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POPULATION OF COUNTIES IN MONTANA, 1890 TO 2000
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2000
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1990
|
1980
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1970
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1960
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1950
|
1940
|
1930
|
1920
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1910
|
1900
|
1890
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CENSUS
|
CENSUS
|
CENSUS
|
CENSUS
|
CENSUS
|
CENSUS
|
CENSUS
|
CENSUS
|
CENSUS
|
CENSUS
|
CENSUS
|
CENSUS
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MONTANA
|
902,195
|
799,065
|
786,690
|
694,409
|
674,767
|
591,024
|
559,456
|
537,606
|
548,889
|
376,053
|
243,329
|
142,924
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|
|
|
|
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BEAVERHEAD
|
9,202
|
8,424
|
8,186
|
8,187
|
7,194
|
6,671
|
6,943
|
6,654
|
7,369
|
6,446
|
5,615
|
4,655
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BIG HORN
|
12,671
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11,337
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11,096
|
10,057
|
10,007
|
9,824
|
10,419
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8,543
|
7,015
|
...
|
...
|
...
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BLAINE
|
7,009
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6,728
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6,999
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6,727
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8,091
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8,516
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9,566
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9,006
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9,057
|
...
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...
|
...
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BROADWATER
|
4,385
|
3,318
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3,267
|
2,526
|
2,804
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2,922
|
3,451
|
2,738
|
3,239
|
3,491
|
2,641
|
...
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CARBON
|
9,552
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8,080
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8,099
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7,080
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8,317
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10,241
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11,865
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12,571
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15,279
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13,962
|
7,533
|
...
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CARTER
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1,360
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1,503
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1,799
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1,956
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2,493
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2,798
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3,280
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4,136
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3,972
|
...
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...
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...
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CASCADE
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80,357
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77,691
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80,696
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81,804
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73,418
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53,027
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41,999
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41,146
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38,836
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28,833
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25,777
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8,755
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CHOUTEAU
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5,970
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5,452
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6,092
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6,473
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7,348
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6,974
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7,316
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8,635
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11,051
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17,191
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10,966
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4,741
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CUSTER
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11,696
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11,697
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13,109
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12,174
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13,227
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12,661
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10,422
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11,242
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12,194
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14,123
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7,891
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5,308
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DANIELS
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2,017
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2,266
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2,835
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3,083
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3,755
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3,946
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4,563
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5,553
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...
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...
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...
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...
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DAWSON
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9,059
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9,505
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11,805
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11,269
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12,314
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9,092
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8,618
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9,881
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9,239
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12,725
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2,443
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2,056
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DEER LODGE**
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9,417
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10,356
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12,518
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15,652
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18,640
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16,553
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13,627
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16,293
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15,323
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12,988
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17,393
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15,155
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FALLON
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2,837
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3,103
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3,763
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4,050
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3,997
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3,660
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3,719
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4,568
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4,548
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...
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...
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...
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FERGUS
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11,893
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12,083
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13,076
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12,611
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14,018
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14,015
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14,040
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16,531
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28,344
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17,385
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6,937
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3,514
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FLATHEAD
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74,471
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59,218
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51,966
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39,460
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32,965
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31,495
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24,271
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19,200
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21,705
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18,785
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9,375
|
...
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GALLATIN
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67,831
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50,463
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42,865
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32,505
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26,045
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21,902
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18,269
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16,124
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15,864
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14,079
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9,553
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6,246
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GARFIELD
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1,279
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1,589
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1,656
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1,796
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1,981
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2,172
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2,641
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4,252
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5,368
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...
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...
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...
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GLACIER
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13,247
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12,121
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10,628
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10,783
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11,565
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9,645
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9,034
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5,297
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4,178
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...
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...
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...
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GOLDEN VALLEY
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1,042
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912
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1,026
|
931
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1,203
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1,337
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1,607
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2,126
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...
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...
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...
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...
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GRANITE
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2,830
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2,548
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2,700
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2,737
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3,014
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2,773
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3,401
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3,013
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4,167
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2,942
|
4,328
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...
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HILL
|
16,673
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17,654
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17,985
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17,358
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18,653
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14,285
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13,304
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13,775
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13,958
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...
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...
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...
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JEFFERSON
|
10,049
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7,939
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7,029
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5,238
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4,297
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4,014
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4,664
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4,133
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5,203
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5,601
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5,330
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6,026
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JUDITH BASIN
|
2,329
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2,282
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2,646
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2,667
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3,085
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3,200
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3,655
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5,238
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...
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...
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...
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...
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LAKE
|
26,507
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21,041
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19,056
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14,445
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13,104
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13,835
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13,490
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9,541
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...
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...
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...
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...
