This is Hamilton, Montana online. We feature local businesses. You can shop, find services, visit friends and catch the news. Please add any local events to the calendar... and have fun. About Hamilton:
 Hamilton, Montana is located in south-western Montana in the beautiful
Bitterroot Valley. This is a wide open valley traversed by US Highway 93 and the
Bitterroot River. Hamilton is both a very popular traveler's destination and
great place to live. This is a paradise for people who love the outdoors, nature, gardening and community. Hamilton has both the small-town feel of rural Montana, and quick access to city services in nearby Missoula.
This valley was once home to the Bitterroot Salish Indian Tribe. The tribe was noted for their friendly nature. In 1877, Chief Joseph and his tribe of Nez Perce passed through Ravalli county on their way to Canada in order to escape confinement to a reservation. The Salish were relocated to their current Flathead reservation under the Treaty of Hellgate.
Lewis and Clark came into the valley September 4th, 1805. The valley that we,
today, find to be a mecca of gardens and recreation, was a cold inhospitable
place to the Corp of Discovery as they made their way to the Pacific.
The city of Hamilton was founded in 1890 by an Irish immigrant and copper magnate,
Marcus Daly. Daly came into the valley and founded a 22,000 acre stock farm.
He decided it would be a good thing to have a town nearby, so he laid out his
own city along the Northern Pacific Railway route, with plots for churches,
schools, parks and businesses. The town was named after his employee, James
Hamilton, who surveyed the first plats.
The last turn of the century was a wild and prosperous time in Hamilton. Calamity
Jane lived here for awhile, running a cafe on Main Street, and the Ravalli County
Fairgrounds once covered 40 acres!
Hamilton is the largest town in the Bitterroot Valley, which is the location
of the classic book, "A River Runs Through It", by Norman Maclean. This book
is a wonderful story of family and fly fishing, that encapsulates the vast beauty
of the Bitterroot Valley. A must read for anyone interested in the area.
Weather Information
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Hamilton Montana Population
As of 2005, Hamilton
has an estimated population of 4,443 (up from 3,705 in the census of 2000).
This is in the City Limits, but Hamilton spills vigorously into the surrounding
county more than doubling the immediate population. Hamilton is a well-planned
town, with lots of pleasant living space for the population. Lots are large,
with numerous county subdivisions having lots of half to one acre. Throughout
the countryside numerous 5-10 acre lots are springing up with new building.
The elevation of Hamilton is 3572 feet. Hamilton is located on the valley floor,
with the nearby Bitterroot Mountains raising up creating fabulous views to the
west. Hikers can quickly rise in elevation several thousand feet. Lost Trail
Pass (dividing Idaho and Montana) is 7014 feet in elevation.
Recreation:
The Hamilton area is a great recreation area for fishing, hunting, boating
and hiking. Vast areas of wilderness abound just to the west of the Bitterroot
valley with miles of pristine forest, wildlife and views. The Bitterroot River
runs through the valley, close to town, creating favorite hiking trails and
picnic areas for residents. The town of Hamilton boasts numerous hunting,
fishing and outfitting businesses who can show travelers the best local
haunts. The local newspaper reports water levels, the hatch, and the latest
on fishing activity as a regular feature.
The Bitterroot River was known to the Salish Indians as "Ootlashoot",
which can be translated as Spitlem seukn or "waters of the bitter
root. The bitter root itself is a beautiful, low growing flower, with an edible
root that is bitter in it's raw state, but quite tasty when mixed in the traditional
ways with deer fat and moss, and a staple food of the local tribes.
A favorite recreational sport in the valley is mountain
biking with the local area sporting hundreds of miles of trails and dirt
roads. During the winter the outlaying area holds fine cross country skiing
trails, and a nearby downhill ski area on Lost Trail Pass.
Living in Hamilton:
Hamilton is a great spot to live in Montana. People who like city life would
prefer Bozeman, Montana, or Missoula,
Montana, but those of us who enjoy a small-town feel love Hamilton. Here
are some of the things we love about Hamilton:
- Traffic moves slow through town! What's the hurry anyway? Speed limit on
First Street though the heart of Hamilton is 25 MPH, a nice, moderate
pace. Driving through town is calm and easy, giving us plenty of time to check
out the local businesses and see a friend or two driving
by.
- Active community participation. Hamilton has an active volunteer fire department,
historical society, library, fair grounds, choir, theater groups and more.
- Friendly neighborhoods. Our small-town neighborhoods are people friendly,
a great place to get to know your neighbors. We still have block parties and
talk with each other over the fence!
Nearby Towns:
Hamilton is located near the south end of the Bitterroot Valley
Further to the south of Hamilton, along Highway 93, you will find: Darby Montana, and
up over Lost Trail Pass into Idaho: Salmon
Idaho.
To the north, also along Highway 93 you will find (in this order): Corvallis,
Victor, Stevensville,
Florence, Missoula
Montana. All in the beautiful Bitterroot
Valley.
...more
Some Interesting Bitterroot Valley History
The Medicine Tree
 The Medicine Tree is a half hour drive north of Hamilton on U.S. Highway 93.
This towering 300-year-old ponderosa pine has been a sacred site for the Salish-Kootenai
tribes for many generations and tribal members still make regular pilgrimages
to the tree, leaving personal tokens such as scarves and feathers. For generations
the tree has been quite a landmark for residents of all races and seems to have
stood as a monument to a certain religious tolerance. Stories abound of white
settlers enjoying large gatherings of tribes making offerings to the tree, and
travelers over Lost Trail Pass have noted the graceful presence of gifts hanging
from the tree branches.
