Boulder, Montana

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Boulder
other_name =
native_name =
nickname =
settlement_type = Town
motto =

---

imagesize = 250px
image_caption = Jefferson County Courthouse in Boulder


flag_size =
image_

seal_size =
image_shield =
shield_size =
image_blank_emblem =
blank_emblem_size =


flag_size =
image_

seal_size =
image_shield =
shield_size =
image_blank_emblem =
blank_emblem_size =

---

mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location of Boulder, Montana


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
image_dot_

dot_mapsize = 250x200px
dot_map_caption = Location of Boulder in Montana
dot_x =
dot_y =
pushpin_

pushpin_label_position =
pushpin_map_caption =
pushpin_mapsize =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Montana
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Jefferson
subdivision_type3 =
subdivision_name3 =
subdivision_type4 =
subdivision_name4 =
government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
leader_title2 =
leader_name2 =
leader_title3 =
leader_name3 =
leader_title4 =
leader_name4 =
established_title =
established_date =
established_title2 =
established_date2 =
established_title3 =
established_date3 =
area_magnitude =
unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =
area_total_km2 = 2.8
area_land_km2 = 2.8
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 1.1
area_land_sq_mi = 1.1
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0
area_water_percent =
area_urban_km2 =
area_urban_sq_mi =
area_metro_km2 =
area_metro_sq_mi =
area_blank1_title =
area_blank1_km2 =
area_blank1_sq_mi =
population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_note =
population_total = 1300
population_density_km2 = 440.3
population_density_sq_mi = 1142.7
population_metro =
population_density_metro_km2 =
population_density_metro_sq_mi =
population_urban =
population_density_urban_km2 =
population_density_urban_sq_mi =
population_blank1_title =
population_blank1 =
population_density_blank1_km2 =
population_density_blank1_sq_mi =
timezone = MST
utc_offset = -7
timezone_DST = MDT
utc_offset_DST = -6
latd = 46 |latm = 14 |lats = 11 |latNS = N
longd = 112 |longm = 7 |longs = 19 |longEW = W
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 1496
elevation_ft = 4990
postal_code_type = Zipcode
postal_code = 59632
area_code = 406
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 30-08575
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0780250
website =
footnotes =

Boulder is a town in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Montana, United States.GR|6 It is on the north bank of the Boulder River between Butte and Helena, slightly east of the Continental Divide, at the intersection of Interstate 15 and Montana Highway 69. The population was 1,300 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Helena Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Established as a 19th-century stagecoach station, Boulder grew into a regional trading center for farmers, ranchers, and miners and, by the end of that century, home to state schools for the deaf, blind and developmentally disabled. In the 21st century, it is the center of government in Jefferson County, and institutions based in the town offer services for disabled or troubled youths. Its library system serves about 10,000 people, and its high school district covers more than convert|1000|sqmi|km2. Three buildings in Boulder are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History

Named for the many large boulders in the vicinity, the town of Boulder Valley was established in the early 1860s as a stage station on the route between Fort Benton and Virginia City. It later became a trading center for nearby agricultural areas and the Elkhorn, Comet, and Baltimore mining districts. The Great Northern Railway branch line from Helena to Butte reached Boulder in 1888. State schools for the deaf, blind, and developmentally disabled were established in the city in 1892. In 1897, the town's name was shortened to Boulder. [cite book
last = Cheney | first = Roberta Carkeek | title = Names on the Face of Montana | publisher = Mountain Press Publishing Company | year = 1983 | location = Missoula, Montana | pages = 29 | isbn = 0-87842-150-5 ]

Geography and geology

. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of mi2 to km2|1.1|precision=1, all land.

In the late Cretaceous Period (roughly 81 to 74 million years ago), molten rock (magma) rose to the Earth's surface in and near what later became Jefferson County and eventually formed an intrusive body of granitic rock up to convert|10|mi|km|0 thick and convert|100|mi|km|0 in diameter. This body, known as the Boulder Batholith, extends from Helena to Butte, and is the host rock for the many valuable ores mined in the region. As the granite cooled, it cracked, and hot solutions squirted into the cracks to form mineral veins bearing gold and other metals. Millions of years later, weathering allowed gold in the veins to wash down to the gravels in the Boulder River valley. [cite web | title = Math and Science Initiative: Elkhorn Volcanoes and the Boulder Batholith | publisher = State of Montana, Office of Public Instruction | url =http://mathscience.mt.gov/Elkhorn.html| accessdate = 2007-12-17 ] The Boulder mining district was essentially limited to placer mining of those gravels, because the source lodes were in other mining districts in the mountains.cite web | title = Historic Narratives, Boulder | publisher = Montana Government, Department of Environmental Quality | month = August | year = 2004 | url =http://www.deq.state.mt.us/abandonedmines/linkdocs/techdocs/75tech.asp | accessdate = 2007-12-17 ]

