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Bozeman, Montana
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Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. With a population of 27,509 at the 2000 census, Bozeman is the fifth largest city in the state. The city is named after John M. Bozeman, founder of the Bozeman Trail. Located in the fastest-growing county in the state , Bozeman was elected an All-America City in 2001 by the National Civil League.
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Encyclopedia
Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. With a population of 27,509 at the 2000 census, Bozeman is the fifth largest city in the state. The city is named after John M. Bozeman, founder of the Bozeman Trail. Located in the fastest-growing county in the state , Bozeman was elected an All-America City in 2001 by the National Civil League. Bozeman residents are known as Bozemanites.
Bozeman is home to Montana State University - Bozeman. The local newspaper is the Bozeman Chronicle, and the city is served by Gallatin Field Airport.
History
Early History
For thousands of years, Native Americans tribes including the Shoshone, Nez Perce, Blackfeet, Flathead, Crow Nation and Sioux made the area their home, though the Gallatin Valley was not permanently held by any particular tribe.
19th century
William Clark visited the area in July 1806 as he traveled east from Three Forks along the Gallatin River. The party camped east of what is now Bozeman, at the mouth of Kelly Canyon. The journal entries from Clark's party briefly describe the future city's location in a place the local natives called the "Valley of the Flowers" .
In 1863, John Bozeman, along with a partner named John Jacobs, opened the Bozeman Trail, an offshoot from the Oregon Trail leading to the mining town of Virginia City through the Gallatin Valley and the future location of the city of Bozeman.
John Bozeman, with Daniel Rouse and William Beall platted the town in 1864 stating "standing right in the gate of the mountains ready to swallow up all tenderfeet that would reach the territory from the east, with their golden fleeces to be taken care of...". The Indian Wars closed the Bozeman Trail in 1868, but the town's fertile land attracted permanent settlers.
In 1866 Nelson Story arrived with 3,000 head of longhorn cattle sneaking past angry Native Americans and the U.S. Army who tried to turn Story back for safety reasons. Those first cattle formed the first herd in Montana's cattle industry.
Fort Ellis was established in 1867 by Captain R. S. LaMotte and two companies of the 2nd Cavalry, after the mysterious death of John Bozeman near Yellowstone and considerable political disturbance in the area led local settlers and miners to feel a need for added protection. The fort, named for Gettysburg casualty Colonel Augustus Van Horne Ellis, was decommissioned in 1886 and very few remains are left at the actual site, now occupied by the Fort Ellis Experimental Station of Montana State University . In addition to Fort Ellis, a short-lived fort, Fort Elizabeth Meahger (also simply known as Fort Meagher), was established in 1867 by volunteer militiamen. This fort was located eight miles (13 km) east of town on Rock Creek.
Northern Pacific Railway tracks finally reached the small town in 1883. By 1900, Bozeman's population reached 3,500.
20th century
The first Federal Building and Post Office was built in 1915. Many years later, while empty, it was a film location along with downtown Bozeman in A River Runs Through It (1992) by Robert Redford, starring Brad Pitt. It is now used by HRDC, a community organization.
The University's Museum of the Rockies was put on the map by famed paleontologist Jack Horner.
Residents and visitors enjoy easy access to skiing at the Big Sky Ski Resort, although many locals prefer the closer and cheaper Bridger Bowl Ski Area. Plentiful recreational activities and the free marketing the area received from A River Runs Through It and The Horse Whisperer have combined to bring a steady influx of new residents and visitors.
21st century
In the summer of 2007, construction started on a 435 vehicle parking garage located in downtown Bozeman. It is set to open January 2009. In recent years Bozeman has experienced significant growth, surpassing many other Montana communities as a retail and entertainment center. The city continues to attract new residents due to an abundance of jobs, and nearby recreation.
On March 5, 2009, several downtown businesses were destroyed when a gas line exploded; this was the largest explosion in Bozeman in 24 years.
Geography and climate
Bozeman is located at (45.677890, -111.047274), in the Gallatin Valley with the Bridger Mountains to the northeast, the Tobacco Root Mountains to the west, the Big Belt Mountains to the north, the Hyalites to the south and the Spanish Peaks and Gallatin Range to the southwest. Interstate 90 passes through the city, with the city lying east of Butte, Montana (87 by road), west of Billings, Montana (143 by road), and north of Yellowstone National Park.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.6 square miles (32.6 kmē), all of it land.
