Lincoln

History

Meriwether Lewis passed through the area on his return to St. Louis in 1806, following the famous "River of the Road to the Buffalo" created by Native Americans centuries before. Gold discoveries in the mid-1860s brought miners to a number of camps in the area, and Lincoln was eventually created when nearby Lincoln Gulch was abandoned in favor of the town's present location. Recreational, logging and mining activities along the Blackfoot River in the early 20th century made it a convenient commercial center. Nearby wilderness areas continue to attract visitors and residents. In 1865, David Culp and Thomas Patterson staked a claim in what they designated Abe Lincoln Gulch in honor of the recently assassinated president. The bombing campaign resulted in three deaths and 23 wounded. Kaczynski was sentenced to eight life sentences without the possibility of parole. At 12:30 a.m. on July 6, 2017, there was a 5.8-magnitude earthquake about south of Lincoln. The earthquake originated from a depth of nearly underground, It was the eighth-strongest earthquake recorded in Montana. There were at least nine more tremors nearby within the first hour after the earthquake, with magnitudes between 3.1 and 4.9.

Geography

Lincoln is located in western Lewis and Clark County. The CDP contains the unincorporated center of Lincoln and extends east up the Blackfoot River valley and west, or down valley. Its elevation is above sea level. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , of which are land and , or 2.87%, are water. Lincoln is located on Montana Highway 200, the longest route signed as a state highway in the United States, running from Idaho to North Dakota. From Lincoln, the highway runs northeast up and over the Continental Divide to Great Falls and west to Missoula. Lincoln has a humid continental climate (Dfb) bordering closely on a subarctic climate (Dfc). Summers are warm to hot while winters are cold and snowy, with annual average snowfall totaling 85.4 inches (217 cm). Rogers Pass, northeast of Lincoln on Highway 200, is known for being the location of the coldest recorded temperature in the United States outside of Alaska. On January 20, 1954, a temperature of was recorded. Lincoln has a humid continental climate bordering on semi-arid. Snow is usually dry powder, although strong Pacific Ocean storms sometimes bring moisture-laden snow to the area. Some sources list Lincoln as having November's record low of , but that never happened, Lincoln's real November record low is .

Most-observed species

• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  220
• Yellow-rumped Warbler

  Setophaga coronata (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  175
• Warbling Vireo

  Vireo gilvus (Vieillot, 1808) · Aves
  168
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet

  Regulus calendula (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  167
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  151
• Chipping Sparrow

  Spizella passerina (Bechstein, 1798) · Aves
  145
• Western Tanager

  Piranga ludoviciana (A.Wilson, 1811) · Aves
  137
• Pine Siskin

  Spinus pinus (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  131

Most recent

• M 3.25 — 2026-10-05
  13 km N of Ovando, Montana
• M 3.2 — 2026-08-28
  3 km NE of Seeley Lake, Montana
• M 2.6 — 2026-07-13
  31 km ENE of Seeley Lake, Montana
• M 2.8 — 2026-04-26
  19 km S of Lincoln, Montana
• M 3.2 — 2025-12-09
  12 km NNW of Avon, Montana
• M 3.1 — 2025-12-01
  27 km NE of Seeley Lake, Montana