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LEWIS & CLARK
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55,716
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47,495
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43,039
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33,281
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28,006
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24,540
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22,131
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18,224
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18,660
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21,853
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19,171
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19,145
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LIBERTY
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2,158
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2,295
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2,329
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2,359
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2,624
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2,180
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2,209
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2,198
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2,416
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...
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...
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...
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LINCOLN
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18,837
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17,481
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17,752
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18,063
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12,537
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8,693
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7,882
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7,089
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7,797
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3,638
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...
|
...
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MCCONE
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1,977
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2,276
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2,702
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2,875
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3,321
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3,258
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3,798
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4,790
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4,747
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...
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...
|
...
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MADISON
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6,851
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5,989
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5,448
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5,014
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5,211
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5,998
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7,294
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6,323
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7,495
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7,229
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7,695
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4,692
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MEAGHER
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1,932
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1,819
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2,154
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2,122
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2,616
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2,079
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2,237
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2,272
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2,622
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4,190
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2,526
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4,749
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MINERAL
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3,884
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3,315
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3,675
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2,958
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3,037
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2,081
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2,135
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1,626
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2,327
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...
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...
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...
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MISSOULA
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95,802
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78,687
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76,016
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58,263
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44,663
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35,493
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29,038
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21,782
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24,041
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23,596
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13,964
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14,427
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MUSSELSHELL
|
4,497
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4,106
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4,428
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3,734
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4,888
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5,408
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5,717
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7,242
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12,030
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...
|
...
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...
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PARK
|
15,694
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14,484
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12,869
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11,197
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13,168
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11,999
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11,566
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10,922
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11,330
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10,731
|
7,341
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6,881
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PETROLEUM
|
493
|
519
|
655
|
675
|
894
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1,026
|
1,083
|
2,045
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...
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...
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...
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...
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PHILLIPS
|
4,601
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5,163
|
5,367
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5,386
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6,027
|
6,334
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7,892
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8,208
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9,311
|
...
|
...
|
...
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PONDERA
|
6,424
|
6,433
|
6,731
|
6,611
|
7,653
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6,392
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6,716
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6,964
|
5,741
|
...
|
...
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...
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POWDER RIVER
|
1,858
|
2,090
|
2,520
|
2,862
|
2,485
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2,693
|
3,159
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3,909
|
3,357
|
...
|
...
|
...
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|
POWELL
|
7,180
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6,620
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6,958
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6,660
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7,002
|
6,301
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6,152
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6,202
|
6,909
|
5,904
|
...
|
...
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|
PRAIRIE
|
1,199
|
1,383
|
1,836
|
1,752
|
2,318
|
2,377
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2,410
|
3,941
|
3,684
|
|
|
...
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|
RAVALLI
|
36,070
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25,010
|
22,493
|
14,409
|
12,341
|
13,101
|
12,978
|
10,315
|
10,098
|
11,666
|
7,822
|
...
|
|
RICHLAND
|
9,667
|
10,716
|
12,243
|
9,837
|
10,504
|
10,366
|
10,209
|
9,633
|
8,989
|
...
|
...
|
...
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|
ROOSEVELT
|
10,620
|
10,999
|
10,467
|
10,365
|
11,731
|
9,580
|
9,806
|
10,672
|
10,347
|
...
|
...
|
...
|
|
ROSEBUD
|
9,383
|
10,505
|
9,899
|
6,032
|
6,187
|
6,570
|
6,477
|
7,347
|
8,002
|
7,985
|
...
|
...
|
|
SANDERS
|
10,227
|
8,669
|
8,675
|
7,093
|
6,880
|
6,983
|
6,926
|
5,692
|
4,903
|
3,713
|
...
|
...
|
|
SHERIDAN
|
4,105
|
4,732
|
5,414
|
5,779
|
6,458
|
6,674
|
7,814
|
9,869
|
13,847
|
...
|
...
|
...
|
|
SILVER BOW***
|
34,606
|
33,941
|
38,092
|
41,981
|
46,454
|
48,422
|
53,207
|
56,969
|
60,313
|
56,848
|
47,635
|
23,744
|
|
STILLWATER
|
8,195
|
6,536
|
5,598
|
4,632
|
5,526
|
5,416
|
5,694
|
6,253
|
7,630
|
...
|
...
|
...
