Dillon is a city in and the county seat of Beaverhead County, Montana, United States. The population was 3,880 at the 2020 census. The city was named for Sidney Dillon (1812–1892), president of Union Pacific Railroad.
History
Dillon was founded in the Beaverhead Valley as a railroad town in 1880. Originally named “Terminus” as it was temporarily the northernmost stop on the Utah and Northern Railway while it was under construction, in 1881, the community was renamed for Union Pacific Railroad President Sidney Dillon, who had directed the project of bringing the railroad through to Butte, Montana. The town's location was selected by the railroad in part because of its proximity to gold mines in the area.
The first ore discovered in the Dillon area was silver. Gold was first discovered at Grasshopper Creek in 1862, precipitating a flood of immigration to the area. The last real gold rush in the area occurred near Argenta in 1920 and lasted for 30 years.
Dillon served as a central location for transporting goods to nearby boomtowns such as Bannack, Argenta, Glen, and Virginia City. In 1881, Dillon became part of a contentious battle with Bannack to become the county seat of Beaverhead County. The first brick building in Dillon was built in 1882. In 1884, Dillon became an incorporated town and began building sidewalks and permanent dwellings for the residents.
While many of the gold mining towns around Dillon died, Dillon was able to thrive due to the railroad and talc mining in the area. A cattle industry was established in 1865. The agriculturally rich Beaverhead Valley became an ideal location for sheep ranching, introduced in 1869. Dillon was once the largest exporter of sheep wool in Montana.
The Montana Normal College was established as a teaching college in 1892, and is still functioning today, renowned for its Education program. A circus elephant named Old Pitt was struck by lightning in 1943 and is buried at the Dillon fairgrounds. Captain Joel Rude of the Montana National Guard crashed his F-106 into a grain elevator and died during a Labor Day Parade on September 3, 1979. A plaque in his honor is part of the Southwest Montana Veterans Memorial park in Dillon.
Geography
Dillon is located at (45.215735, -112.634055), approximately east of the Continental Divide. It lies at an elevation of .
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. Dillon is situated on the Beaverhead River.
Demographics
In April 2010, Dillon was listed as one of "America's Prettiest Towns" by Forbes magazine.
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 4,134 people, 1,774 households, and 897 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,930 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.7% White, 0.3% African American, 1.4% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.6% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.5% of the population.
There were 1,774 households, of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.2% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 49.4% were non-families. 40.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.82.
The median age in the city was 33.9 years. 20% of residents were under the age of 18; 19.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.3% were from 25 to 44; 23.7% were from 45 to 64; and 16.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 3,752 people, 1,669 households, and 934 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,831 housing units at an average density of 1,122.7 per square mile (433.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.43% White, 0.35% African American, 1.31% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.61% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.95% of the population.
There were 1,669 households, out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.3% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.0% were non-families. 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.88.