MARCH 2023 Ghost Towns and History of Montana Newsletter THOSE BANNACKITES From the Choteau Acantha, Mar. 14, 1929 May 4, 1906: In recent years Bannack, the first capital of Montana has been comparatively a dead town. Not many things out of the ordinary have happened there to cause people to look that way. Years ago when this country was new, Bannack was about the liveliest place in the northwest and stirring scenes were of daily occurrence upon its streets. Bannack’s reputation spread far and wide, and that reputation was not a bad one either, when looked at in a broadminded manner. Her people were among the first who said that law and order must reign in the Rockies, that wrong-doing must cease, that crime should end in these parts and that daylight deals should replace the acts of midnight hours. As a result one of the most desperate bands of outlaws that ever infested a community was broken up. Henry Plummer and a number of his ilk took passage into the Great Beyond by the noose route and then came peace and a feeling of safety for all men who dwelt in these parts. Many of the men who witnessed early day events and who assisted in restoring law and order still live and are honored for the part they played. Many of these old fellows who helped make this country what it is today still live in Bannack and the vicinity. They are a just and good-hearted people, are those Bannackites. They deal squarely with the world, even at times when they are not dealt likewise. They have lived in peace and contentment for many years, satisfied with their little homes built in early days while others have struggled for grander homes and sought fortune in other parts of the country. Around their hearths happiness has reigned; they have dwelt in the gulch on the Grasshopper in peaceful contentment; a sort of satisfying Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Accessed via: https://montananewspapers.org
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 Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz halo, unseen, but felt, has hovered over their little homes and the people living there have learned to take certain pride in being known as Bannackites. But along with it all has lived that spark that inspired them to rise up years ago and resent the outrages of unprincipled human beings. If reports are true, parties recently attempted to take undue advantage of the Bannack people and selected darkness that comes with the midnight hour as the proper time to carry out their plans. Something happened. Those Bannackites, who are accustomed to act squarely with the world, took things into their own hands. A “paint party” was held. Drastic means were resorted to by unknown Bannack parties, but there was certainly provocation. According to the Bannackites the act of locating certain placer ground there, which took in a large part of Bannack was a holdup scheme pure and simple and yet, legal. The dredge boat that will soon be put to work would have to pass through this ground and probably it was thought that the dredge boat company could be made to “dig up” for the privilege of passing through. There was apparently some easy money in sight. The business advancement of Bannack was not an object nor was the development of the placer grounds an object, that’s what the Bannack people say. And it certainly looks that way. If that was the case then the parties concerned in locating didn’t give a whoop whether Bannack interest were hurt or not. If the dredge boat company refused to “dig up” whatever was demanded and decided to not put the dredge into operation, no one would be hurt to any great extent except Bannack business and that didn’t cut any ice. When capital or promoters appear in our mining districts and show that they mean business and it is their honest intention to develop our mineral grounds, they always meet with a hearty co-operation on the part of the people. We are always glad to see them. When the object is different and midnight hours are selected to put shameful schemes into effect there is just cause for resentment. Jumping claims is lawful in Montana even when it sometimes works hardship upon our citizens. Midnight claim-jumping doesn’t appeal to the good nature of mining people in general, and it shouldn’t. When parties stoop to deeds which require darkness rather than daylight, even when such deeds are lawful, the parties do not deserve much sympathy if they pull a weight down on their own heads. Before you judge those Bannackites too harshly, put yourself in their place and think it over. – “The Dillon Tribune”, Accessed via: www.montananewspapers.org Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz
P a g e 3 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 GRANITE BUTTE LOOKOUT The Lookout was built at an elevation of 7600 feet in 1933 or 34. The 1937 Regional Office inspection noted: “T20 standard L4, good. Standard lightening protection is installed. On a road and needs a good toilet. Built for $1,292.” Mark Hopkins, who was the lookout here in 1939 and 1940 shared an old photo of the lookout. He remembered that the first smoke he reported was from the train at Blossburg. He said the food was good and he made $90 a month. He said he could, and did, listen in on the phone calls between Lincoln and Canyon Creek for entertainment. In 1962 the original lookout was replaced with the current structure, a standard R-6 Flat cab on top of a 20’treated timber tower. After another 50 years of on again, off again use, it was time for complete restoration. The Montana Wilderness Association and volunteers for the Continental Divide Trail (http://wildmontana.org/wildword/towering-accomplishment) completed a rebuild in 2016. The lookout was added to the National Historic Lookout Register in 2008. It is being maintained for its historic and recreational value and is now in the cabin rental program for your enjoyment. Please help us maintain the past for the future. If you would like more information, please contact the Lincoln Ranger District at 406-362-7000. Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest Some of the historical information excerpted from The Helena National Forest, The Early Days, author Vicky MacLean MONUMENT PEAK LOOKOUT The L-4 style was by far the most popular live-in lookout. It came in three generations; with a 14x14 foot wood frame cab, windows all around; sitting on the ground, or atop pole or timber towers up to 100 feet tall. The 1929-1932 version featured a gable (2-sided) wood shingle roof. The 1933-1935 version had a 4-sided hip roof. The 1936-1952 version had a similar hip roof, with extended ceiling joists to hold the window shutters open. This lookout was built in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and is the only remaining original CCC constructed lookout on the Lewis and Clark National Forest. It was located to “look out” over the Little Belt Mountain range. Can you tell what version of the L-4 style it was built in? In recent years, recreation and historic preservation have become important aspects of the agency’s mission. The lookout was listed in the National Historic Lookout Register in 2005 and is maintained and managed for its historic and recreational value. It has been removed from its original 50 foot tower, restored and added to the cabin rental program for your enjoyment. Please help us maintain the past for the future. If you would like more information, please contact White Sulphur Springs Ranger District at 406-547 -3361. Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest Information on Montana’s Historical Lookouts and photos provided by: https://www.fs.usda.gov/
P a g e 4 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 Moss Mansion The beautiful Moss Mansion in Billings—now a house museum—is a twenty-five-room residence built in 1903. It was the longtime home of the Preston Moss family. New York architect R. J. Hardenbergh, whose work includes New York City’s Waldorf Astoria, designed the elegant mansion. Mahogany and walnut woodwork, an onyx fireplace, rose silk and gold leaf wall coverings, and stained glass windows are among the luxurious details. Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, PAc 2004-17 Preston Moss arrived in Billings in 1892 on his way to Butte from Missouri and saw Billings’ financial promise. He became a prominent banker; helped develop the sugar beet industry, the Billings Light and Water Company, and the Billings Polytechnic Institute (now Rocky Mountain College); and with a partner ran eighty thousand head of sheep and several thousand head of cattle. He also pioneered the Billings Gazette and was instrumental in the creation of the Huntley Irrigation Project. He even started a toothpaste factory and a meat packing plant. Moss also promoted an idea he called Mossmain. This was a futuristic city he planned to build ten miles west of Billings. World War II intervened, and Preston Moss died in 1947, never realizing this dream. Melville, the Mosses’ middle daughter, was seven when her family moved into the mansion. She was a talented musician and played the harp, piano, and bass from an early age. Melville traveled the world and never married, but the mansion was her home throughout her life. She died in 1984 at eighty-two. Because of Melville’s good stewardship, the grand interiors remain unchanged today. –Ellen Baumler From More Montana Moments 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 Mining remnants and old cabins are spread throughout the Oro Fino Mining District. The district was primarily active as a lode mining district in the 1880's. The principal mine, the Champion, was the nucleus of a small town of the same name. The town was described in 1890 as a village of 60 to 70 buildings in full view, with buildings in the forest, in every gulch on every hill for miles around. The town had a lumber yard, grocery store, restaurants, barber shops, butcher shops, a post office and of course, several saloons. Photos by Jolene Ewert-Hintz
P a g e 5 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 The Mining Family Named Carpp Charlie and Ina Carpp holding a string of grouse at their Moose Lake cabin. Charles Carpp Sr. was a colorful buffalo hunter, Indian fighter and miner. Born in 1852, in New York, he came west from Michigan at the age of fourteen where he prospected in the Black Hills and then established a trading post near Fort Benton. At one time he had as many as ten skinners working for him while hunting buffalo as far south as Texas. The skins sold for $1.00 a piece. When the buffalo ran out he moved to the Pintler area and on the ridge bearing his name found silver float. In 1887 he called in government surveyors and they gave his name to the lakes, creek and ridge. The Carpp Mine is described in Emmons, “Geology and Ore Deposits”(1913) from a 1907 report by D, F. McDonald as located about two miles northeast of Carpp Lake on the south slope of a very steep canyon drained by a (Middle) fork of Rock Creek. About 1000 feet of work had been