Plentywood is a city in and the county seat of Sheridan County, Montana, United States. The population was 1,669 at the 2020 census.
History
In 1881, Sitting Bull and his band surrendered to US forces roughly at what is now Plentywood.
Butch Cassidy and other rustlers used a trail through Plentywood to move their stolen cattle into Canada. The plentiful gulches provided coverage for the outlaws. The Enlarged Homestead Act of 1909 sparked an increase in Montana homesteaders, including in the Plentywood area. Claiming this land forced some of the outlaws away.
The first business in Plentywood opened in 1900, and a post office was established two years later. The city incorporated in 1912, following the arrival of a Great Northern Railway branch line that eventually ran from Bainville to Opheim.
Local folklore suggests that the name of the nearby Plentywood Creek, after which the city was named, comes from a search for firewood. One day, according to the story, a group of cowboys watched in exasperation as the chuck wagon cook attempted to start a fire with damp buffalo chips. Finally, in frustration, Dutch Henry said, "If you'll go two miles up this creek, you'll find plenty wood." Though the moment had mostly collapsed by late 1932, it has received renewed interest since the publication of a book on the topic in 2010.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
The area has small rolling hills with a significant amount of land given to agriculture. Boxelder Lake is north of town. Brush Lake State Park is south.
Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Plentywood has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps, closely bordering on a warm-summer humid continental (Dfb). It features warm summers with cool nights, very cold but dry winters. It has somewhat low annual precipitation, with an increase in rainfall in late spring and early summer.