Wolf Point, Montana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wolf Point, Montana
Roosevelt County Courthouse, Wolf Point, MT
Roosevelt County Courthouse, Wolf Point, MT
Location of Wolf Point, Montana
Location of Wolf Point, Montana
Coordinates: 48°5′29″N 105°38′33″W / 48.09139, -105.6425
Country United States
State Montana
County Roosevelt
Incorporated (city) 1915
Government
 - Type Mayor-council
 - Mayor Dewayne Jager (acting)[1]
Area
 - City 0.9 sq mi (2.3 km²)
 - Land 0.9 sq mi (2.3 km²)
 - Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation 2,000 ft (609 m)
Population (2000)[2][3]
 - City 2,663
 - Density 3,024.8/sq mi (1,167.9/km²)
 - Urban 3,427
 - Urban Density 3,909.6/sq mi (1,509.5/km²)
Time zone Mountain Standard Time (MST) (UTC-7)
 - Summer (DST) Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) (UTC-6)
ZIP code 59201
Area code(s) 406
FIPS code 30-81475
GNIS feature ID 0778652
Website: http://ci.wolf-point.mt.us/

Wolf Point is a city in Roosevelt County, Montana, United States. The population was 2,663 at the 2000 census.[2] It is the county seat of Roosevelt County,[4] and the largest community on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Wolf Point is the home of the annual Wild Horse Stampede, held every year during the second weekend of July. Wolf Point's Stampede is the oldest rodeo in Montana, and has been called the "Grandaddy of all Montana Rodeos". In 2003, Wolf Point was named the official site of the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame.

Contents

[edit] Geography

[edit] Topography

Wolf Point is located in north-eastern Montana at 48°5′29″N, 105°38′33″W (48.091303, -105.642538),[5] in the wide, shallow valley of the Missouri River, just below its confluence with Wolf Creek. Wolf Point is situated on the High Plains of eastern Montana. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), all of it land.

The city is located on the north bank of the Missouri River, the southern part occupying the ancestral floodplain of that river. The northern part occupies south facing, low-lying hills overlooking the floodplain terrace.[6] The central business district is located in the described southern portion.

[edit] Climate

Wolf Point experiences a semi-arid steppe climate (BSkw),[7] with generally cold, dry winters and hot summers. Late spring and early summer is on average the wettest period of the year. During the summer warm, humid air masses more typical of a warm summer continental climate (Dfb) may move into the area from the south or east. Summertime thunderstorms commonly occur and sometimes can be severe featuring hail and, infrequently, funnel clouds or tornados.

Cold waves may cover the area 6 to 12 times per winter, with temperatures well below 0 °F (−17.8 °C). Between cold waves there are sometimes periods of longer than 10 days of mild, but often windy weather caused by Chinook winds.[8] These winds cause temperatures to rise rapidly, often giving relief in the form of mild temperatures in the coldest months of the year.

Weather averages for Wolf Point, Montana
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 60 (16) 71 (22) 81 (27) 95 (35) 102 (39) 112 (44) 107 (42) 109 (43) 105 (41) 93 (34) 74 (23) 60 (16) 112 (44)
Average high °F (°C) 23 (-5) 32 (0) 45 (7) 61 (16) 72 (22) 81 (27) 88 (31) 87 (31) 75 (24) 61 (16) 41 (5) 28 (-2) 56 (13)
Average low °F (°C) 0 (-18) 8 (-13) 19 (-7) 31 (-1) 43 (6) 52 (11) 56 (13) 55 (13) 43 (6) 32 (0) 17 (-8) 4 (-16) 26.5 (-3)
Record low °F (°C) -42 (-41) -38 (-39) -31 (-35) 0 (-18) 19 (-7) 0 (-18) 35 (2) 34 (1) 14 (-10) -10 (-23) -21 (-29) -44 (-42) -44 (-42)
Precipitation inches (mm) 0.45 (11.4) 0.25 (6.4) 0.50 (12.7) 0.79 (20.1) 1.69 (42.9) 2.55 (64.8) 1.87 (47.5) 1.21 (30.7) 1.23 (31.2) 0.7 (17.8) 0.4 (10.2) 0.34 (8.6) 11.98 (304.3)
Source: Weather.com[9] August 2007

