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 er Polaris Road (FS 73) which as mentioned above, is part of the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway passing by the turn offs to the ghost town of Coolidge and the upper mining camp of the Elkhorn Mine above Coolidge. The byway eventually becomes Polaris Road which terminates at Hwy 278. From the junction of Polaris Road and Hwy 278 we will head east past the entrance to the preserved ghost town of Bannack until Hwy 278 meets I-15 south of Dillon. Once on I-15 we will head north through Dillon (a good spot to resupply) past the turn off to the mining camp of Farlin to Melrose. At Melrose you will be taking a side trip up Trapper Creek to the ghost town of Glendale along with the mining camps of Lion City, Hecla and Trapper City. You may also want to visit the Canyon Creek Charcoal Kilns and Vipond Mines from the Melrose side or choose to visit them from the Dewey side when visiting the ghost town of Quartz Hill. From Melrose, we will head north again on I-15 to the turn off for Divide. From there we will head west on Hwy 43 passing through Dewey and the turn off to the ghost town of Quartz Hill until we complete the loop when we return to the town of Wise River. Road conditions to the ghost towns and mining camps vary from RV accessible to four wheel drive vehicles suggested, so plan accordingly. The entire loop drive consists of paved roads. Over the next several weeks we will look at the history of these mining sites, view some of the remaining buildings and how to get there along with camping options. In this entry, the first stop on our loop tour, we will look at the ghost town of Coolidge, the upper mining camp of the Elkhorn Mine above Coolidge and places to camp. In 1872, mining began in what became known as the Elkhorn Mining District when rich veins of silver were discovered in the Pioneer Mountains. The claim was called the "Old Elkhorn” compliments of a pair of shed elk antlers found near the strike. Typical of early western mining operations, mining was slow to develop due to the lack of inexpensive and reliable transportation from the mines to refineries. The silver crash of 1893 didn't help either. By 1903 silver prices had recovered enough to interest those with the financial means to develop the mines and the transportation required to make the operation profitable. Plans were devised, capital raised and claims were consolidated. In 1913, the Boston Montana Mining Company was formed by William Allen breathing life into the Elkhorn Mine. The next year the town of Coolidge was born, named after one of Allen's friends, Calvin Coolidge who would become President of the United States in 1923. The new town thrived with modern amenities, including running water, telephone, an ice house and electricity. Construction of the sorely needed railroad was started in 1917 and completed the next year at a cost of $1.5 million. It is worth noting that the rail line was the last narrow gauge railroad built in the United States. In 1919 a large workforce of men moved to Coolidge when work started on a mill to process the ore
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