Bearcreek, Montana
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Bearcreek is a town located in Carbon County, Montana. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 83, making it the smallest incorporated town in Montana.
The town of Bearcreek was named for Bear Creek, which runs through the middle of town.
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Geography
MTMap-doton-Bearcreek.PNG
Location of Bearcreek, Montana
Bearcreek is located at 45°9'35" North, 109°9'23" West (45.159849, -109.156322)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²). 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
History
Bearcreek was a coal mining town in the early 1900s, named for Bear Creek, which runs through the town. At its peak, Bearcreek and the surrounding communities of Washoe, New Caledonia, Chickentown, Scotch Coulee, International, and Stringtown, had a population of about 3,000 people, most of whom worked in the coal mines. Today, those surrounding towns are almost completely gone, with only a few houses and a quilt shop marking Washoe, currently the largest of them.
A rail spur ran to the mines in and around Bearcreek from Belfry for extracting the coal. From Belfry, it could be taken north to Billings, Montana or south to Cody, Wyoming.
On February 27, 1943, the Smith Mine #3 exploded in the worst coal mining accident in the history of Montana, killing 74 men and sealing the fate of the coal mining industry around Bear Creek. Today, the rail spur has been removed, and no active mining is done in the area.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 83 people, 38 households, and 22 families residing in the town. The population density is 267.1/km² (690.3/mi²). There are 40 housing units at an average density of 128.7/km² (332.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 96.39% White, 1.20% African American, 0.00% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 2.41% from two or more races. 0.00% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 38 households out of which 31.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.2% are married couples living together, 18.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% are non-families. 34.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.18 and the average family size is 2.35.
In the town the population is spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 33.7% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 4.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $32,917, and the median income for a family is $32,500. Males have a median income of $20,250 versus $25,000 for females. The per capita income for the town is $13,572. 12.6% of the population and 3.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 20.0% of those under the age of 18 and 0.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.