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|
SWEET GRASS
|
3,609
|
3,154
|
3,216
|
2,980
|
3,290
|
3,621
|
3,719
|
3,944
|
4,926
|
4,029
|
3,086
|
...
|
|
TETON
|
6,445
|
6,271
|
6,491
|
6,116
|
7,295
|
7,232
|
6,922
|
6,068
|
5,870
|
9,546
|
5,080
|
...
|
|
TOOLE
|
5,267
|
5,046
|
5,559
|
5,839
|
7,904
|
6,867
|
6,769
|
6,714
|
3,724
|
...
|
...
|
...
|
|
TREASURE
|
861
|
874
|
981
|
1,069
|
1,345
|
1,402
|
1,499
|
1,661
|
1,990
|
...
|
...
|
...
|
|
VALLEY
|
7,675
|
8,239
|
10,250
|
11,471
|
17,080
|
11,353
|
15,181
|
11,181
|
11,542
|
13,630
|
4,355
|
...
|
|
WHEATLAND
|
2,259
|
2,246
|
2,359
|
2,529
|
3,026
|
3,187
|
3,286
|
3,751
|
5,619
|
...
|
...
|
...
|
|
WIBAUX
|
1,068
|
1,191
|
1,476
|
1,465
|
1,698
|
1,907
|
2,161
|
2,767
|
3,113
|
...
|
...
|
...
|
|
YELLOWSTONE
|
129,352
|
113,419
|
108,035
|
87,367
|
79,016
|
55,875
|
41,182
|
30,785
|
29,600
|
22,944
|
6,212
|
2,065
|
|
YELLOWSTONE NP
|
****
|
52
|
66
|
64
|
47
|
58
|
43
|
52
|
...
|
...
|
...
|
...
|
|
|
|
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|
|
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|
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|
POPULATION FIGURES HAVE BEEN REVISED WHENEVER APPLICABLE TO INDICATE CORRECTED TOTALS.
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* = COUNTY STRUCTURE IN 1990. NO ATTEMPT HAS BEEN MADE HERE TO DOCUMENT THE EVOLUTION OF COUNTIES IN MONTANA.
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** = DEER LODGE COUNTY AND THE CITY OF ANACONDA CONSOLIDATED THEIR GOVERNMENTS IN MAY 1977.
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*** = SILVER BOW COUNTY AND THE CITY OF BUTTE, BUT EXCLUDING THE TOWN OF WALKERVILLE, CONSOLIDATED THEIR GOVERNMENTS IN MAY 1977.
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|
**** = THE PORTION OF YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK IN MONTANA IS NOW LEGALLY PART OF GALLATIN COUNTY AND PARK COUNTY.
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|
|
|
... = COUNTY HAD NOT YET BEEN ESTABLISHED WHEN THE DECENNIAL CENSUS OF POPULATION WAS CONDUCTED.
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
SOURCES: U.S. BUREAU OF THE CENSUS. DECENNIAL CENSUSES OF POPULATION (TITLE VARIES PER CENSUS), 1890-2000
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PROCESSED BY THE CENSUS AND ECONOMIC INFORMATION CENTER, MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Updated November 2002
|
The History of County Creation
Creation Date
|
County
|
County Seat
|
Plate #
|
|
02 February 1865
|
Beaverhead
|
Dillon
|
18
|
|
02 February 1865
|
Big Horn (original)*
|
Â
|
Â
|
|
02 February 1865
|
Chouteau
|
Fort Benton
|
19
|
|
02 February 1865
|
Deer Lodge
|
Anaconda
|
30
|
|
02 February 1865
|
Gallatin
|
Bozeman
|
6
|
|
02 February 1865
|
Jefferson
|
Boulder
|
51
|
|
02 February 1865
|
Edgerton (Lewis and Clark)**
|
Helena
|
5
|
|
02 February 1865
|
Madison
|
Virginia City
|
25
|
|
02 February 1865
|
Missoula
|
Missoula
|
4
|
|
Montana is both a Latin and Spanish word for a mountainous region, a name first applied to the region in 1864. At this time, Judge
Sidney Edgerton persuaded Congressman and chair of the House Committee on Territories James M. Ashley (Republican-Ohio)
to carry forward a bill creating a new territory, which shley called Montana. The bill was successful and President Abraham Lincoln
signed it into law on May 26, 1864 (Malone, Roeder, and Lange, p. 95-96).
Upon his appointment as territorial governor, Sidney Edgerton returned to Montana and designated Bannack as the temporary capital of
the new territory. Edgerton presided over the first legislature, which resulted in the creation of the territory’s original nine counties.
In the fall of 1865, Edgerton returned east to settle some personal matters in Ohio before traveling to Washington D.C. on territorial business.
However, when he left Montana he did not obtain a leave of absence and as such was forced to resign his position as territorial
governor in 1866 (Malone, Roeder, and Lange, p. 100).
Although created as one of Montana’s nine original counties, the first territorial legislature administratively attached Big Horn County t
o Gallatin County. The county ceased to exist altogether with the creations of Dawson and Custer Counties.
Big Horn County experienced a re-birth in 1913 during Montana’s county splitting heyday.
The territorial legislature changed the name of Edgerton County to Lewis and Clark County 1867.
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