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
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