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 Another popular spot, Pipestone Hot Springs located between Butte and Whitehall was discovered in the 1860s by John Paul who had homesteaded in the area. Pipestone supposedly got its name from the material found in the area that was used to make clay pipes. Legend tells us the area was once dotted with wickiups and served as a meeting spot for local tribes under truce. Ollie Barnes became the first postmistress of Pipestone in the 1880s and under her management of the springs, a hotel, barn and guest house were constructed. The post office closed but would open again in 1887 with John Paul once again serving as owner. The cost to enjoy the springs and all its amenities was $2 a day. Ollie and her husband, Charles Bucket, would take over yet again in the 1890s. John Paul passed away in 1913. Pipestone Springs became a station on the Northern Pacific’s main line. The property was acquired around 1918 by a consortium of Butte businessmen and with that, the hotel was joined by a bathhouse and 100 canvas-roofed cottages. The businessmen offered a sanitarium, an indoor swimming pool known as “the plunge” and for a time, a golf course. Croquet games in the afternoon and dances in the evenings followed by a good soak were enjoyed by many in the area. The resort closed in 1963. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Warm Springs, Montana is named after the "mound" where scalding hot water surfaces. Because of thick grass and saline deposits surrounding the area, white-tailed deer were often found there. The Shoshone named the cone Soo'-Ke-En Car'-Ne (lodge of the white-tailed deer). When the warm springs were discovered in 1865 by Louis Belanger, he went on to purchase the land and help develop a community consisting of a hotel and bathhouses to serve the public. A privately owned mental hospital was established at the site in the 1870s and in 1912, the Warm Springs State Hospital became a state institution. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz
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