done in drifts and crosscuts. The Ore consists of white quartz and silicate limestone stained with copper carbonates and carries a little pyrite and copper glance. The richest ore, according to McDonald, was near a crosscutting body of quartz porphyry encountered in the tunnel about 220 feet from the portal. At one time Charlie was offered $50,000 for his mining claim but refused to sell. Not long after the silver vein ran out, and he looked in vain to find it again. Thirty years later he sold the claim for $800.00. At the age of forty, in 1892, Charlie traveled back to Michigan to marry Ina Mae Hazard on January 14, 1892 and they returned to live in their log cabin. To this marriage was born one son, Charles Jr., in Philipsburg, on August 14, 1906. Besides discovering ore on Carpp Mountain, Charlie Sr., patented claims on Willow Creek and was foreman of placer mines at Basin Gulch. Charles Senior died at the age of eighty-eight in the first week of April, 1941 and was interred in the Philipsburg Cemetery. Ina died at the age of eight-three, after living for seven months in a Rest Home in Drummond on February 7, 1952. Survivors were her son and daughter in law and two grandsons. Charlie Jr., graduated from Granite County High School in 1924. and after attending Electrical College, in Los Angeles for one year, young Charlie found a job at Moose lake where Bessie Dunn had William Isom and Arthur Taggart building a mill and residence. When the partnership fell apart Isom hired Charlie as caretaker of the property during the winter of 1932. Taking advantage of the situation, Charlie married, a long time girlfriend, Pauline Dorsett in Bozeman on November 1, 1932 and brought her to Moose Lake to spend this first winter of their marriage. The story goes that they ate moose, moose and more moose to get through the 6 months of winter. Pauline said they snow-shoed everywhere except the outhouse. According to “Gold on a Shoe String” Pauline went out just once in eight months. She snow-shoed to the Carey ranch (where East Fork and Middle Fork merge) and caught a ride into town with the mailman. In my possession is a crocheted doily given to me by Annie McCale Sanders that Pauline gifted to her. To this marriage was born two sons: Charles Walter and Larry Dale. Charles Carpp Jr. became foreman of the Sapphire mine in 1936 and was able to convince J. Walter Kaiser that the claims were financially solvent and American
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 Gem Mining Syndicate sold the Rock Creek claims to Charles Carpp Jr. and J.W. Kaiser in 1936/37. I found in August Erickson’ diary this notation “October 29, 1937—Sapphire News------The mines have been leased to Charley Carrp. 20% on 3 years-$10,000 basis.” They lived in the Philipsburg area until 1943 while Charlie was in the mining business and had the partnership in the Sapphire Mines. Carpp and Kaiser leased the claims to George Carter when the market for sapphires tanked. The couple next lived in Butte until 1948 then moved to Dillon where Charlie worked in the hardware business. Charlie was also a sales representative for Coast to Coast Hardware, until they returned to Philipsburg when he retired. Charles Jr. died at the age of eighty-three in the Granite County Memorial Nursing Home on April 21, 1990 following a long illness and is buried in the Philipsburg Cemetery. Survivors were: Pauline and the two sons. Pauline, died November 16, 2002 at the age of eighty-nine at Redmond, Washington. –Courtesy of the Granite County History Blog Charlie (Jr.), Pauline, Charles Walter and Larry Dale Carpp Circa 1940. The purpose of the Granite County History Blog (https://granitecountyhistory.blogspot.com/) is to share and seek information on the history of Granite County, Montana. In a few cases our topics will lap over into adjacent counties as mining districts especially do not respect the later boundaries imposed by politicians! It is a project of members of the Granite County Historical Society, an organization founded in 1978 by the late Barry Engrav of Philipsburg and now comprised of 8 members dedicated to preserving and interpreting historical documents, artifacts, and sites in the greater Philipsburg area. Our goal is to interest current residents, folks with family roots, and those with an academic interest in the area to add their knowledge to this blog as an ongoing project to deepen and in some cases correct the narrative of the people and events that shaped history in this part of Montana. The recent explosion of scanned historical documents onto the internet is making it possible to greatly speed up historical research, refine historical chronology, and deepen historical interpretation. Perhaps we are entering into a "golden age" of research into our past! Anyone with an interest in the Philipsburg area or Montana history is invited to discuss the topics of our posts, as well as their own data and sources, which we hope will create an ongoing dialogue about the area now known as Granite County. Smuggler is located about seven miles from Sheridan on Mill Creek. The mine was claimed by John and Thomas Cavanaugh, James McDonnell, Mrs. Clara Conley and Carrie Herman in 1897. In the late 1920s the Smuggler property consisted of 13 unpatented claims producing gold and silver. The property was developed by a 117-foot shaft; two adits of 150 and 200 feet; 340 feet of drifts; 425 feet of cross-cuts; 450 feet of raises and 160 feet of winzes. The hydroelectric plant on the Emma B. claim powered a 100 ton amalgamation and concentration mill. This mill contained a crusher, a No. 54 Marcy ball mill, classifier, 3 Wilfley tables, motors, and pumps. Other improvements included 25 buildings including an office, assay office and cabins to house 45 people. The site had water, electric and telephone systems. Although the operation produced $24,117.03 in gold from 1930 to 1933, the milling process allowed $4 per ton profit to escape into the tails. Activity was suspended in 1934 while flotation techniques were examined. No further production was recorded in the historic period. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz
