P a g e 6 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 to the Park Mine and its neighbor is unsigned and single lane dirt, but should be passable by most passenger vehicles. If you are still up for some adventure and have a stout off road vehicle, head up Comet Mountain where you will rise above tree line and be rewarded with an outstanding view at the end of the road. Along the way you will pass additional ruins of the areas mining past finding the best ruins at: N45° 27.377 W113° 03.404 While you are camped in the area, be sure and plan a visit to nearby Crystal Park. In the park you can dig for lovely quartz and Amethyst crystals averaging a couple inches in length. Bring along a shovel and sifting screen to find one of these sparkling souvenirs which will serve as a reminder of your Montana RV adventure. You will find the park at: N45° 29.226 W113° 05.982 In the next installment we will look at the ghost town of Bannack under the loving care of Montana State Parks. –By Dave Helgeson for https://northwestrving.com/ Dave Helgeson is the MHRV Show Director. He and his wife love to travel across the west in their RV. Dave writes about all things RVing but loves to share destinations and boondocking advice. The Place Where the White Horse Went Down In the summer of 1837, a smallpox epidemic spread from a steamboat as it lay docked at Fort Union. Although the federal government initiated massive inoculations among the tribes of the Midwest in 1832, the effort did not reach this far north, and Montana’s native people had no immunity. The disease struck the young, vigorous, and most able-bodied family members so quickly that before one person could be properly laid to rest, another family member died. In the end, the epidemic claimed at least ten thousand victims. The Crows tell a story about two young warriors who returned from a war expedition to find smallpox decimating their village. One warrior discovered his sweetheart among the dying, and both grieved over the loss of many family members. Realizing that nothing could alter A historical marker stands at the site today. Image from Historical Marker Database these events, the two young men dressed in their finest clothing. Riding double on a snow white horse and singing their death songs, the two young warriors drove the blindfolded horse over a cliff at what is today the east end of the Yellowstone County Fairgrounds at Billings. Although time has reduced the height of the cliff, the spot where they landed is remembered even today as The Place Where the White Horse Went Down. –Ellen Baumler Ellen Baumler is an award-winning author and Montana historian. A master at linking history with modern-day supernatural events, Ellen's true stories have delighted audiences across the state. She lives in Helena in a century-old house with her husband, Mark, and its resident spirits. To view and purchase Ellen’s books, visit: http://ellenbaumler.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html
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