Melstone, Montana

Melstone, Montana
Town
Location of Melstone, Montana
Country	United States
State	Montana
County	Musselshell
Area
• Total	0.7 sq mi (1.8 km2)
• Land	0.7 sq mi (1.8 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	2,940 ft (896 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	136
• Density	198.8/sq mi (76.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code	59054
Area code	406
FIPS code	30-49000
GNIS feature ID	0774093

Melstone is a town in far eastern Musselshell County, Montana, United States, along U.S. Route 12. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²), all of it land. The population was 136 at the 2000 census.

History

The town was established in 1908 as a base for operating crews on the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, then under construction in Montana. It was named by the president of the railroad for Melvin Stone, an Associated Press reporter travelling with this president along the railway, helping him and his family name the railroad's several newly established towns. Although the railroad was abandoned in 1980, Melstone continued to survive due to the discovery of oil in the area. It also has served all along as a community center for farmers and ranchers in the lower Musselshell River valley.

Geography

Melstone is located at 46°35′57″N 107°52′11″W (46.599081, -107.869851)Template:GR. It is built in a large area of flat, dry land which has historically made agricultural activities difficult.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 136 people, 56 households, and 38 families residing in the town. The population density was 198.8 people per square mile (77.2/km²). There were 87 housing units at an average density of 127.2/sq mi (49.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.59% White, 0.74% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 1.47% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.47% of the population.

There were 56 households out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the town the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 86.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $31,250, and the median income for a family was $33,438. Males had a median income of $36,250 versus $12,083 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,027. There were no families and 5.8% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 10.7% of those over 64.

Current events

In 2006, the tiny town of Melstone made history by winning the State Boys Basketball Championship, being the smallest school ever to win. Lead by senior Adam Weisz, the Melstone Broncs defeated the defending state champion Gardiner Bruins in an epic overtime win.[1] Weisz and Kale Eike combined for 70 points in the 83-78 overtime victory for the Class C boys basketball crown at MetraPark Arena in Billings, Montana.

An All Class Reunion is scheduled for the summer of 2007 and 2008 marks the 100 year milestone for the Melstone School.

Notable residents

• Evelyn Genevieve Sharp, early American aviatrix.