Red Lodge

Red Lodge, Montana
—  City  —
Main Street in Red Lodge
Location of Red Lodge, Montana
Coordinates: 45°11′15″N 109°14′55″W / 45.1875°N 109.24861°W / 45.1875; -109.24861Coordinates: 45°11′15″N 109°14′55″W / 45.1875°N 109.24861°W / 45.1875; -109.24861
Country	United States
State	Montana
County	Carbon
Area
• Total	2.6 sq mi (6.7 km2)
• Land	2.6 sq mi (6.7 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	5,568 ft (1,697 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	2,125
• Density	846.0/sq mi (326.6/km2)
Time zone	Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
• Summer (DST)	MDT (UTC-6)
ZIP code	59068
Area code(s)	406
FIPS code	30-61525
GNIS feature ID	0789456
Website	cityofredlodge.com

Red Lodge is a city in and the county seat of Carbon County, Montana, United States.^[1] It is part of the Billings Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,125 at the United States Census, 2010.^[2]

Geography

Red Lodge is located at 45°11′15″N 109°14′55″W / 45.1875°N 109.24861°W / 45.1875; -109.24861 (45.187515, -109.248475).^[3]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²), all of it land.

History

On September 17, 1851, the United States government signed a treaty with the Crow Nation, ceding the area which now contains Red Lodge to the Crow Indians. Rich coal deposits were found there in 1866, and gold was discovered nearby in 1870. An 1880 treaty between the U.S. government and the Crow allowed the area to be settled starting April 11, 1882.^[4]

The Red Lodge post office was established on Dec 9, 1884 with Postmaster Ezra L. Benton.^[5] A rail line was constructed into town, and coal shipments began in June 1889. The boundaries of the Crow Reservation were redrawn October 15, 1892, opening the whole area to settlement. From then until the 1930s, coal mining defined the town.^[6]

In the late 19th century, many new settlers came to Red Lodge. The majority came from Italy, Scotland, Wales, England, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, and Austria-Hungary. By the mid 1880s, migrants were still outnumbered by large numbers of Native Americans. By 1892 the population reached 1,180.

In 1896, Red Lodge had twenty saloons and, as the library records show, riotous and violent living was characteristic of the town. By 1906 the population had grown to 4,000 and by 1911 this had increased to 5,000.

Red Lodge suffered in the Great Depression, which forced many mines to close. To offset this downturn, the manufacture of illegal bootleg liquor, labeled syrup, became an economic mainstay and was sold as far away as Chicago and San Francisco.

In 1931 work began on the Beartooth Highway^{[7][page needed]} linking Red Lodge to Yellowstone National Park; it was officially opened in 1936.

Outdoor recreation

Red Lodge Palisades

The Beartooth Highway in the Beartooth Mountains

Red Lodge is well known for many outdoor recreation opportunities: skiing, mountain biking, and backpacking are nearby. In April it is host to a popular triathlon called the Peaks to Prairie.

Educational institutions

The Yellowstone Bighorn Research Association's Geology Field Station is located south of Red Lodge.^[8]

Media

Radio

• KMXE FM 99.3

Newspapers

• link Carbon County News (Weekly)
• link Local Rag (Monthly)

Climate

Red Lodge experiences a continental climate (Köppen Dfb) with cold, somewhat dry winters and warm, wetter summers.

Notable residents

• John "Liver-Eating" Johnston was elected the first marshal in Red Lodge in 1888.^[11]
• Laurie Niemi, Washington Redskins offensive tackle
• K. Ross Toole, noted Montana historian
• Brady Canfield, Bronze medal winner in the 2003 FIBT World Championships in skeleton racing

Site of the Smith Mine disaster

Smith Mine disaster

In 1943 tragedy hit Smith Mine #3 near Bearcreek, the area's largest remaining mine.^[12] An explosion trapped and killed 74 men - only three of the workers that were in the mine that day escaped. This was the worst coal mine disaster in Montana's history. The mines were shut down forever shortly thereafter. The Red Lodge cemetery contains a memorial.

Demographics

As of the census^[15] of 2000, there were 2,177 people, 1,020 households, and 528 families residing in the city. The population density was 846.0 people per square mile (327.1/km²). There were 1,415 housing units at an average density of 549.9 per square mile (212.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.14% White, 0.41% African American, 1.10% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.46% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.98% of the population.

There were 1,020 households out of which 22.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.2% were non-families. 39.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.04 and the average family size was 2.76.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.2% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,750, and the median income for a family was $40,260. Males had a median income of $30,250 versus $20,208 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,090. About 6.9% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.4% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

Schools

Red Lodge is served by three schools: Mountain View Elementary School, Roosevelt Middle School, and Red Lodge High School.

References

External links

• City website
• Red Lodge Area Chamber of Commerce

v t e Municipalities and communities of Carbon County, Montana, United States County seat: Red Lodge City Red Lodge Towns Bearcreek Bridger Fromberg Joliet CDP Belfry Unincorporated communities Boyd Edgar Fox Luther

v t e  State of Montana Helena (capital) Topics Index Bibliography History Governors People Geography State Government Delegations Visitor Attractions Society Crime Demographics Economy Education Politics Regions The Flathead Glacier National Park Regional designations of Montana Western Montana Yellowstone Largest cities Anaconda Belgrade Billings Bozeman Butte Glendive Great Falls Havre Helena Kalispell Laurel Lewistown Livingston Miles City Missoula Sidney Whitefish Counties Beaverhead Big Horn Blaine Broadwater Carbon Carter Cascade Chouteau Custer Daniels Dawson Deer Lodge Fallon Fergus Flathead Gallatin Garfield Glacier Golden Valley Granite Hill Jefferson Judith Basin Lake Lewis and Clark Liberty Lincoln Madison McCone Meagher Mineral Missoula Musselshell Park Petroleum Phillips Pondera Powder River Powell Prairie Ravalli Richland Roosevelt Rosebud Sanders Sheridan Silver Bow Stillwater Sweet Grass Teton Toole Treasure Valley Wheatland Wibaux Yellowstone