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 From the diary of Kate Dunlap who told of her experiences of the journey from Iowa to Montana. August 16, 1864: Arrived at Bannack, and now my friends, I suppose you want to hear what I’ve to say about this place. Well, I would now stop, if it was not for your gratification for that alone, will I continue my narrative, which is already too long. My greatest difficulty has been to condense and shorten my journal. The half is not told, only the particular event of each day. We are thankful to our Heavenly Father that he has brought us safe to our journey’s end. Many were attacked by Indians just before and after us. From the time we left Ft Larimie till we reached Black Foot we never even saw one. A few persons were killed, and other wounded and much stock run off – – But enough of this -. We are now camped on ” Yankee Flats “, the part of Bannack lying on the South and west bank of Grass Hopper;- on the other side is Bannack proper, where the stores, hotels and shops are kept. One half mile down in the canyon is another village, called Marysville , but also belonging to Bannack. At this latter place are the quartz mills, and on the mountains are the leads of gold. Three miles further down in the narrow canyon is another collection of loe huts called “New Jerusalem “, the cabins of the miners. There are 50 or 60 houses in Yankee Flats, about 300 in Bannack proper, and about 150 or 200 in Marysville . They are built of straight pine logs, one story, covered with poles over which is spread a coat of mud and then covered with two or three inches of gravel. There is no loft to the houses but the space is continuous from the floor to the roof. Many have raw hides, with the hair side up, spread over the ground which answers a good purpose. Some have plank floors, while some have no windows, and most of them hit one. But I must say that many of the cabins are built in a neat style with projecting eves and ends of the roofs. On all sides are immense mountains partially covered with pine and cedar, and at this point the valley is only about 30 or 40 rods wide. Further up the distance between the bases of the mountains widens till there is quite a valley, while below it becomes narrower, till there is only a channel for the creek. At this point the mining commences, and I understand extends down stream 6 or 8 miles. There is but one street in town, which runs nearly N.W. and the same on Gunhe Flats There are no school houses, churchBannack, Montana- Main Street 1864 Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Bannack, Montana- Main Street 2015 es nor public building of any kind, unless it be the Governor’s house which is a one story log cabin like the rest. There are several stores, hotels, groceries, and numerous saloons. There is one saw-mill here, and three others 6 to 8 miles up the creek and out in the kanyans of the mountains; and out in the valley the stock is herded by ranchmen at 2 dollars per head per moth for horses, and one dollar for oxen.
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