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Troy, Montana
Troy, Montana town sign 2007.jpg
Location of Troy, Montana
Location of Troy, Montana
Country United States
State Montana
County Lincoln
Area
 • Total 0.85 sq mi (2.20 km2)
 • Land 0.85 sq mi (2.19 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation
1,800 ft (579 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 797
 • Density 937.65/sq mi (363.93/km2)
Time zone UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code
59935
Area code(s) 406
FIPS code 30-75025
GNIS feature ID 0792409

Troy is a city in Lincoln County, Montana, United States. The population was 797 at the 2020 census. It lies at the lowest elevation of any settlement in Montana. The town is on U.S. Route 2, near Montana Highway 56, in the Kootenai River gorge by the Kootenai National Forest.

Originally inhabited by the Kutenai, Salish, and Piegan Blackfeet tribes, the area was settled by miners in the 1880s. Troy was registered as a town in 1892 and grew quickly after the Great Northern Railway built a freight station there, leading to a boom in workers, miners, their families, and associates. The area narrowly missed wildfire damage in 1910 and expanded its services throughout the following years, though its population would drop due to a series of misfortunes in the late 1920s before rebounding in the following decades. Troy suffered from the area's contamination from nearby vermiculite mines contaminated with particularly fragile asbestos, leading to the town's inclusion in the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Priorities List status in 2002 and Public Health Emergency event in 2009. According to the EPA, most risk was reduced by 2015.

Troy is on U.S. Route 2, between Yaak and Libby. Montana Highway 56 is three miles southeast and the Troy Airport is two miles northwest. The town's economy has historically been supported by mining and logging, while in recent times, mining has remained, with the addition of education, retail, and tourism. Local natural features such as the Kootenai Falls have attracted tourism to the area and have been featured in movies such as The River Wild (1994) and The Revenant (2015). There is a public school district (which created ceramic ornaments used to decorate the National Christmas Tree in 2017) and a public library, and the town is in-district for Flathead Valley Community College.

Geography

Troy is located at 48°27′36″N 115°53′28″W / 48.46000°N 115.89111°W / 48.46000; -115.89111 (48.459944, -115.890974).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.78 square miles (2.02 km2), of which, 0.76 square miles (1.97 km2) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) is water. Troy has an elevation of about 1,800 feet above sea level and is the lowest town in elevation in Montana. Troy is 12 miles from the border of Montana and Idaho. Troy's next closest city is Libby, which is 18 miles away.

The Troy Mine, which produced silver and copper, was scheduled for closure in February 2015.

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Troy has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dsb" on climate maps. Troy's annual mean temperature is 46.4°F (8.0°C) and its annual mean precipitation is 24.6" (624.8 mm).

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1920 763
1930 498 −34.7%
1940 796 59.8%
1950 770 −3.3%
1960 855 11.0%
1970 1,046 22.3%
1980 1,088 4.0%
1990 953 −12.4%
2000 957 0.4%
2010 938 −2.0%
2020 797 −15.0%
U.S. Decennial Census
The Swinging Bridge
The Swinging Bridge, Troy, Montana
The Kootanai Falls
The Kootanai Falls, Troy, Montana

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 938 people, 454 households, and 240 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,234.2 inhabitants per square mile (476.5/km2). There were 490 housing units at an average density of 644.7 per square mile (248.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.3% White, 0.2% African American, 1.7% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9% of the population.

There were 454 households, of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.2% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.1% were non-families. 37.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.71.

The median age in the city was 46.8 years. 20% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.9% were from 25 to 44; 35.7% were from 45 to 64; and 16.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.

Asbestos contamination

It has been determined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency that Troy has asbestos contamination, similar to that found in nearby Libby.

Popular culture

Troy is featured in Max Brooks' post-apocalyptic zombie novel World War Z, as a safe zone for humanity.


Economy and recreation

The area is covered by the Lincoln County Port Authority. Troy's modern economy is largely based on "mining, education, retail, and tourism," while its historical economy was based on mining and logging. A train freight yard, a sawmill, and an ore processing facility were the main employers until they were lost to relocation and fires in the late 1920s, just before the Great Depression. Gold, galena, and vermiculite were mined beginning in the late 1800s. During World War I, the town's mines produced lead, zinc, and silver, with much zinc exported to Belgium. In 2020, the Montana Community Solar Project assessed Troy public schools for their solar power potential and found the high school building had good potential. Since 2008, the school and city have been partially fueled by wood pellet waste from nearby lumber mills, replacing fuel oil use.

Notable nearby attractions include the Kootenai Falls and the Kootenai Falls Swinging Bridge, which was rebuilt in 2019 due to its increasing popularity. The Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Bridge in Troy is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Local activities include hiking, snowmobiling, camping, boating, rafting, bird watching, fishing, and geocaching. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation was founded by four Troy hunters to help conserve elk and other wildlife species. There is a disc golf course at the Troy Museum and Visitors' Center, which also hosts art events with the local glass art guild. Nearby parks host various cultural and music festivals.

Education

Troy has a public library, a branch of the Lincoln County Public Libraries. The town's branch opened in 1922 after the Lincoln County's Free County Library expanded.

Troy's first school, a one-room schoolhouse, was built in 1894. In 1937, the Bull Lake School in Bull Lake Valley and Fall Creek School by Schoolhouse Lake were consolidated into the Troy public school district. The public school district includes:

The high school provides adult education classes in the fall and spring. The school has a "school-to-work" program in which students can participate in summer projects based in the local economy and in which an AmeriCorps volunteer serves as a mentor for student college applications/visits and community involvement in student activities. After the Troy Art Club's ceramic ornaments were some of the ones chosen for the US National Christmas Tree in 2017, the club created a business, Wild In Montana, "assisting [the] economically depressed community and offering a class with real-world skills."

Other nearby schools with Troy addresses include:

  • McCormick Elementary School (K-8)
  • Yaak Elementary School (K-8)

The area qualifies for in-district tuition at Flathead Valley Community College (FVCC) in Kalispell, Montana, as well as FVCC's Lincoln County Campus in Libby, which has the "Glacier Bank Adult Basic Education Learning Center where students can take free classes in preparation for their GED exams."

Transportation

Troy is on U.S. Route 2, between Yaak to the north and Libby to the southeast. Montana Highway 56 is three miles to the southeast of Troy.

The Troy Airport is one mile northwest of the majority of the town of Troy.

The closest Amtrak station is in Libby, 18 miles away. The Empire Builder served the town until February 15, 1973.

Notable people

  • Les Balsiger, religious activist with a Troy office
  • Rachel Dolezal, civil rights activist
  • B. C. Edwards, football coach (died in Troy)
  • Genevieve Pezet, American-French artist
  • Jay Ward, Major League Baseball player who retired in Troy
  • Silas Garrison, genius and famous person from Troy

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Troy (Montana) para niños

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