Lewistown

Lewistown is a city in and the county seat of Fergus County, Montana. The population was 5,952 at the 2020 census. It was the site of an 1880s gold rush, and served as an important railway destination, supplying surrounding communities with bricks via rail. In 1942 the US Army Air Corps established a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress training base just west of Lewistown to train aircrews for missions in North Africa and Europe. The city park displays a Minuteman III ballistic missile. It is home to the last remaining Norden bombsight storage facility, used to keep the device safe from theft by enemy spies during World War II. It has a relatively dry humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) with long, dry and usually cold winters and short, warm, wetter summers. Winter weather can either be severe due to the movement of cold polar air from Canada, or occasionally very mild or even warm due to gusty chinook winds. The average window for freezing temperatures is from September 19 to May 23 allowing a "growing season" of 92 days and for subfreezing maxima from October 26 to April 2. The hottest minimum has been 71 °F (3 °C) on January 29, 1929; the coldest month was January 1, 1950, averaged which averaged 1.8 °C (1818 °F) during the summer. Most precipitation is from spring thunderstorms: the wettest calendar year has been 1953 with 2861 inches (726 mm) with driest 1091 mm.

History

Lewistown was the site of a gold rush when gold was discovered in the nearby Judith Mountains in 1880. In 1942 the US Army Air Corps established a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress training base just west of Lewistown to train aircrews for missions in North Africa and Europe. The city park displays a Minuteman III ballistic missile. The town is home to the last remaining Norden bombsight storage facility, used to keep the device safe from theft by enemy spies during World War II. It was the eastern terminus of the Montana Railroad which connected with Lombard, Montana, a distance of approximately 157 miles (253 km) The Montana Railroad line was constructed between 1895 and 1903, and operated independently until 1908, when it was acquired by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad ("the Milwaukee Road"). The city was incorporated as a city in 1899. It is now home to a public library, a museum, a park, and the LewistOWN Municipal Airport, which is the town's only public airport. It has a population of about 2,000 people, making it one of the smallest cities in Montana. The area was the territory of the Blackfoot Native Americans. In 1874, Fort Lewis was established there by Company "F" of the 7th U.S. Infantry to provide military protection for people traveling on the Carroll Trail, then the shortest route between Carroll, Montana and Helena. The first permanent settlers were Métis. The Metis established Lewistsown in 1879.

Geography

The city is located in the exact center of the state of Montana and is part of the Rocky Mountains. The city's water source is Big Spring Creek, which originates in the foothills of the Big Snowy Mountains. Lewistown experiences a relatively dry humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) with long, dry and usually cold winters and short, warm, wetter summers. Winter weather can either be severe due to the movement of cold polar air from Canada, or occasionally very mild or even warm due to gusty chinook winds. The wettest calendar year has been 1953 with 28.61 inches (726.7 mm) and the driest 2021 with 10.91 inches (277.1 mm) Despite the dry conditions, winter snowfall is substantial with an average of 63.1 inches (1.60 m) in January. The most snow on the ground has been 33 inches (0.84 m) on February 1 and 2, 1978. February 1978 also had the highest mean snow cover at 0.69 metres; the snowiest year has was 1955 with 172.5 inches (4.38 m) The least snowy was 1992 with only 30.2 inches (0.77 m), and the most snow in a month 41.0 inches (1.04 m) during March 1954. The average window for freezing temperatures is from September 19 to May 23, allowing a "growing season" of 92 days and for subfreezing maxima from October 26 to April 2. On average 9.3 afternoons will reach 50 °F (10 °C) during the three winter months.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 5,901 people, 2,761 households, and 1,512 families living in the city. There were 3,007 housing units at an average density of 565.2 per square mile (218.2/km²) The racial makeup of the city was 95.4% White, 0.3% African American, 1.7% Native American, 0.,4% Asian, 0,3% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population. The median income for a household in theCity was $28,949, and the median income. for a family was $36,888. The per capita income for the City was $16,817. About 9.0%. of families and 13.6% of. the population were below the poverty line, including 17.3%. of those under age 18 and 12.0. of those 65 or over. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was2.78. The city has a population of 5,813 people, with 2,868 housing units, and a population density of 3,055.3 people per squaremile (1,181.3/km 2) The city's median age is 45.4 years, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44 and 23.6%. from 45 to 64. In the city, the median age was 43 years.

Infrastructure

Lewistown Municipal Airport is two miles southwest of town. Lewistown is located on the Ohio River, which runs through the town. The town has a population of about 1,000. The airport is located two miles from the town's main road, which is a county road. It is a non-directional beacon for air traffic in and out of the town, and a short distance from the city's main highway, the Ohio Turnpike.

Education

Lewistown Public Schools educates students from kindergarten through 12th grade. There are three elementary schools, a middle school, and Fergus High School. They are known as the Golden Eagles. Lewistown has a public library, the LewistOWN Public Library. The town has a population of 2,000. It is located in the central part of the county. The city is located near the town of Fergus, which is in the eastern part. It has an population of 1,000, and an area of 3,000 acres. It also has a town hall, the town hall of the town, and the town's school district, the district's high school, the high school and the elementary school. The school district has a budget of $1.2 million. The high school has an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The elementary school has a enrollment of around 1,100. The middle school has 1,200 students, and there is a high school with 1,300 students, the school district's junior high, and senior high. The public library has a circulation of more than 1,400. It was established in 1881. It opened in 1883. It's located in a former mill site. The community has a history of being active in the community. It dates back to the 18th century. The first post-secondary school was founded in 1876. The current high school is the school that opened in 1896. It teaches students from the first grade through the twelfth grade.

Arts and culture

The Chokecherry Festival is an annual event that includes a chokecherry culinary contest, pit spitting contest, 5k run/walk and 10k run. The Metis Celebration is the only celebration for Metis people within the continental US. Traditionally held on labor day weekend, this festival includes a pow wow, fiddling, jigging, and other Metis related activities. 2015 marked the 21st year for the festival and it has been held on the same weekend as the Labor Day holiday. The event has beenheld for more than twenty-three years and is now in its 22nd year. The festival is free and open to the public and is open to all residents of the U.S. and Canada. It is also open to non-residents of the United States and Canada and is held on Labor Day weekend. It has also been held in New York City and Washington, D.C. in the past and will be held in Washington, DC in the future.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Lewistown, Fergus County, Montana = 98. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 43. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 100. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Lewistown = 3.7 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 5,952 individuals with a median age of 46.1 age the population dropped by -7.17% in Lewistown, Fergus County, Montana population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,040.20 residents per square mile of area (401.60/km²). There are average 2.1 people per household in the 2,492 households with an average household income of $38,911 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 4.20% of the available work force and has dropped -4.71% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 26.38%. The number of physicians in Lewistown per 100,000 population = 163.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Lewistown = 22.3 inches and the annual snowfall = 114.7 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 105. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 196. 81 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 4.4 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 69, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Lewistown, Fergus County, Montana which are owned by the occupant = 61.26%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 57 years with median home cost = $96,130 and home appreciation of -0.27%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $11.60 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,305 per student. There are 12.3 students for each teacher in the school, 692 students for each Librarian and 308 students for each Counselor. 5.13% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 14.36% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 5.08% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).