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Geraldine, Montana

Main Street in Geraldine, Montana
Main Street in Geraldine, Montana

Geraldine is in the heart of wheat country. The townsite was formed along a railroad siding built by the Milwaukee Railroad. At that time, the railroad was primarily owned by William Rockefeller and the name for the town came from either Rockefeller's wife or her daughter.

In 1913, the Milwaukee Railroad built the Geraldine Depot. Because of the Rockefeller family interest, the buildling was a bit more ornate than most turn-of-the-century wooden depots and it has been fully restored, now operating as a museum. Next door is the depot for the still-active Central Montana Railroad (the reason why there are still operating grain elevators in Geraldine). At one time, Geraldine sported all kinds of business ventures including several stores, two barbershops and three lumberyards but these days, there's only one barbershop, one store, a bar/restaurant, a fuel-and-feed store, two garages, one bank and a local crop dusting service. The largest single employer in Geraldine: Geraldine Public Schools.

Outside of Geraldine is a feature named Square Butte. Square Butte rises about 2,400 feet above the surrounding plains (you can see part of it in the upper photo) surrounded by a collection of spires, pinnacles and buttresses. About 80 mountain goats live on top of the butte with several nice nesting areas for raptors around the sides. The whole thing is a designated Outstanding Natural Area.

Grain elevators in Geraldine, Montana
Geraldine's grain elevators
Fast Facts about Geraldine, Montana
Geraldine, Chouteau County, MT 59446
Elevation: 3,136'
Latitude: 47.6024°N
Longitude: 110.2678°W
Resident Racial Breakdown:
White Non-Hispanic: 96.7%
Hispanic: 3.3%
Education:
High School or Higher: 89.5%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher: 14.7%
Graduate or Professional Degree: 4.2%
2009 Estimates:
Population: 241
Males: 118
Females: 123
Median Resident Age: 37.8 Years
Estimated Median Household Income: $35,800
Estimated Median Home Value: $59,800
Population Density: 464 People per Square Mile
2011 Cost of Living Index for Geraldine: 85.0
Major Industries:
Agriculture, Educational Services, Social Services, Farm Supplies, Farm Products Wholesalers, Health Care, Transportation Services, Lodging & Food Services
Unemployed (March 2011): 5.3%
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Photo of grain elevators in Geraldine courtesy of the Montana Film Office.
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