Fort Peck is a town in Valley County,

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

, United States. The population was 239 at the 2020 census.

History

The name Fort Peck is associated with Col. Campbell K. Peck, the partner of Elias H. Durfee in the

Leavenworth, Kansas Leavenworth () is the county seat and largest city of Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 37,351. It is located on the west bank of t ...

trading firm of Durfee and Peck. In 1867, company employee Abe Farwell constructed the Fort Peck trading post along the Missouri River, which enjoyed a virtual monopoly in trade with the

Sioux The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin (; Dakota: /otʃʰeːtʰi ʃakoːwĩ/) are groups of Native American tribes and First Nations peoples in North America. The modern Sioux consist of two major divisions based on language divisions: the Dakota and ...

and Assiniboine people. After its short life as a trading post, Fort Peck served as an

Indian agency In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the government. Background The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the United States first included development of t ...

from 1873 until 1878. At that time, the agency was moved to its current location at Poplar. Fort Peck had a post office from 1879 to 1881. A new town of Fort Peck, located approximately two miles north of the original, was built in 1934 to house Army Corps of Engineers employees involved in the construction of the Fort Peck Dam. Designed to be temporary, the government-owned town nevertheless included many features of a permanent town, including an administrative headquarters, a hospital, stores, a theater, a recreation hall, and other facilities. Totally inadequate to house the 10,000-plus employees, Fort Peck was soon joined by numerous shanty towns, including Wheeler, New Deal, Delano Heights, and Park Grove. The Fort Peck Original Houses Historic District, the Fort Peck Theatre, and the hospital, administration building, and other associated public works properties are listed in the National Register.Montana Placenames: From Alzada to Zortman, p. 92
Montana Placenames Companion Website
/ref> The Administration Building, With . the Employee's Hotel and Garage, With . the Garage and Fire Station, With . the Hospital, With . and the Recreation Hall With . of the government-run town are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

Culture

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees the powerhouses, dam, lake, and dredge cuts, is the major employer in Fort Peck, as well as, other government programs. Until recently all of the houses in Fort Peck were government built. Fort Peck draws people from hundreds of miles away to recreate around Fort Peck Reservoir. Most popular is utilizing the lake and dredge cuts for boating, swimming, and fishing. Camping and barbecuing are very popular and facilities for camping and cooking are well developed. The Fort Peck Theatre is open during the summer and draws large crowds.

Geography

Fort Peck is located at (48.007858, -106.450327). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the town has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 233 people, 99 households, and 73 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 110 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 93.6%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 3.0% Native American, 0.4% Asian, and 3.0% from two or more races. There were 99 households, of which 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 2.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 26.3% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.74. The median age in the town was 48.9 years. 18% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.4% were from 25 to 44; 39.9% were from 45 to 64; and 18.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 52.8% male and 47.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 240 people, 91 households, and 75 families living in the town. The

was 274.9 people per square mile (106.5/km²). There were 99 housing units at an average density of 113.4 per square mile (43.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.25%

, 2.08% Native American, and 1.67% from two or more races. There were 91 households, out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.6% were

living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.5% were non-families. 14.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 2.89. In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.8% under the age of 18, 2.9% from 18 to 24, 21.7% from 25 to 44, 32.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males. The median income for a household in the town was $47,083, and the median income for a family was $50,938. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $33,750 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $17,943. None of the families and 0.8% of the population were living below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including no under eighteens and 6.9% of those over 64.

Notable people

The notable people were born, raised, or lived here for a time. *David Midthunder, Assiniboine-Sioux actor was born here. He grew up on the Fort Peck Reservation. ('' The Missing'', '' Hidalgo'' and '' Into the West'') *

Wayne Hawkins Wayne Allen Hawkins (June 17, 1938 – July 25, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a guard for ten seasons in the American Football League (AFL). He played for the Oakland Raiders from its founding in 1960 until 1969, ...

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Ra ...

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

, was born here. *

Ron Hauge Ron Hauge is an American television writer and executive producer. Early in his career, Hauge was a contributor to '' National Lampoon''. In 1989 he created a graphic for ''Spy Magazine'' captioned "The World Championship," with wars between co ...

, Emmy award-winning writer for ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...

'' grew up here, and went to high school in the neighboring city of

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...

References

External links

Fort Peck Summer Theatre

Vintage Life Magazine photos
{{authority control Montana populated places on the Missouri River Towns in Valley County, Montana Populated places established in 1986 Forts along the Missouri River Planned communities in the United States