans of mixed-race ancestry who self-identify with just one group culturally and socially (cf. t ...
.
Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...
of any race were 6.6% of the population.


2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 5,191 people, 2,304 households, and 1,378 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,467 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.9%
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 ...
, 0.1%
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 ...
, 1.8% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...
of any race were 3.4% of the population. There were 2,304 households, of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% 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, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.2% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.85. The median age in the city was 39.3 years. 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.7% were from 25 to 44; 29% were from 45 to 64; and 14.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.


2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 4,774 people, 2,006 households, and 1,271 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,393 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.81%
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 ...
, 0.10%
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 ...
, 1.89% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 1.01% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...
of any race were 2.43% of the population. There were 2,006 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% 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, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.98. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.7% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $32,109, and the median income for a family was $38,992. Males had a median income of $30,347 versus $18,517 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 $16,911. About 8.5% of families and 12.7% 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 17.1% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.


Notable people

* Clyde Lamb — gag cartoonist and syndicated comic strip artist, born in Sidney * Roger A. Markle — director of the U.S. Bureau of Mines and executive of
Quaker State Quaker State is an American brand of motor oils, owned by Shell USA, the US-based division of Shell plc. The former Quaker State Oil Refining Company had been constituted in 1924 after the Eastern Refining Co. acquired rights to the ''Quaker Sta ...
and
NERCO NERCO was an American mining company headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with interests in coal, natural gas, and oil. The company also had significant operations in gold and silver mining, and manufacture of gallium arsenide wafers. NERCO was cre ...
, born in Sidney * Donald Nutter — former
Governor of Montana A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...
(1961–62), grew up in Sidney * Barry Petersen — Emmy Award-winning CBS News correspondent, graduated from Sidney High School in 1966 *
Chuck Stevenson Charles Joseph "Chuck" Stevenson (October 15, 1919 – August 21, 1995) was an American racing driver who competed in various disciplines of motorsport. He is best known for winning the AAA National Championship in 1952. Stevenson also had two cl ...
— race car driver, born in Sidney


References


External links


City of Sidney – Official Website

Sidney Chamber of Commerce

Sidney Saddle Club
* {{authority control Cities in Richland County, Montana County seats in Montana 1911 establishments in Montana Populated places established in 1911 Cities in Montana