Twin Bridges is a town in Madison 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. It lies at the confluence of the

Ruby Ruby is a pinkish-red-to-blood-red-colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapph ...

, Beaverhead and

Big Hole The Kimberley Mine or Tim Kuilmine () is an open-pit mining, open-pit and underground mine in Kimberley, South Africa. It has been considered the deepest hole excavated by hand, contending the title with Jagersfontein Mine. History and size ...

rivers which form the

Jefferson River The Jefferson River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long, in the U.S. state of Montana. The Jefferson River and the Madison River form the official beginning of the Missouri at Missouri Headwaters State Park near Three Fo ...

. Twin Bridges is a well-known

fly fishing Fly fishing is an angling technique that uses an ultra-lightweight lure called an artificial fly, which typically mimics small invertebrates such as flying and aquatic insects to attract and catch fish. Because the mass of the fly lure is in ...

mecca for trout anglers. The population was 330 at the 2020 census.

History

Four Indian trails came together at a bend of the Beaverhead River north of the present school building in Twin Bridges. These trails were used by early settlers and freight companies, and helped to establish where the community of Twin Bridges would develop. Judge M.H. Lott came to Montana in 1862, and with his brother John T. Lott settled in the Ruby Valley in 1864. In 1865 they built a bridge across the Beaverhead River, and later built another bridge across the Beaverhead at the Point of Rocks. The Lott brothers continued development of roads and promoted settlement of the town, which was incorporated in 1902, with M.H. Lott as the first mayor.

Geography

Twin Bridges is in northwestern Madison County. It is northwest of Sheridan, south-southwest of

Whitehall Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London, England. The road forms the first part of the A roads in Zone 3 of the Great Britain numbering scheme, A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea, London, Chelsea. It ...

and

Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...

, and northeast of

Dillon Dillon may refer to: People *Dillon (surname) * Dillon (given name) *Dillon (singer) (born 1988), Brazilian singer * J. J. Dillon, primary ring name of American professional wrestler James Morrison (born 1942) Places Canada * Dillon, Saskatchewa ...

. 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 town has a total area of , all of it recorded as land. The

Beaverhead River The Beaverhead River is an approximately tributary of the Jefferson River in southwest Montana (east of the Continental Divide). It drains an area of roughly . The river's original headwaters, formed by the confluence of the Red Rock River and ...

passes through the center of the town limits, while the

Big Hole River The Big Hole River is a tributary of the Jefferson River, approximately 153 miles (246 km) long, in Beaverhead County, Montana, Beaverhead County, in southwestern Montana, United States. It is the last habitat in the contiguou ...

passes to the west and joins the Beaverhead a mile north of the town to form the

. The

Ruby River The Ruby River is a tributary of the Beaverhead River, approximately 76 mi (122 km) long, in southwestern Montana in the United States. It rises in the Beaverhead National Forest in southwestern Madison County, Montana, Madison County ...

joins the Beaverhead less than south of the town.

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, Twin Bridges 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 375 people, 172 households, and 94 families living 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 206 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.0%

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 ...

, 0.5%

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 ...

, 0.5% Native American, 0.8% from other races, and 2.1% 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 2.9% of the population. There were 172 households, of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% 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, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.3% were non-families. 37.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age in the town was 44.6 years. 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.6% were from 25 to 44; 30.7% were from 45 to 64; and 18.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 54.7% male and 45.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 400 people, 175 households, and 105 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 216 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.75%

, 0.25% Asian, and 2.00% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.50% of the population. There were 175 households, out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were

living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.95. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $25,833, and the median income for a family was $34,688. Males had a median income of $25,417 versus $16,250 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 $13,171. About 6.2% of families and 8.5% 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 4.4% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Twin Bridges serves as a tourist destination for fly fishers and cyclists. The town sits on two long-distance cycling trails - the

TransAmerica Trail U.S. Bicycle Route 76 (USBR 76) is a cross-country bicycle route east of Colorado in the United States. It is one of the two original U.S. Bicycle Routes, the other being U.S. Bicycle Route 1. USBR 76 runs from the Midwestern state of Kansas ...

, and the Lewis & Clark Bicycle Trail. In 2009, a "bike camp" was built in the town, and local stores started stocking basic cycling supplies.

Arts and culture

The Twin Bridges Historical Association Museum, located in one of the first commercial buildings in town, displays artifacts relating to the area history. Displays include indigenous culture, pioneers, and mining and agriculture information. The Twin Bridges Public Library has been serving the community since 1897. It was created by the Temperance Society as an alternative to saloons. The Doncaster Round Barn is a three-story round barn that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The property was used for horse-breeding and produced

Spokane Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south ...

, the winner of the 1889 Kentucky Derby.

Education

The town is in the Twin Bridges K-12 Schools school district.
Text list
/ref> Both Sheridan elementary and high school districts are components of Sheridan Public Schools. The Twin Bridges Public Schools school district educates students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The Twin Bridges Public Library serves the area.

Media

''The Madisonian'' is a newspaper serving the Madison and Ruby Valleys, which includes Twin Bridges. It is printed weekly and offers an e-edition.

Infrastructure

Ruby Valley Field is a public use airport located southeast of town.

Montana Highway 287 Montana Highway 287 (MT 287) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Montana. The highway runs from Montana Highway 41, MT 41 in Twin Bridges, Montana, Twin Bridges east to U.S. Route 287 in Montana, U.S. Route 287 (US 287) in Ennis, Montana, ...

and

Montana Highway 41 The state highways in Montana are the state highways owned and maintained by the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) in the US state of Montana. Montana's state highways are classified as either primary or secondary. Several of Montana's ...

intersect in town.

Notable people and animals

* Angela McLean, lieutenant governor of Montana * Hamilton James, Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the

Metropolitan Museum The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the third-largest museum in the world and the largest art museum in the Americas. With 5.36 million v ...

in New York * Benny Reynolds, rodeo champion *

Donald Rumsfeld Donald Henry Rumsfeld (July 9, 1932 – June 29, 2021) was an American politician, businessman, and naval officer who served as United States Secretary of Defense, secretary of defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and again ...

, American political figure and businessman *

, winner of the 1889 Kentucky DerbyBriggeman, Kim. �
1889 Derby Winner Directed National Attention to Iconic Round Barn in Twin Bridges
”

Missoulian The ''Missoulian'' is a daily newspaper printed in Missoula, Montana, United States. The newspaper has been owned by Lee Enterprises since 1959. The ''Missoulian'' is the largest published newspaper in Western Montana, and is distributed through ...

, May 3, 2015, edition. Accessed May 3, 2015. * Kenneth Walsh, member of the

Montana House of Representatives The Montana House of Representatives is, with the Montana Senate, one of the two houses of the Montana Legislature. Composed of 100 members, the House elects its leadership every two years. Composition of the House In the event that the parti ...

Gallery

File:Twin Bridges North Entrance.jpg, Northern Entrance To Twin Bridges, MT File:BlueAnchorTwinBridges.jpg, Blue Anchor Cafe, Main Street, Twin Bridges, MT

Notes

External links

*
Greater Ruby Valley Chamber of Commerce
{{Madison County, Montana Towns in Madison County, Montana 1902 establishments in Montana