Wibaux, Montana
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name = Wibaux, Montana
| settlement_type = Town
| image_skyline = Main Street Wibaux MT.jpg
| imagesize =
| image_caption = Main Street in Wibaux
| image_map = Wibaux_County_Montana_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Wibaux_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize = 250px
| map_caption = Location of Wibaux, Montana
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{USA}}
| subdivision_type1 = State
| subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Montana}}
| subdivision_type2 = County
| subdivision_name2 = Wibaux
| government_footnotes =
| government_type =
| leader_title =
| leader_name =
| established_title =
| established_date =
| unit_pref = Imperial
| area_total_km2 = 2.78
| area_land_km2 = 2.78
| area_water_km2 = 0.00
| area_total_sq_mi = 1.07
| area_land_sq_mi = 1.07
| area_water_sq_mi = 0.00
| population_as_of = 2020
| population_footnotes =
| population_total = 462
| population_density_km2 = 166.26
| population_density_sq_mi = 430.57
| timezone = Mountain (MST)
| utc_offset = -7
| timezone_DST = MDT
| utc_offset_DST = -6
| elevation_ft = 2654
| coordinates = {{coord|46|59|12|N|104|11|24|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type = ZIP code
| postal_code = 59353
| area_code = 406
| blank_name = FIPS code
| blank_info = 30-80350
| blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
| blank1_info = 2413483{{GNIS|2413483}}
| website =
| footnotes =
| named_for = Pierre Wibaux
}}
Wibaux ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|iː|b|oʊ}} {{respell|WEE|boh}}) is a town in and the county seat of Wibaux County, Montana, United States.{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}} It is the only incorporated town in Wibaux County. The population was 462 at the 2020 census.{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 2, 2021}}
History
File:WibauxMontana1894.jpg tracks in the Wibaux area in 1894, by Frank Jay Haynes.]]
The town originally had names such as Keith, Beaver, and Mingusville (named for Minnie and Gus Grisy, who ran the Post Office in the late 19th century).100 Most Influential Montanans of the Century, [http://www.missoulian.com/specials/100montanans/list/053.html The Missoulan], The Missoulan In 1895, the town was renamed for prominent local cattle rancher, Pierre Wibaux, who had immigrated to the area from France in 1883.Pierre Wibaux, [http://www.ultimatemontana.com/newsletterarchives/121001.html] Ultimate Montana Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia Wibaux expanded his herds by buying stock from less fortunate ranchers.Aarstad, Rich, Ellie Arguimbau, Ellen Baumler, Charlene Porsild, and Brian Shovers. [http://mhs.mt.gov/pub/press/reference.asp#PlaceNames Montana Place Names from Alzada to Zortman] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091008060633/http://mhs.mt.gov/pub/press/reference.asp |date=October 8, 2009 }}. Montana Historical Society Press.
After Wibaux's arrival, the town became a major cattle shipping center for the Northern Pacific Railroad, notably receiving some of the cattle from Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt had a famous encounter with a bully at Nolan's Hotel in Wibaux (Mingusville, at the time) shortly after moving to the North Dakota Badlands in 1884. Arriving at the hotel late at night, Roosevelt was accosted by a drunk sheep herder carrying cocked revolvers in both hands, and ordered to buy drinks for the crowd. Roosevelt pretended to move towards the bar, then punched the man three times in quick succession, causing the drunk to fire his revolvers as he fell. The future president then took away the man's guns before several other occupants of the hotel dragged him out into a shed.{{cite book | first=Edmund | last=Morris | year=2010 | title=The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt | pages=275–76}}
Geography
Wibaux is located at Montana's border to North Dakota.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of {{convert|1.08|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, all land.{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=December 18, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702145235/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=July 2, 2012 }}
Beaver Creek runs through the town and has been known to contain large walleye and Northern Pike. The area around town also has deer, beavers, wild turkey, and antelope.{{cite web |title=Wibaux County, Montana |url=https://discoveringmontana.com/counties/wibaux/ |publisher=Discovering Montana |access-date=September 14, 2023}}
=Climate=
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Wibaux has a cold semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Wibaux was {{convert|110|F|C|1}} on August 1, 1918, May 29, 1919, and August 7, 1949, while the coldest temperature recorded was {{convert|-55|F|C|1}} in January 1916.
