Havre, Montana

From Freepedia

Havre (IPA [hævɚ]) is a city located in Hill County, Montana, is said to be named after the city of Le Havre in France. Its name is of uncertain origin among its inhabitants. The area was orginally known as Bullhook Bottoms. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 9,621. It is the county seat of Hill County⁶.

Located in north central Montana, it was incorporated in 1893. It was founded primarily to serve as a major railroad service center for James J. Hill with its location midway between Seattle and Minneapolis-St. Paul.

It is the largest city on the Hi-Line and the eighth largest city in Montana. With the nearest major city, Great Falls, about 100 miles to the south, Havre serves as a medical and business center for the Hi Line. U.S. Highway 87 has its northern terminus at Havre. U.S. Highway 2, running east-west, is the city's main street. The largest employers are Northern Montana Hospital, Montana State University Northern, and the BNSF Railway. The Milk River (tributary of the Missouri River) runs through the town, and the Bear Paw Mountains can be seen to the South.

Walking around the streets of Havre one may see a few small grids of purple colored squares on the sidewalk. These are from a sort of underground "mall" built in the city at least a hundred years ago (the squares let in sunlight). Throughout its history, "Havre Beneath the Streets" has been host to a brothel, a Chinese laundromat, a saloon, a drugstore, at least three opium dens, and rooms used for smuggling alcohol during Prohibition.

At the bluffs behind the Holiday Village shopping mall in Havre, is the Wahkpa Chu'gn bison kill. Over 2,000 years old, it is one of the largest and best preserved bison kills anywhere. Also near the buffalo jump, as it is known in Havre, are the Badlands, an arid desert area in the valley near the Hi-Line's major source of water, the Milk River. Fossils and petrified wood can be found in the old sediment. In contrast to the beautiful Bear Paw Mountains to the south that are plentiful and lush during the spring, the Badlands are dry and resemble a desert region, thus making Havre one of the most geolocially diversified areas in Montana.

Six miles southwest of Havre is Fort Assiniboine, which served as one of Montana's principal military posts from 1879 through the Prohibition era. At its peak, the fort housed and employed 489 soldiers in 104 buildings.

Also near Havre is the Bear Paw Battlefield site of the Battle of Bear Paw Mountain, where the Nez Perce were treasonously attacked by the U.S. Cavalry. Chief Joseph eventually surrendered to the Cavalry and making a famous speech ending with the line, “From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.”

A well-known figure whose hometown is Havre is current Montana governor Brian Schweitzer.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 See also
4 External links

Geography

Image:MTMap-doton-Havre.PNG

Havre is located at 48°32'43" North, 109°40'39" West (48.545367, -109.677536)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.0 km² (3.5 mi²). 9.0 km² (3.5 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 9,621 people, 4,015 households, and 2,449 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,073.6/km² (2,778.2/mi²). There are 4,400 housing units at an average density of 491.0/km² (1,270.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 87.08% White, 0.11% African American, 9.01% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 2.78% from two or more races. 1.48% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 4,015 households out of which 31.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% are married couples living together, 11.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% are non-families. 32.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.32 and the average family size is 2.95.

In the city the population is spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 13.6% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 92.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $29,944, and the median income for a family is $38,870. Males have a median income of $30,401 versus $19,189 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,847. 17.5% of the population and 14.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 22.0% of those under the age of 18 and 7.8% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

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