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 2,663 people, 981 households, and 685 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,024.8 people per square mile (1,168.4/km²). There were 1,091 housing units at an average density of 1,239.2/sq mi (478.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 55.73% White, 0.04% African American, 40.52% Native American, 1.01% Asian, 0.34% from other races, and 2.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.61% of the population.

There were 981 households out of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city the population was spread out with 31.0% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,962, and the median income for a family was $33,681. Males had a median income of $26,325 versus $23,333 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,605. About 17.0% of families and 17.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.1% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

The City of Wolf Point has a mayor-council form of government with a city council consisting of eight elected council members--two members from each of four wards. The mayor is elected at-large for a four year term. The city council determines the policy direction and administers the daily affairs of city government. The mayor appoints, with advice and consent of the council, the city attorney, the hybrid position of city clerk-treasurer, and the police chief. The position of city judge is shared with the Justice of the Peace of Roosevelt County.[10]

[edit] Mayors

Mathew Golik (November 4, 1948 - March 1, 2008) was the mayor between 1999 and 2008. He was appointed mayor in 1999 when the mayor at the time resigned. Golik was elected mayor in his own right in 2001 and re-elected in 2005; he held the post until his death. On March 1st his three-wheeler went through the ice on Fort Peck Lake where he had been ice fishing and he drowned.[11][12]

[edit] Education

[edit] K-12

The Wolf Point Public Schools, District No. 45/45A operates an elementary, a middle, and a junior/senior high school with a total student enrollment of more than 900 students.[13] Nearby, Frontier Elementary serves some rural areas of Roosevelt County and northern McCone County in grades pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

[edit] College

A branch campus of Fort Peck Community College is located in Wolf Point.[14]

[edit] Culture

[edit] Media

Wolf Point is served by two weekly newspapers, the Wolf Point Herald-News, and the Poplar, Montana, based Fort Peck Journal. A third paper funded by Fort Peck tribal government, the Wotanin Wowapi, ceased publication on January 28, 2008.[15] Local news, sports, and weather can be heard on radio station KVCK broadcasting on 1450 AM and 92.7 FM. Wolf Point and Roosevelt County are part of the Minot-Bismark-Dickinson local television media market (DMA).[16][17] Broadcast television can be received, either directly or via translator, from KWSE 4 (PBS), KUMV 8 (NBC), and KXMD 11 (CBS) all based in Williston, North Dakota; and KFBB 5 (ABC) based in Great Falls, Montana. Bresnan Communications offers cable television service.

[edit] Attractions and recreation

The Roosevelt County Museum provides a glimpse into local history. The museum society purchased a disused farm implement sales building on U.S. Highway 2 to allow for more extensive display of the museum's collections. Fund raising continues in anticipation of the renovation and occupation of the new building in 2008.[18][19] The historic Lewis and Clark Bridge (Wolf Point Bridge) crosses the Missouri River six miles southeast of town on Montana Highway 13. The adjacent Lewis and Clark Bridge Park provides access to camping, fishing, and rafting on the Missouri River.

[edit] Notable natives and residents

[edit] References in literature

[edit] Infrastructure

[edit] Transportation

Air - Big Sky Airlines serves L.M. Clayton airport with direct flights to Glasgow and Billings, Montana. Service is subsidized through the Essential Air Service program.

Highways - U.S. Highway 2, a major east west route in the northern tier of states connects Wolf Point with other Hi-Line communities from Washington state to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan . Montana Highway 25 provides a connection to Montana Highway 13 six miles east of the city. Montana Highway 13 extends from the Port of Scobey on the Canada-United States border in the north to Circle, Montana in the south.

