Hamilton was in the national spotlight this week after a Washington Post story

The Washington Post – Small towns are dying everywhere but here – Montana’s Bitterroot Valley

said it was bucking the trend in small towns across much of the nation that are withering up and blowing away.

In a time when economic growth in the U.S. is mostly centered in urban areas, the article said Hamilton’s diverse strengths and nearby outdoor recreation amenities have allowed it to defy the narrative of decline of small towns in the Midwest and East.