{{Weather box
|location = Wibaux, Montana, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1895–2021
|single line = Yes
|collapsed = yes
|Jan record high F = 62
|Feb record high F = 70
|Mar record high F = 80
|Apr record high F = 92
|May record high F = 110
|Jun record high F = 109
|Jul record high F = 109
|Aug record high F = 110
|Sep record high F = 106
|Oct record high F = 95
|Nov record high F = 78
|Dec record high F = 66
|Jan avg record high F = 48.6
|Feb avg record high F = 51.7
|Mar avg record high F = 67.4
|Apr avg record high F = 77.5
|May avg record high F = 84.4
|Jun avg record high F = 92.0
|Jul avg record high F = 97.7
|Aug avg record high F = 98.0
|Sep avg record high F = 93.8
|Oct avg record high F = 80.6
|Nov avg record high F = 63.4
|Dec avg record high F = 50.6
|year avg record high F = 100.4
|Jan high F = 26.6
|Feb high F = 30.4
|Mar high F = 42.7
|Apr high F = 54.9
|May high F = 65.4
|Jun high F = 75.3
|Jul high F = 84.2
|Aug high F = 84.1
|Sep high F = 72.7
|Oct high F = 55.8
|Nov high F = 40.8
|Dec high F = 29.5
|year high F =
|Jan mean F = 15.8
|Feb mean F = 19.4
|Mar mean F = 30.3
|Apr mean F = 41.2
|May mean F = 51.8
|Jun mean F = 61.4
|Jul mean F = 68.6
|Aug mean F = 67.4
|Sep mean F = 57.4
|Oct mean F = 42.7
|Nov mean F = 29.2
|Dec mean F = 19.0
|year mean F =
|Jan low F = 5.0
|Feb low F = 8.4
|Mar low F = 17.9
|Apr low F = 27.6
|May low F = 38.2
|Jun low F = 47.5
|Jul low F = 53.1
|Aug low F = 50.7
|Sep low F = 42.0
|Oct low F = 29.7
|Nov low F = 17.6
|Dec low F = 8.5
|year low F =
|Jan avg record low F = -23.2
|Feb avg record low F = -15.1
|Mar avg record low F = -5.2
|Apr avg record low F = 9.6
|May avg record low F = 22.8
|Jun avg record low F = 35.1
|Jul avg record low F = 42.1
|Aug avg record low F = 38.1
|Sep avg record low F = 26.1
|Oct avg record low F = 11.0
|Nov avg record low F = -4.7
|Dec avg record low F = -18.0
|year avg record low F = -28.8
|Jan record low F = -55
|Feb record low F = -44
|Mar record low F = -32
|Apr record low F = -12
|May record low F = 12
|Jun record low F = 20
|Jul record low F = 31
|Aug record low F = 26
|Sep record low F = 7
|Oct record low F = -16
|Nov record low F = -27
|Dec record low F = -42
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.26
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.38
|Mar precipitation inch = 0.55
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.50
|May precipitation inch = 2.72
|Jun precipitation inch = 2.80
|Jul precipitation inch = 2.29
|Aug precipitation inch = 1.77
|Sep precipitation inch = 1.78
|Oct precipitation inch = 1.22
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.47
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.32
|year precipitation inch =
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 3.9
|Feb precipitation days = 4.9
|Mar precipitation days = 5.0
|Apr precipitation days = 7.2
|May precipitation days = 9.1
|Jun precipitation days = 10.1
|Jul precipitation days = 7.2
|Aug precipitation days = 5.2
|Sep precipitation days = 5.5
|Oct precipitation days = 5.9
|Nov precipitation days = 4.3
|Dec precipitation days = 4.5
|Jan snow inch = 6.4
|Feb snow inch = 7.9
|Mar snow inch = 4.0
|Apr snow inch = 4.7
|May snow inch = 1.3
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.1
|Oct snow inch = 2.3
|Nov snow inch = 4.4
|Dec snow inch = 6.9
|year snow inch = 38.0
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 3.3
|Feb snow days = 4.1
|Mar snow days = 2.5
|Apr snow days = 1.7
|May snow days = 0.6
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.9
|Nov snow days = 2.9
|Dec snow days = 3.8
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00248957&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Wibaux 2 E, MT
|access-date = July 7, 2023
}}
|source 2 = National Weather Service
{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=ggw
|publisher = National Weather Service
|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Glasgow
|access-date = July 7, 2023
}}
}}
Demographics
{{US Census population
|1910= 487
|1920= 611
|1930= 619
|1940= 625
|1950= 739
|1960= 766
|1970= 644
|1980= 782
|1990= 628
|2000= 567
|2010= 589
|2020= 462
|footnote=[https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html U.S. Decennial Census]
}}
=2010 census=
As of the census{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=December 18, 2012}} of 2010, there were 589 people, 278 households, and 153 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|545.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 308 housing units at an average density of {{convert|285.2|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units|}}. The racial makeup of the town was 96.4% White, 0.5% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.7% of the population.