According to legend of the local tribes Coyote was warned about an monstrous
bighorn sheep creating terror near the south end of the Bitterroot Valley. Coyote
had been killing monsters all over the valley, and set off to encounter the
ram. Coyote tricked the creature into charging a small tree to show his strength,
and the ram's large curled horns sank into the tree, trapping it so Coyote could
cut off it's head with three swift strokes of his flint knife.
Coyote then stood by the tree and said: "In the generations of human beings
to come, there will be no such wicked creatures. This tree will be a place for
human beings to leave offerings of their prized possessions, and to give thanks,
and to pray for their well-being, for good fortune and good health. Those who
are not sincere and serious in making their wishes will have misfortune and
even death."
Apparently, on March 11, 1824, Alexander Ross, in command of a party
of 64 men under the Hudson Bay Company, discovered the skull and horns of a
bighorn ram half imbedded in the tree about five feet off ground. No sign of
the bones remain today, however.
 There are other stories of the tree magically helping native American's fleeing
trouble through the valley, so it is no surprise that when the government started
making plans to widen Highway 93 past the tree in a way that would destroy it,
there was a loud outcry of protest that stopped the expansion. However, the
tree still must have felt the effect of the highway so nearby, and started showing
signs of illness during the 1990's. On September 25th, 2001, an enormous storm
swept through the valley and snapped the tree 20 feet above its base around
8 p.m. Road crews quickly removed the tree to clear the road, and it's graceful
towering branches, holding centuries of flowing offering was gone.
The Salish tribes decided to keep the trunk standing until Mother Nature herself
completes the job of removing the rest of the tree from the valley. The next
year, the road department moved forward on its plans to widen that section of
Highway 93 but did it in a way that left the trunk standing. Travelers through
the valley can still stop and leave an offering for good luck.
The Big Ditch
The big ditch was built in Hamilton as a project to sell land
for apple orchards. The resulting "Big
Ditch Boom" ran from 1906 to 1915. From 1907 to 1911, during the height
of this promotion, the population of Hamilton grew from 1,800 people to a whopping
3,000.
It all began when Marcus Daly decided to develop an extensive ditch irrigation
network. The scheme was further fueled by speculators from the east who helped
build the ditch and then sold off land to hungry farmers with promise of future
riches. Mostly the farmers tried to grow apples, which really do grow well in
the valley - just not every single year, like they do further north in the lowlands
of Idaho and Washington.
Today the big ditch system still serves the valley, and many think that it
is responsible for the wonderful well water that is easily accessible to subdivisions
around town. The ditch is managed by a local ditch company, and runs happily
through multiple neighborhoods.
Rocky Mountain Labs
The Rocky Mountain Labs have always been a controversial part
of history for Hamilton Montana. Early settlers of the valley were plagued with
a deadly disease of unknown origin that seemed to be concentrated on the west
side of the Bitterroot River. It was known locally as “black measles”
because of its severe dark rash, and folk wisdom of the day suggested that infection
occurred from drinking the melted snow water that gushed out of the west side
canyons during spring run off. Fatal in nearly 4 out of 5 adult cases, local
residents appealed to the state governor for help.
Montana had been granted statehood in 1889, and in 1901, the Montana
State Board of Health was created. Its first priority was to bring health scientists
to the Bitterroot Valley to investigate the cause, treatment and prevention
of spotted fever. In 1906 scientists showed that the disease was transmitted
by the bite of the Rocky Mountain wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni). A vaccine
was eventually cultivated.
To continue the research, the lab was built in Hamilton in 1927
on the east side of the river. Until that time, infection had only occurred
on the west side, and residents were concerned that bringing ticks across the
river and cultivating the germ would spread the infection valley wide. What
if some of the ticks being tested got loose in town! In order to alleviate fears,
a small moat was dug around the perimeter of the facility. Since that time the
lab has expanded it's research to cover infectious diseases, and bio terrorism
research, and is even more suspect by local residents. On the plus side, the
lab has the highest security and safety practices possible in place, and brings
high paying jobs to the area, enhancing the local economy both through the economic
boon to the economy and the high quality of scientists it employs.
Map
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Weather
We love the weather in the Bitterroot Valley. Although our temperatures can
run from a low of 20 below zero, to a high 105, the average days are quite moderate.
More important than the temperatures is the comfortably low humidity, and fantastically
fresh air flowing in over the mountains. Like all of Big Sky Montana, we are
blessed with lots of sun; more often than not we can say it is a lovely day!
Job Opportunities
Although we have a saying that if you want to live rich in the Bitterroot Valley
you have to bring it with you, we do have a growing economy and several large
businesses offering job
opportunities. The Hamilton area is also a fantastic spot to start your
own business as we have a very health and active Chamber,
and a friendly and opened business Climate.
Hamilton Montana Real Estate
Hamilton is a fantastic place to live - and that is reflected in our booming
real estate market. Please contact any of our great Realtors
and Associates to be shown through properties for sale in Hamilton, and
throughout the entire Bitterroot Valley. There is also a thriving number of
people who prefer For
Sale By Owner, and you can keep track of available homes for sale here on
HamiltonMontana.com.
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