Hamilton, Montana
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Hamilton is a city located in Ravalli County, Montana. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 3,705. It is the county seat of Ravalli CountyTemplate:GR.
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History
Hamilton was founded by copper king Marcus Daly in the late 19th century. Daly is said to have wanted to begin business in the then county seat of Grantsdale, MT, but was denied the opportunity. He supposedly founded Hamilton out of his own pocket as a reaction to being rebuffed at Grantsdale.
In the summer of 2000, Hamilton made international headlines when forest fires throughout the Bitterroot Valley filled the area with smoke and prompted the evacuation of many residents. President Clinton declared a state of emergency in the area and dispatched National Guardsmen to assist with fighting the fires.
Hamilton is, as of 2004, home to two microbiological research and production facilities: the government run Rocky Mountain Laboratories and a branch of the Corixa Corporation (bought in the late 1990s from the Ribi Corporation). In the early 2000's, the government began a case study of the possibility of constructing a Level 4 Biohazard laboratory in the Rocky Mountain Laboratories facility, which would be the first civilian-run Level 4 lab in the country (all others are operated by military personnel). This caused much public outcry in the city, especially with the recent terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the anthrax-letter scare. Although they have been met with much local opposition, the facility is currently being constructed.
Geography
MTMap-doton-Hamilton.PNG
Location of Hamilton, Montana
Hamilton is located at 46°14'54" North, 114°9'35" West (46.248412, -114.159852)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.0 km² (2.3 mi²). 6.0 km² (2.3 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 3,705 people, 1,772 households, and 855 families residing in the city. The population density is 619.3/km² (1,603.6/mi²). There are 1,915 housing units at an average density of 320.1/km² (828.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 96.22% White, 0.11% African American, 0.89% Native American, 0.78% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 1.78% from two or more races. 1.65% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 1,772 households out of which 22.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.3% are married couples living together, 9.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 51.7% are non-families. 47.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 24.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 1.95 and the average family size is 2.81.
In the city the population is spread out with 20.2% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 28.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 44 years. For every 100 females there are 82.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 74.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $22,013, and the median income for a family is $30,665. Males have a median income of $25,795 versus $22,138 for females. The per capita income for the city is $14,689. 17.8% of the population and 14.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 28.4% of those under the age of 18 and 15.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
- Ravalli County Republic Newspaper (http://www.ravallinews.com/)