The Boulder area is underlain by the quartz monzonite of the Boulder Batholith. The batholith is overlain by dacite from the Tertiary Period (roughly 65 million to 1.8 million years ago) and andesite from the late Cretaceous. The andesite and monzonite are cut by dikes of dacite and rhyolite.cite web | title = Historic Narratives, Boulder | publisher = Montana Government, Department of Environmental Quality | month = August | year = 2004 | url =http://www.deq.state.mt.us/abandonedmines/linkdocs/techdocs/75tech.asp | accessdate = 2007-12-17 ]

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 1,300 people, 508 households, and 316 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,142.7 people per square mile (440.3/km²). There were 568 housing units at an average density of 499.3/sq mi (192.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.23% White, 0.23% African American, 2.31% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 2.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.15% of the population.

There were 508 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 103.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $29,276, and the median income for a family was $37,411. Males had a median income of $26,985 versus $22,500 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,657. About 10.7% of families and 15.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.7% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

About 300 people are employed in Boulder at the Montana Developmental Center, a state institution for people with developmental disabilities. Another 100 or so people work for Alternative Youth Adventures, which provides services for troubled youth. In addition, Riverside Corrections, a state-run detention center for juvenile females, employs about 30 people.cite web
url =http://www.jeffco.mt.gov/ | title = Jefferson County, Montana | publisher=Jefferson County Local Government | accessdate=2007-12-13 | ]

Boulder and vicinity are home to commercial "health mines" for which it is claimed by testimonial that exposure to radon gas mitigates auto-immune diseases such as arthritis.cite web| url = http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/MTBASradon.html | title = Radon Health Mines: Boulder and Basin, Montana | publisher= RoadsideAmerica.com | accessdate=2007-12-04 | ] Though contributing to the economy of the area by attracting tourists, the practice is controversial because of the "well-documented ill effects of high-dose radiation on the body." [cite journal | last = Salak | first = Kara | coauthors = Landon Nordeman, photographer | title = 59631: Mining for Miracles | journal = National Geographic | publisher = National Geographic Society | year = 2004 | url = http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0401/feature7/index.html | accessdate = 2007-12-31]

Arts and culture

Library

Boulder Community Library is the center of a library system serving about 10,000 people in Jefferson County, Montana. In 2005, it had about 39,000 books and serial volumes in its collection, 85 subscriptions, 3,200 videos, 1,500 audio materials, and 21 Internet terminals.cite web
url =http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/libraries/librarysearch/ | title = Boulder Community Library | publisher=National Center for Education Statistics, Institute for Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education | accessdate=2007-12-13 | ]

Historic buildings

Boulder has three buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. The Jefferson County Courthouse, on Centennial Avenue, was added in 1980. The Montana Deaf and Dumb Asylum, also known as the Old Administration Building, off Montana Highway 69 (formerly Montana Secondary Highway 281) near Boulder, was added in 1985. The Boulder Hot Springs Hotel, southeast of Boulder on Montana Highway 69, was added in 1979.cite web
url =http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/mt/Jefferson/state.html | title = National Register of Historic Places: Montana, Jefferson County | publisher=National Park Service | accessdate=2007-12-04 | ]

Media

Two weekly newspapers, "The Boulder Monitor" and "The Jefferson County Courier" are published in Boulder.cite web
url =http://www.jeffersoncountycourier.com/Home.html | title = "The Boulder Monitor" and "The Jefferson County Courier" | publisher=The Jefferson County Courier, LLC | year=2007 | accessdate=2007-12-17 | ] A low-power radio station, KEME, 106.3 FM, owned by Jefferson County Disaster and Emergency Services, broadcasts from Boulder. A licensed FM radio translator, K296AN, owned by the Boulder TV Association, also broadcasts from Boulder.cite web | title = Radio Locator: Boulder, Montana | publisher = Theodric Technologies LLC |year=2006 | url = http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/locate?select=city&city=Boulder&state=MT&band=Both&dx=0&sort=freq | accessdate = 2007-12-17]

