Melville, Montana

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Melville is a small, unincorporated community in northern Sweet Grass County, Montana. It sits just west of U.S. Route 191, about 20 miles north of Big Timber, the county seat. The town stands around 5,020 feet above sea level and has its own post office with ZIP code 59055, which opened in 1883.

Melville began in 1877 and was named after Rear Admiral George Melville. The first post office started in 1883, and the first Lutheran church in Montana was organized there in 1885; services were held in the schoolhouse until the church was built in 1914.

Originally a Norwegian-founded ranching community, Melville became a regional gathering place for Saturday night dances, horse races, and gambling. At its peak, it had a flour mill, a cheese factory, a hotel, several saloons, two stores, and a drug store. The nearby Big Timber railroad brought in luxuries like dried fruit and green coffee.

Melville lies along Sweet Grass Creek and serves the sheep camps in the Crazy Mountains. It is the headquarters of the Cremer Stock Ranch. The climate is humid continental (Dfb).