Rail - Wolf Point is located on the Hi-Line of the BNSF Railway and has developed as a major shipment point for grain to West Coast and Great Lakes ports. Wolf Point is served daily westbound and eastbound by Amtrak's Empire Builder, and is the first station stop west of Williston, North Dakota.

[edit] Medical facilities

Trinity Hospital offers inpatient care, and emergency care in addition to a wide range of other services, and is operated by Northeast Montana Health Services (NEMHS). NEMHS also operates the Faith Lutheran Home, a 60 bed skilled nursing facility; and the Listerud Rural Health Clinic in Wolf Point.[24] The Chief Redstone Clinic is a facility operated by the Indian Health Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It supports a wide range of health needs for the Native American population in the Wolf Point area on an outpatient basis.[25]

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ Shumway, Darla. Mayor Dies In Ice Fishing Accident. Wolf Point Herald-News. Retrieved on 2008-03-11.
  2. ^ a b c American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  3. ^ Montana List of Urbanized Areas and Urban Clusters (PDF). Census and Economic Information Center, Montana Department of Commerce. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
  4. ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  5. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  6. ^ Public Facilities - City of Wolf Point, Montana. City of Wolf Point. Retrieved on 2007-09-20.
  7. ^ World Climates after Köppen-Geiger (JPG). Retrieved on 2007-08-26.
  8. ^ Climate of Montana. National Climatic Data Center (Western Region), National Weather Service. Retrieved on 2007-09-20.
  9. ^ Monthly Averages for Wolf Point, MT. The Weather Channel. Retrieved on 2007-08-26.
  10. ^ City Government - City of Wolf Point. City of Wolf Point. Retrieved on 2007-09-20.
  11. ^ Wolf Point mayor dies after driving ATV into open water Montana's News Station, 3 March 2008. Retrieved on 4 March 2008.
  12. ^ Wolf Point Mayor Dies When ATV Goes Through Ice Beacon, 3 March 2008. Retrieved on 5 March 2008.
  13. ^ Montana Public School Enrollment Data (PDF). Montana Office of Public Instruction (Fall 2005/06). Retrieved on 2007-01-30.
  14. ^ About FPCC. Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
  15. ^ Abourezk, Kevin (February 8, 2008). "Tribes shut down long-lived paper". Billings Gazette. 
  16. ^ Nielsen Media Research Local Market Universe Estimates (2006-2007 DMA Rankings). Nielsen Media Research (2006-09-23). Retrieved on 2007-01-30.
  17. ^ TV Market Maps (GIF). Echostar Knowledge Base. Retrieved on 2007-01-30.
  18. ^ Shumway, Darla. "Montana Historical Society director comes to Wolf Point to help plan new museum". Wolf Point Herald-News. 
  19. ^ Wolf Point Area Historical Society. Retrieved on 2008-02-08.
  20. ^ Inductees. ProRodeo Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2007-01-30.
  21. ^ Biography for Montie Montana. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2007-01-30.
  22. ^ Chaney, Rob (1999). "The 100 Most Influential Montanans of the Century". Missoulian. 
  23. ^ William, Least Heat Moon (1999). Blue Highways: A Journey Into America. Back Bay Books. ISBN 0316353299. 
  24. ^ Northwest Montana Health Services. NEMHS. Retrieved on 2007-01-30.
  25. ^ Fort Peck Service Unit. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Indian Health Service. Retrieved on 2007-01-30.

[edit] Further reading

  • Presser, Marvin W. (1997). Wolf Point: A City of Destiny, Billings, Mont.: M Press. ISBN 0-9652117-0-3
  • Hoye, Leota (1976). Roosevelt County's Treasured Years, Poplar, Mont.: Roosevelt County Bicentennial Committee. OCLC 41760470

[edit] External links