Ekalaka, Montana
| Ekalaka, Montana | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
Carter County Courthouse
|
|
 Location of Ekalaka, Montana |
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| Coordinates: 45°53′21″N 104°32′59″W / 45.88917°N 104.54972°WCoordinates: 45°53′21″N 104°32′59″W / 45.88917°N 104.54972°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
| County | Carter |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.04 sq mi (2.69 km2) |
| • Land | 1.04 sq mi (2.69 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,425 ft (1,044 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 332 |
| • Estimate (2012) | 345 |
| • Density | 319.2/sq mi (123.2/km2) |
| Time zone | Mountain (MST) (UTC-7) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| ZIP code | 59324 |
| Area code(s) | 406 |
| FIPS code | 30-23650 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0771161 |
Ekalaka is a town in and the county seat of Carter County, Montana, United States. The population was 332 at the 2010 census.
Ekalaka is located at 45°53′21″N 104°32′59″W / 45.88917°N 104.54972°W (45.889231, −104.549716). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.04 square miles (2.69 km2), all of it land.
Known for its sandstone rock and open plains, Ekalaka is part of the Montana Dinosaur Trail, and is home to the Carter County Museum, which is known for its dinosaur collection. Nearby is the Custer National Forest.
Ekalaka was named after a Sioux girl, Ijkalaka, who was the wife of David Harrison Russell, a scout.
Ijkalaka (Restless or Moving About) was an Oglala Lakota and the daughter of Wombalee We-chosh (Eagle Man). She was born in 1858 on the Powder River., while she was living with a cousin, Hi Kelly, at a ranch on Chugwater Creek, near Laramie Wyoming. She was 16 when she met Russell, who was a scout and frontiersman.
The town was created by Russell on the edge of his ranch. A man named Carter bogged down in mud the spring of 1885 opened a saloon and is credited with saying "Anyplace in Montana is a good place to open a saloon". The site became a trade center for cattle ranchers and sheepherders. He put up houses to house freight workers and hunters who ran the local freight line (team and horses), and other added to it.
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