Meagher County, Montana

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Meagher County

| state = Montana

| ex image = Byron R. Sherman House 06.JPG

| ex image size = 220px

| ex image cap = The Castle of White Sulphur Springs

| seal =

| founded date = November 16

| founded year = 1867

| seat wl = White Sulphur Springs

| largest city wl = White Sulphur Springs

| area_total_sq_mi = 2395

| area_land_sq_mi = 2392

| area_water_sq_mi = 2.8

| area percentage = 0.1

| population_as_of = 2020

| population_total = 1927

| pop_est_as_of = 2022

| population_est = 2013 {{increase}}

| population_density_sq_mi = auto

| web = http://www.meagherco.com

| district = 2nd

| time zone = Mountain

| named for = Thomas Francis Meagher

| footnotes =

Montana county number 47

}}

Meagher County ({{IPAc-en|m|ɑr}} {{respell|MAR}}) is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,927.{{Cite web |title=State & County QuickFacts |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/meaghercountymontana/PST045222 |access-date=May 8, 2023 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}} Its county seat is White Sulphur Springs.{{Cite web |title=Find a County |url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |publisher=National Association of Counties}}

According to the United States Census Bureau, the 2010 center of population of Montana is located in Meagher County at {{coord|46.78|N|111.3|W|}}{{Cite web |title=Centers of Population by State: 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/reference/docs/cenpop2010/CenPop2010_Mean_ST.txt |access-date=March 29, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |format=txt}}

History

Meagher County was named for Thomas Francis Meagher, territorial governor of Montana.{{Cite book |last=Gannett |first=Henry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9V1IAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA204 |title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |year=1905 |page=204}}

The first county seat was Diamond City, the main city of the Confederate Gulch mining district. This area is no longer part of Meagher County, but today lies in neighboring Broadwater County.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of {{convert|2395|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|2392|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|2.8|sqmi}} (0.1%) is water.{{Cite web |date=August 22, 2012 |title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_30.txt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205145322/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_30.txt |archive-date=December 5, 2014 |access-date=November 29, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}

=Major highways=

=Adjacent counties=

Cascade County - north
Judith Basin County - northeast
Wheatland County - east
Sweet Grass County - southeast
Park County - south
Gallatin County - south
Broadwater County - west
Lewis and Clark County - northwest

=National protected areas=

Politics

This county has a strong Republican lean. This was one of 12 counties in Montana that Barry Goldwater won in 1964. A Democrat has not won since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940.

{{PresHead|place=Meagher County, Montana|whig=no|source1={{Cite web |last=Leip |first=David |title=Atlas of US Presidential Elections |url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS |access-date=April 3, 2018 |website=uselectionatlas.org}}}}

Demographics

{{US Census population

|1870= 1387

|1880= 2743

|1890= 4749

|1900= 2526

|1910= 4190

|1920= 2622

|1930= 2272

|1940= 2237

|1950= 2079

|1960= 2616

|1970= 2122

|1980= 2154

|1990= 1819

|2000= 1932

|2010= 1891

|2020= 1927

|estyear=2022

|estimate=2013

|estref={{Cite web |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html |access-date=May 8, 2023 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{Cite web |title=U.S. Decennial Census |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |access-date=November 29, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}
1790–1960,{{Cite web |title=Historical Census Browser |url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu |access-date=November 29, 2014 |publisher=University of Virginia Library}} 1900–1990,{{Cite web |title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/mt190090.txt |access-date=November 29, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}
1990–2000,{{Cite web |title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |access-date=November 29, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}} 2010–2020

}}

=2020 census=

As of the 2020 census, there were 1,927 people living in the county.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

=2010 census=

As of the 2010 census, there were 1,891 people, 806 households, and 509 families in the county. The population density was {{convert|0.8|PD/sqmi}}. There were 1,432 housing units at an average density of {{convert|0.6|/mi2|/km2|adj=pre|units }}. The racial makeup of the county was 97.9% white, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.1% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 38.6% were German, 14.3% were Norwegian, 13.6% were Irish, 11.0% were English, 5.9% were Scotch-Irish, and 3.2% were American.

Of the 806 households, 20.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.8% were non-families, and 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.67. The median age was 50.1 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,577 and the median income for a family was $40,057. Males had a median income of $30,556 versus $16,414 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,318. About 14.1% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.7% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

=City=

White Sulphur Springs (county seat)

=Census-designated places=

=Other unincorporated communities=

Castle Town[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Castle+Town,+MT+59053/@46.4336862,-110.5933688,12.25z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x534443bd109ec089:0x934cd92a352bf664!8m2!3d46.4413323!4d-110.6718674 Castle Town MT Google Maps (accessed January 3, 2019)]
Checkerboard[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Checkerboard,+MT+59053/@46.5724491,-110.5556203,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x534414579c172427:0x5361dadc8a56d684!8m2!3d46.57245!4d-110.5468655 Checkerboard MT Google Maps (accessed January 3, 2019)]
Copperopolis
Fort Logan[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Fort+Logan,+MT+59645/@46.6785552,-111.1814831,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x53448082591d06bb:0x72f92debdd8cb1cb!8m2!3d46.678556!4d-111.1727283 Fort Logan MT Google Maps (accessed January 3, 2019)]
Hamen[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hamen,+MT+59053/@46.3097198,-110.7106721,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x5344505c1d849bad:0x634f95de251ebe67!8m2!3d46.3096613!4d-110.7007587 Hamen MT Google Maps (accessed January 3, 2019)]
Lennep
Loweth[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Loweth,+MT+59053/@46.3688287,-110.7164575,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x53445ad75d5f17e3:0xa4fbba678b15ba29!8m2!3d46.3688296!4d-110.7077027 Loweth MT Google Maps (accessed January 3, 2019)]
Minden
Moss Agate[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Moss+Agate,+MT+59645/@46.3654154,-110.8371474,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x53445968dea69cf9:0x96d16f26fdae8b20!8m2!3d46.3657716!4d-110.8282639 Moss Agate MT Google Maps (accessed January 3, 2019)]
Moyne[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Moyne,+MT+59645/@46.2563224,-110.8839671,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x5344f8f4ad3822e3:0x8a0fb16270975f50!8m2!3d46.2563232!4d-110.8752123 Moyne MT Google Maps (accessed January 3, 2019)]
Ringling
Sixteen

=Individual residences (identified on aerial map)=

Ford Place[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ford+Place,+MT+59645/@46.2529901,-110.8125746,2917m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x53447a94c66810b3:0xc1f3bd6f91d4ed66!2sMeagher+County,+MT!3b1!8m2!3d46.620195!4d-110.8848271!3m4!1s0x53445669bf07980f:0x4de7633bb8487682!8m2!3d46.2529907!4d-110.8038193 Ford Place MT Google Maps (accessed January 3, 2019)]