P a g e 2 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 paring the building for these works. A saw mill will be put up at once, but owing to the great distance from railroad communication, and slowness of ox and Mule trains, and the inconvenience and expense of so many middle men and agents, the difficulties in the way of successful mining operations this season are very great. In just a few short years, the Utah Northern Railroad reached Montana via Dillon, and the town of Melrose rapidly developed on land once known as "Camp Creek" by Lewis and Clark. This land had been acquired by William "Billy" Bowe, who purchased neighboring homesteads from Jefferson McCauley and Mr. Stone. In honor of his stepdaughter, Melrose Flecer, Bowe named the newly platted townsite "Melrose." A road was constructed from Melrose to Glendale, facilitating easier access for miners traveling to work in the mines. This road, which crossed the Big Hole River at Melrose, extended westward to Glendale, approximately five miles up the gulch toward the mines. It also provided a vital connection between Glendale and other mining towns, including Greenwood, Lion City, and Hecla. This same wagon road would be used to haul ore from the mines to the railroad at Melrose. In the early years following the construction of the wagon road, a group of mine owners who had financed its creation attempted to raise funds to offset the costs. However, individuals who had promised or guaranteed payments often failed to deliver the promised money. In response, the mine owners tried to restrict access to the road, which led to conflict and arrests when others attempted to use it for their own purposes. It was eventually determined that the men who built the road may not have had the legal authority to construct it through certain lands, nor did they have the right to restrict its usage once it was completed. Various accounts provide differing versions of how Glendale came to be named, but the true story has only recently come to light. Two men, Noah Armstrong and Jap Earl, wrote the names 'Clifton' and 'Glendale' on opposite sides of a chip of wood and threw it over the wall of the first assay office that Noah had built. The roof had not even been placed on the cabin yet. The chip landed with the name 'Glendale' face up, thus securing its place as the town's name. The small log cabin building served as a bunkhouse for Noah, as well as the first assay office and a general merchandise store. It was sold for fifteen dollars in 1884 and eventually torn down. Glendale grew rapidly, attracting miners from all corners of the world, including individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, with the Chinese among them. George Benjamin Conway, accountant for the Hecla Consolidated Mining Company. Photo Courtesy of glendalemontana.com
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