Dodson

History

Dodson was named for Great Northern Railway engineer Thomas Henry Dodson. Other sources attribute the name to the owner of the trading post and saloon established before the railroad came through. The first post office was established in 1891, closed the same year, then reopened in 1894. In 1909 the town flourished due to the Milk River Irrigation Project. The current economy is supported by large ranches and farms.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land. Dodson is near Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, located between the Milk River and Little Rocky Mountains. It is home to the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine tribes.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Western Meadowlark

  Sturnella neglecta Audubon, 1844 · Aves
  102
• Horned Lark

  Eremophila alpestris (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  77
• Lark Bunting

  Calamospiza melanocorys Stejneger, 1885 · Aves
  53
• Chestnut-collared Longspur

  Calcarius ornatus (J.K.Townsend, 1837) · Aves
  48
• Grasshopper Sparrow

  Ammodramus savannarum (J.F.Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  44
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  44
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  35
• Marbled Godwit

  Limosa fedoa (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  31

Largest nearby schools

• Dodson School
  Elementary · Dodson · 45 students · 9:1 ratio
• Dodson High School
  High · Dodson · 31 students · 10.3:1 ratio
• Dodson 7-8
  Middle · Dodson · 16 students · 5.3:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.7 — 2021-07-10
  24 km SSE of Malta, Montana
• M 2.5 — 2015-07-15
  48 km E of Zortman, Montana