There were 278 households, of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.0% were non-families. 42.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.03 and the average family size was 2.76.
The median age in the town was 50.4 years. 19.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.3% were from 25 to 44; 31.7% were from 45 to 64; and 25.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.4% male and 52.6% female.
=2000 census=
As of the census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}} of 2000, there were 567 people, 239 households, and 139 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|532.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 321 housing units at an average density of {{convert|301.4|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units|}}. The racial makeup of the town was 98.06% White, 0.35% African American, 0.53% Native American, 0.18% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.71% of the population.
There were 239 households, out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.8% were non-families. 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 26.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 80.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $26,518, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $25,893 versus $20,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,105. About 2.9% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
The main industry in Wibaux is agriculture.{{cite web |title=Wibaux County |url=https://www.montana.edu/extension/wibaux/ |website=Montana State University |publisher=Wibaux County Extension Office |access-date=September 11, 2023}} The schools, Wibaux County Extension Office, and county government are major employers.
Beaver Creek Brewery is a craft beer brewery in town. They distribute in Montana and North Dakota.{{cite web |title=History |url=https://www.beavercreekbrewery.com/history |publisher=Beaver Creek Brewery |access-date=September 14, 2023}}
Arts and culture
The Wibaux Museum contains antiques from early settlers, including Pierre Wibaux and his wife Mary Ellen.{{cite web |title=Wibaux Museum |url=https://www.visitmt.com/listings/general/museum/wibaux-museum |publisher=Montana Office of Tourism |access-date=September 14, 2023}} The original house owned by the couple is part of the museum complex. It, and 3 other locations in town, are included on the National Register of Historic Places.{{NRISref|version=2010a}} Other sites in the complex are a Montana Centennial Train Car which was an exhibit in the 1964 World's Fair, a livery stable, and a barber shop.
The other locations on the National Register of Historic Places are: the Wibaux Commercial Historic District, which has a self-guided walking tour, St. Peter's Catholic Church, and the Vogt–Nunberg Farm.
Wibaux Public Library serves the area.{{cite web |title=Wibaux Public Library |url=https://sites.google.com/site/wibauxpubliclibrary/ |publisher=Wibaux Public Library |access-date=April 13, 2021}}
At the western end of town, there is a statue of Pierre Wibaux that he commissioned in his will to look over the sloping landscape.
Each year the town holds a summer festival, called the Ski Fest as homage to its predominantly Polish roots.{{cite web |title=Wibaux Montana |url=http://www.travelmt.com/mt-cities-Wibaux.html |publisher=TravelMT |access-date=September 14, 2023}} Festivities include a parade, polka music, and a ranch rodeo.
Education
Wibaux Schools educates students from kindergarten through 12th grade.{{cite web |title=Wibaux Schools |url=https://www.wibauxschools.net/ |publisher=Wibaux Schools |access-date=April 13, 2021}} Wibaux County High School's team name is the Longhorns.{{cite web |title=Member Schools |url=https://www.mhsa.org/memberschools |publisher=Montana High School Association |access-date=April 19, 2021}}
Media
The local newspaper is the Wibaux Pioneer-Gazette. It is published weekly.{{cite web |title=About The Wibaux pioneer-gazette. [volume] (Wibaux, Mont.) 1919-current |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85053309/ |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=September 14, 2023}}
The 2002 Vin Diesel movie, Knockaround Guys, was based (although not filmed) in Wibaux.Knockaround Guys, [http://www.reel.com/movie.asp?MID=131542&PID=10107523&Tab=reviews&CID=18 Reel.com]
Infrastructure
Wibaux is the easternmost town in Montana along Interstate 94. Montana Highway 7 extends south to Ekalaka. Highway 261 travels north to Sidney.
The nearest airport with regional flights is in Glendive, Montana about {{convert|30|mi|km|0}} away.{{FAA-airport|ID=GDV|use=PU|own=PU|site=12378.1*A}}. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective April 5, 2012.
References
{{reflist}}
{{Wibaux County, Montana}}
{{Montana}}
{{Montana Regions and Towns with Breweries}}
{{Montana county seats}}
Category:Towns in Wibaux County, Montana