Moorhead, Montana

Moorhead
Unincorporated community
The Powder River less than 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Moorhead.
Country	United States
State	Montana
County	Powder River
Population (2014)
• Total	1
Time zone	Mountain (MST)
• Summer (DST)	MDT (UTC)

Moorhead (also Moorehead, and Franklin) is an unincorporated community in southern Powder River County, Montana, United States. It lies along Moorhead road about 35 miles (56 km) south of the town of Broadus, the county seat of Powder River County.^[1]

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Moorhead has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.^[2]

History

American Indian Wars

On September 13, 1865, Colonel Nelson D. Cole's and Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Walker's column's of the Powder River Expedition marched within ¹⁄₄ mile (0.40 km) of the future site of Moorhead. On March 17, 1876, the Battle of Powder River, part of the Great Sioux War of 1876 was fought less than ¹⁄₂ mile (0.80 km) from the future site of Moorhead, and after the battle, the surviving United States Army soldiers retreated south across the site of Moorhead.^[3]

The Town

Moorhead was established in 1892, in Custer County, Montana, and was originally named Franklin. In 1898, Bryon Kelsey changed the name of the town to Moorhead after Annis P. Moorhead, who homesteaded at the town. The first store in Moorhead was established in 1900 by Bryon Kelsey. In 1919, Moorhead became part of the newly created Powder River County, with the town of Broadus as the county seat. The town's post office moved several times. In the 1930s Moorhead's first car bridge over the Powder River was built, although in the spring of 1948 the two lane bridge was washed out by a flood. By 1949 there was one post office, one store, one schoolhouse (that also served as a church and dance hall), one saloon, and one filling station. At this time, a dam was proposed to be built on the Powder River at Moorhead. But in the 1950s when the Moorhead dam project deteriorated the businesses began to close. In 1956, a footbridge was built across the Powder at Moorhead, and was used to carry mail three times a week. Then in the 1980s the second and current car bridge was built beside the footbridge. Moorhead Rancher George Fulton moved the store and post office to the Fulton's property one mile north of their original location on the Moorhead road, and placed them near the old Moorhead school house. His son William Fulton now owns these three remaining buildings.^[4]

References

1. Rand McNally. The Road Atlas '08. Chicago: Rand McNally, 2008, p. 61.
2. Climate Summary for Belle Creek, Montana
3. Wagner, David E.; Bennett, Lyman G. (2009). Powder River Odyssey: Nelson Cole's Western Campaign of 1865, The Journals of Lyman G. Bennett and Other Eyewitness Accounts. Arthur H. Clark Co. ISBN 978-0-87062-370-7.
4. http://www.lostandfoundmontana.com/towns/moorhead.html. Missing or empty |title= (help); External link in |website= (help);

Coordinates: 45°03′54″N 105°52′16″W / 45.06500°N 105.87111°W