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 Grizzly Gulch Lime Kilns- Helena, Montana. Lime manufacture was an essential industry for building in brick and stone in the nineteenth century. The Grizzly Gulch outcrops and the kilns below them supplied the entire region with lime of the highest quality. Joseph O'neill built the first of these kilns in the late 1860s. Hewn timbers, hand-forged metal braces, and finely laid fire brick shipped from the East illustrate the kilns' sturdy construction. Workers blasted or quarried the limestone out of the hills behind, conveyed the rocks on handcars to the kilns or tumbled them down the embankment, and dumped them into the tops of the chimneys. Pine fires in the furnace beneath burned constantly. After several days, workers shoveled the powdered lime into the cooling shed adjacent to the kiln and teamsters hauled it to the building site. Each kiln could produce some twenty tons of lime every eight hours. Irish-born James McKelvey later leased and then owned the kilns, supplying the mortar for the construction of the state capitol. Lack of railroad access eventually forced closure circa 1910 although one kiln operated again briefly in the 1930s. -National Register of Historic Places Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz DIAMOND CITY Diamond City c. 1870 June 2, 1932: Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Mueller and sons Glenn and George came from Lewistown for the two-day holiday and spent Sunday going over old workings at Diamond City being accompanied from here by Miss Luella Watson. Mr. Mueller is compiling data on the early day history of the old mining camp. Mrs. Mueller’s father, the late C. W. Cook of White Sulphur Springs, she states used to have charge of the “Ditch Office” in Diamond in the early 70’s and one time an old Dutchman who operated a placer on Montana Bar asked him to “clean up” his sluice boxes for him, which Mr. Cook did and got a bushel of gold dust. The old man did not have any idea of the value of the clean-up and when he got ready to quit the camp, so little was he effected by the vast amount of gold he had, he sold all of his tools such as picks, shovels, axes, etc., which netted him something like $25.00. During the sojourn of the Mueller family in Diamond Sunday, John Smith, who now resides there panned a pan of dirt for them and got several nice colors. He then gave the boys a gold -pan and told them to pan some for themselves which they did taking the dirt from a place close beside the road in the location that was approximately in front of the G. A. Hampton hotel. Several nice colors were panned much to the surprise and delight of the boys and there will no doubt be a “gold rush” among the Boy Scouts of Lewistown upon the arrival of the boys with their gold securely corked in a small glass vial. - The Townsend Star, Accessed via: www.montananewspapers.org Abandoned cabin in the gulch by Jolene EwertHintz
P a g e 8 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 a late 1940s/early 1950s brochure: OX BOW CAFÉAlder, MT The Ox Bow Café at Alder, Montana, is just a short drive from Butte, and is located in the heart of Montana’s most colorful history. Just a stone’s throw to the north you will find old Robbers Roost, famous hangout of Henry Plummer’s Gang. To the east and south, Virginia City still stands and lives over the days of color and strife so well known to the old timers who have passed along this trail in the endless search for wealth. This area through Alder Gulch once boasted over 40,000 inhabitants, and $200,000,000 in gold was taken from this fourteen-mile stretch. Speaking of stretches, George Ives did his last one up the road just a few miles towards Virginia City. George was the first customer the Vigilantes had, but the boys apparently gave him their best services, because there is no record of any complaints. Of course George kicked a little at first, but appeared not to mind afterwards. Well, they say gold and good food is where you find it. Ah yes, pahdner, start digging. -Bea Burrill Ad from The Madisonian, June 12, 1959, Accessed via: www.montananewspapers.org Current Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz My/Donor Information: SUBSCRIBE TO THE GHOST TOWNS AND HISTORY OF MONTANA NEWSLETTER! Renewal? Y/N Send a Gift to: NAME____________________________________ NAME___________________________________ ADDRESS__________________________________ ADDRESS_________________________________ CITY______________________________________ CITY_____________________________________ STATE__________________ZIP________________STATE_________________ ZIP________________ Yearly subscriptions are $19.95 (published monthly). Please make checks payable to Ghost Towns & History of MT, LLC and send with this clipping to P.O. Box 932 Anaconda, MT 59711
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