Source: Montana Decennial Census Total Resident Population

Source: US Census 2000 - Table DP-2: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics  

Business

Bridger Business Listing

Source: US Census STF3; DP-3 Labor Force Status and Employment Characteristics; 1990- Bridger
US Census STF-3: DP-3 Labor Force Status and Employment Characteristics; 1990 - Carbon County
US Census Table DP-3.  Profile of Selected Economic Characteristics: 2000  *Montana Dept of Labor & Industry, Montana Labor Market Information, 2000 Annual Average Labor Force by County
^Estimates: Montana Department of Commerce, South Central MT Regional Development Officer

Source: Businesses 

Source: Businesses  

Source: Mapquest.com          http://www.visitmt.com

Source: Airline Brochures and Web Sites

Source: Rail Carriers

Sources: Utility Providers

Source: Telecommunication Providers

Source: Local

Source: Local 

Community Services  Bridger Country

Source: Local

Source: School District

Source: Montana Department of Revenue

Source: Montana Department of Revenue

Source: Montana Property Tax Mill Levies 1999-2000 publication, Montana Tax Foundation – based on 2000 assessment ratio .3627; Town of Bridger

Source: Montana Property Tax Mill Levies 1999-2000 publication, Montana Tax Foundation – based on 2000 assessment ratio .3627; Carbon County

Historical Anthology 
 click to enlarge photos

Bridger Country, historical home to vast herds of buffalo and Plains Indians, is named after the greatest mountain man and western explorer of all time, Jim Bridger (see photo of statue above).  

  
©Beartooth RC&D
 

Bridger lies at the base of the Pryor Mountains.  Named for Sergeant Nathaniel Pryor of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1806, this range looks deceptively smooth and calm from the Valley.  In truth, the Pryors contain some of the most diversified landscape and climate of any area of Montana.  In addition, the Pryor's are a geological hotbed, home to a number of rare species of plants and animals. Perhaps the one most distinguishing feature is 31,000 acre wild horse range.  Some of the Pryor horses carry the markings of Spanish breeds from hundreds of years ago.  The studies on these protected and monitored herds have given a lot of insight into the history of the horse on this continent. Vistas of the Beartooths and the rocky cliffs of the foothills round out the beauty of thel Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone river valley.  

The historical interest of the area extends much before Jim Bridger and the American West.  About 150 million years ago, Bridger Country was situated on the western coast of the Colorado Sea.  In the 1960's Dr. John Ostrom of Yale lead a team that discovered the Deinonychus, a brand new and very unique creature in the world of paleontology (more information available at www.valleyprinters.com/
dino.html )

©Beartooth RC&D

Bridger's Main Street is also US Highway 310/72, the primary routes to north central Wyoming and the east entrance of  Yellowstone National Park via Cody, Wyoming.  A traffic count from 1996 shows an average of 3520 cars per day that pass through the business district of Bridger, Montana.    

©Beartooth RC&D

The railroad has always been a key factor in the development of the West.  The Burlington Northern Santa Fee continues to serve Bridger businesses with freight transportation.

©Beartooth RC&D

©Beartooth RC&D

Bridger is home to several light industrial enterprises.  Yellowstone Furniture Manufacturing (see photo above) and newly located in Bridger, Prairie Cabinet Company (photo below), are both benefactors of the woodworking skills of the local  workforce.  

©Beartooth RC&D

 Bridger's agricultural heritage continues to be a major contributor to the Clark's Fork Valley, Bridger and the surrounding communities. 

©Beartooth RC&D

 Yellowstone Bean Company is a locally- owned business that receives and processes pinto beans from across the state of Montana and draws revenue from the southern U.S., with most of its sales. Yellowstone Bean Company (see photo below) also receives and ships malting barley from the area west of Billings and north of Wyoming.
 

©Beartooth RC&D

The Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone meanders around the edge of Bridger in it's journey through the valley to meet up with the Yellowstone River at Laurel.

©Beartooth RC&D

  The Bridger Plant Materials Center (PMC) opened its doors in 1959 for evaluation, selection, and development of plant materials for Montana and Wyoming.

The Bridger Plant Materials Center was one of five centers nationwide selected as a site for a national plant materials laboratory. Although originally slated as a plant tissue culture lab,  the facility is currently used for seed germination and dormancy research, limited soil testing, and other general laboratory work.

©Beartooth RC&D

Bridger's school campus sprawls at the base of the sandstone cliffs that edge the town.  Montana schools are known for their excellence academically and environmentally.

Due to the ever changing nature of online page sources the data sources are not linked directly. The State of Montana site provides the links to the majority of the data given on this page.  Please take the time to explore Montana online at

http://www.discoveringmontana.com

http://www.bizmt.com

If you have additional questions please contact the Lead Development Organization for the Bridger Certified Community:

Beartooth RC&D Area, Inc.
604 West Front Street, PO Box 180
Joliet, MT  59041

Voice:  406-962-3914
Fax:  406-962-3647

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This web site was made possible through the funding of a grant through the Montana Department of Commerce and the Certified Communities Program, Beartooth RC&D Area, Inc. in partnership with the USDA, Natural Resource Conservation Service.

- Montana -

not just

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 pretty place!