Baker, Montana
Encyclopedia
Baker is a city in and the county seat
of Fallon County
, Montana
, United States
. The population was 1,741 at the 2010 census.
It was named after A.G. Baker, an engineer with the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
.
of the Milwaukee Road
near where the railroad created a lake to supply water to its steam locomotive
s. The city was known as Lorraine for a brief time before being renamed in honor of Milwaukee Road engineer A.G. Baker. A successful Milwaukee Land Company campaign to attract homesteaders to the area allowed the city to grow and serve a large community of dryland farmers
. Additional growth occurred following the 1912 discovery of oil
and natural gas
deposits nearby.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), of which, 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (10.53%) is water.
Sandstone
rock is the predominant feature. Nearby Medicine Rocks State Park
has many unusual sandstone rock formations.
of 2000, there were 1,695 people, 694 household
s, and 455 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,974.8 people per square mile (761.0/km²). There were 855 housing units at an average density of 996.2 per square mile (383.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.11% White, 0.24% African American, 0.53% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races
, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.24% of the population.
There were 694 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were married couples
living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,893, and the median income for a family was $42,375. Males had a median income of $30,667 versus $17,500 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,461. About 7.7% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.
BSk) with cold, dry winters and hot, wetter summers.
is located one nautical mile (1.15 mi, 1.85 km) southeast of Baker's central business district
.
sports system. The school mascot
is the 'Spartan'.
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Fallon County
Fallon County, Montana
Fallon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of 2010, the population was 2,890. Its county seat is Baker.Fallon County was created in 1913 after being carved out of Custer County. The name comes from Benjamin O'Fallon, a nephew of Captain William Clark and an Indian agent...
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,741 at the 2010 census.
It was named after A.G. Baker, an engineer with the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
The Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until its merger into the Soo Line Railroad on January 1, 1986. The company went through several official names...
.
History
Baker was built along the transcontinental rail lineTranscontinental railroad
A transcontinental railroad is a contiguous network of railroad trackage that crosses a continental land mass with terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single railroad, or over those owned or controlled by multiple railway companies...
of the Milwaukee Road
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
The Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until its merger into the Soo Line Railroad on January 1, 1986. The company went through several official names...
near where the railroad created a lake to supply water to its steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s. The city was known as Lorraine for a brief time before being renamed in honor of Milwaukee Road engineer A.G. Baker. A successful Milwaukee Land Company campaign to attract homesteaders to the area allowed the city to grow and serve a large community of dryland farmers
Dryland farming
Dryland farming is an agricultural technique for non-irrigated cultivation of drylands.-Locations:Dryland farming is used in the Great Plains, the Palouse plateau of Eastern Washington, and other arid regions of North America, the Middle East and in other grain growing regions such as the steppes...
. Additional growth occurred following the 1912 discovery of oil
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
and natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
deposits nearby.
Geography
Baker is located at 46°21′53"N 104°16′30"W (46.364817, -104.275089).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), of which, 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (10.53%) is water.
Sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
rock is the predominant feature. Nearby Medicine Rocks State Park
Medicine Rocks State Park
Medicine Rocks State Park is a park owned by the state of Montana in the United States. It is located about west-southwest of Baker, Montana, and north of Ekalaka, Montana. The park is named for the "Medicine Rocks," a series of sandstone pillars similar to hoodoos some high with eerie...
has many unusual sandstone rock formations.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,695 people, 694 household
Household
The household is "the basic residential unit in which economic production, consumption, inheritance, child rearing, and shelter are organized and carried out"; [the household] "may or may not be synonymous with family"....
s, and 455 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,974.8 people per square mile (761.0/km²). There were 855 housing units at an average density of 996.2 per square mile (383.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.11% White, 0.24% African American, 0.53% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.24% of the population.
There were 694 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,893, and the median income for a family was $42,375. Males had a median income of $30,667 versus $17,500 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $17,461. About 7.7% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.
Climate
Baker experiences a semi-arid climate (KöppenKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
BSk) with cold, dry winters and hot, wetter summers.
Transportation
The Baker Municipal AirportBaker Municipal Airport
Baker Municipal Airport is a public-use airport located one nautical mile southeast of the central business district of Baker, a city in Fallon County, Montana, United States. The airport is owned by Baker City and Fallon County...
is located one nautical mile (1.15 mi, 1.85 km) southeast of Baker's central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
.
Education
Baker High School has an enrollment of 140, which places it in class B within the Montana high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
sports system. The school mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
is the 'Spartan'.
Notable natives and residents
- Irene LentzIrene LentzIrene Lentz , also known as Irene, was an American costume designer. Her work as a clothing designer in Los Angeles led to her career as a costume designer for films in the 1930s...
, Hollywood costume designerCostume DesignerA costume designer or costume mistress/master is a person whose responsibility is to design costumes for a film or stage production. He or she is considered an important part of the "production team", working alongside the director, scenic and lighting designers as well as the sound designer. The... - Shann SchillingerShann SchillingerShann Schillinger is an American football safety for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Falcons in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Montana...
, NFL football player for the Atlanta FalconsAtlanta FalconsThe Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... - Jack WestropeJack WestropeJack Gordon Westrope was an American Hall of Fame jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing.Born in Baker, Montana, Westrope was the son of racehorse owner/trainer W. T. Westrope. Jack was only 12 years old when he rode his first winner on a small track in Lemmon, South Dakota...
, Hall of FameNational Museum of Racing and Hall of FameThe National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
jockeyJockeyA jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:... - Elliot Maxx, ComedianComedianA comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
famed for his white hair and clever songwriting