P a g e 7 G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r early 1860s alone. Discovery of Gold at Alder Gulch Virginia City was discovered in May 1863 by a group of gold prospectors in search of the Yellowstone River. While on their journey, they came across members of the Crow tribe and were forced to return to Bannack, Montana. Photo Courtesy of Matt Grover Virginia City, Montana in 2015. On May 26, 1863, members of the group, Bill Fairweather and Henry Edgar discovered gold near Alder Creek. Fairweather and Edgar wanted to keep this discovery a secret but quickly failed as news of this mining discovery spread. Mining sites quickly popped up as news of this gold discovery reached others across the country. A mining district was set up in order to create rules about individual gold claims. On June 16, 1863, the site was named “Verina,” and a township was formed. The name Verina was given to the town to honor Varina Howell Davis, the first and only First Lady of the Confederate States of America. While interestingly enough, the town was in Union territory, the area was actually founded by Confederate-loyal men. They attempt to register the name as Verina but were rejected by Connecticut judge, G.G. Bissell. The town’s name was then changed to Virginia City. Hopeful Miners head to Western Montana Miners came from the California gold rush by way of the Columbia River and overland on Mullan Road. Other settlers traveled the Bozeman Trail, parts of which are named to the National Register of Historic Places. Photo Courtesy of Matt Grover The original Virginia City Opera House in 2015. gold flocked to the area. The problem with most mining towns in that day was the lack of law and order in the area. This remote area of the Idaho Territory had absolutely no law enforcement justice system, with the exception of miners’ courts. This was a problem due to the wealth of so many in the area. Murders and robberies occurred along the trails and roads along the region, and these “road agents,” as they were termed, were responsible for up to 100 deaths in the region between 1863 and 1864. The crooked sheriff of the town was Henry Plummer who would later become known Within only weeks, the town boomed in growth. Thousands of prospectors seeking fortune in
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