Climate in Bozeman and the surrounding area is fairly unusual in that it receives significantly higher rainfall, up to of precipitation annually vs. 8-12 in much of Montana. Combined with fertile soils, plant growth is relatively lush. This undoubtedly contributed to the early nickname "Valley of the Flowers" and the establishment of the state's . Bozeman has very cold, snowy winters and hot summers.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 27,509 people, 10,877 households, and 5,014 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,183.8 people per square mile (843.0/kmē). There were 11,577 housing units at an average density of 919.0/sq mi (354.8/kmē). The racial makeup of the city was 94.73% White, 0.33% African American, 1.24% Native American, 1.62% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.54% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.59% of the population.
There were 10,877 households out of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.0% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.9% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the city the population was spread out with 16.0% under the age of 18, 33.0% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 14.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 111.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,156, and the median income for a family was $41,723. Males had a median income of $28,794 versus $20,743 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,104. About 9.2% of families and 20.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.8% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.
Radio & TV
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Transportation
As of 2006, Bozeman has had a public bus transportation system called . Streamline operates 4 routes covering most of the Bozeman area. This includes the University, Hospital, Mall, Main Shopping areas, and downtown. The transportation system is funded by a variety of Federal, State, and local sources. The Associated Students of Montana State University is the largest contributor to the system. Because of this funding, consumers are not charged to ride the bus service.
Notable natives and residents
- Loren Acton, astronaut and physicist
- Elaine M. Alphin, author
- Conrad Anker, author and rockclimber
- John Baden, economist
- John Bohlinger, Lieutenant Governor of Montana
- John Bozeman, pioneer and founder of the Bozeman Trail.
- Dorothy Bradley, former Montana Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate
- Brannon Braga, writer and producer of Star Trek television shows and films
- Will Brooke, former chief of staff of Conrad Burns
- Deborah Butterfield, sculptor known for use of horses in artwork, displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, among many other museums
- Gary Cooper, actor, attended Gallatin Valley High School
- Sam Cox, author and telemark skier
- Dragan Danevski, cross-country ski coach
- Don G. Despain, botanist, ecologist, and fire behavior specialist
- Daniella Deutscher, actress
- Gustavus Cheyney Doane, member of Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition 1870 and buried in Sunset Hills Cemetary, Bozeman
- Travis Dorsch, former college and National Football League punter and placekicker
- Paul Durham, lead singer, songwriter, and founder of alternative rock band Black Lab
- Diana L. Eck, Professor of Comparative Religion at Harvard University
- Zales Ecton, Republican politician in the 1930s
- Pablo Elvira, opera singer
- Peter Fonda, actor, director, writer, and producer
- Charles S. Hartman, United States Congressman from Montana
- Jack Horner, preeminent paleontologist upon whom the main character, Dr. Alan Grant, in the book and film Jurassic Park was patterned
- Landon Jones, journalist and author
- Stan Jones, Libertarian Party candidate for Montana governor and United States Senator
- Dale W. Jorgenson, Harvard University professor and economist
- Donna Kelley, former CNN anchor and current KBZK anchor.
- Vanessa Kerry, daughter of John Kerry
- Nikki Kimball, three time winner of the Western States 100 mile endurance run
- Jane Lawrence, actress and opera singer
- Alex Lowe, mountain climber
- Darren Main, yoga instructor
- Ben Mikaelsen, author
- Greg Mortenson, author
- John Nord, professional wrestler
- Phil Olsen, former National Football League lineman
- Christopher Parkening, guitarist
- Robert M. Pirsig, author, past instructor of English / Rhetoric at Montana State University, revisited in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
- Elizabeth Clare Prophet, co-founder of Church Universal and Triumphant
- David Quammen, long-time columnist for Outside magazine, and author
- Red Cloud, a chief of Oglala Sioux who opposed the opening of the Bozeman Trail and fought over the vicinity of the future city site
- Scott Sales, Speaker of the Montana House of Representatives
- Jan Stenerud, Member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, AFL and NFL place-kicker for Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. Winner in Super Bowl IV
- Kevin Sweeney, former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys
- Sidney Runyan Thomas, judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- Julia Thorne, writer and ex-wife of 2004 Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry
- Ted Turner, entrepreneur and founder of cable television empires including CNN and TBS
- Kathy Tyers, writer particularly known for her contribution to the Star Wars series
- Peter Voulkos, ceramic artist
- Sarah Vowell, author, regular on This American Life, and voiceover actress, most recognized from The Incredibles
- Dave Walker, musician
- Timothy M. Weston, cross country skier
- Bill Yellowtail, former Montana state senator
Points of interest
Further reading
External links
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