Climate

The average temperature in January is convert|20|°F|°C|0|, and in July it is convert|64|°F|°C|0|. Annual snowfall averages convert|33|in|cm|0|.cite web
url =http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=800142&refer= |title =Weatherbase: Weather for Boulder, Montana, United States of America | publisher=Weatherbase | year=2007 | accessdate=2007-09-12 ]

Infobox Weather
metric_first=
single_line= Yes
location = Boulder, Montana
Jan_Hi_°F = 33 |Jan_REC_Hi_°F =
Feb_Hi_°F = 39 |Feb_REC_Hi_°F =
Mar_Hi_°F = 44 |Mar_REC_Hi_°F =
Apr_Hi_°F = 55 |Apr_REC_Hi_°F =
May_Hi_°F = 64 |May_REC_Hi_°F =
Jun_Hi_°F = 73 |Jun_REC_Hi_°F =
Jul_Hi_°F = 82 |Jul_REC_Hi_°F =
Aug_Hi_°F = 82 |Aug_REC_Hi_°F =
Sep_Hi_°F = 71 |Sep_REC_Hi_°F =
Oct_Hi_°F = 60 |Oct_REC_Hi_°F =
Nov_Hi_°F = 43 |Nov_REC_Hi_°F =
Dec_Hi_°F = 35 |Dec_REC_Hi_°F =
Year_Hi_°F = 57 |Year_REC_Hi_°F =
Jan_Lo_°F = 9 |Jan_REC_Lo_°F =
Feb_Lo_°F = 14 |Feb_REC_Lo_°F =
Mar_Lo_°F = 19 |Mar_REC_Lo_°F =
Apr_Lo_°F = 27 |Apr_REC_Lo_°F =
May_Lo_°F = 35 |May_REC_Lo_°F =
Jun_Lo_°F = 43 |Jun_REC_Lo_°F =
Jul_Lo_°F = 48 |Jul_REC_Lo_°F =
Aug_Lo_°F = 46 |Aug_REC_Lo_°F =
Sep_Lo_°F = 37 |Sep_REC_Lo_°F =
Oct_Lo_°F = 28 |Oct_REC_Lo_°F =
Nov_Lo_°F = 18 |Nov_REC_Lo_°F =
Dec_Lo_°F = 11 |Dec_REC_Lo_°F =
Year_Lo_°F = 28 |Year_REC_Lo_°F =
Jan_Precip_inch = 0.5
Feb_Precip_inch = 0.3
Mar_Precip_inch = 0.5
Apr_Precip_inch = 0.8
May_Precip_inch = 1.8
Jun_Precip_inch = 2.1
Jul_Precip_inch = 1.4
Aug_Precip_inch = 1.2
Sep_Precip_inch = 1.1
Oct_Precip_inch = 0.6
Nov_Precip_inch = 0.5
Dec_Precip_inch = 0.5
Year_Precip_inch = 11.2
source = cite web
url =http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=800142&refer= |title =Weatherbase: Weather for Boulder, Montana, United States of America | publisher=Weatherbase | year=2007 | accessdate=2007-09-12 ]
accessdate = September 2007

Education

Jefferson High School in Boulder is part of Jefferson High School District #1, covering about mi2 to km2|1100|abbr=yes in the northern half of Jefferson County. The district, based in Boulder, draws students from Basin, Clancy, Jefferson City and Montana City in addition to Boulder.cite web
url =http://jeffersonhsd1.schoolwires.com/jeffersonhsd1/site/default.asp | title = Jefferson High School | publisher= Schoolwires, Inc. | year=2007 | accessdate=2007-12-05 ] About 280 students in grades 9 through 12 enrolled at the high school in 2007. The school had about 20 teachers and a student-teacher ratio of about 14 to 1.cite web
url =http://montana.schooltree.org/public/Jefferson-High-051796.html | title = Jefferson High School | publisher= SchoolTree.org | year=2007 | accessdate=2007-12-05 ] The district also serves students in Basin Elementary District 5, Boulder Elementary District 7, Clancy Elementary District 1, and Montana City Elementary District 27.

Trivia

The parents of actor Patrick Duffy owned a local tavern in Boulder until 1986, when they were murdered by two teenagers during a robbery.cite web| url =http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001155/bio| title = Biography for Patrick Duffy| publisher= Internet Movie Database | accessdate=2007-12-04 | ]

References

External links

* [http://www.bouldermtchamber.com/Home.html Boulder Area Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.jeffco.mt.gov/ Jefferson County Government]