NOVEMBER 2025 Ghost Towns and History of Montana Newsletter From The Missoulian, Nov. 14, 1914 16 of the Richest Mining Towns & Gold Camps in Montana The State of Montana has a rich mining history that dates back to 1850s. The state is also dotted with historical cities, towns and ghost towns that trace their origin to the early days of gold and silver mining in the state. The western part of Montana is particularly rich in gold, and there were thousands of miners here. Following are 16 mining towns worth a visit the next time you are in Montana. Some of these are now cities, while others are long ago abandoned. Anaconda Anaconda Town lies at the foot of the mineral rich Anaconda ranges. The town of Anaconda sprung up around Marcus Daly’s new Copper smelter built in 1883 in the Warm Springs Creek which was about 26 miles to the Accessed via: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/
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 west of his Anaconda Mine in Butte. The town expanded quickly with several other smelters being constructed in the area. In fact, in 1919 the Anaconda Company’s 178 m Washoe Reduction Works was the world’s tallest manmade structure. The town played a major role in the processing of minerals until 1980 when the last smelter was closed down. Bannack Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Bannack sits on the Grasshopper Creek in Beaverhead County. The town was established in 1862 following the discovery of gold in the area. The town had rich gold deposits and grew rapidly serving as the capital of Montana in 1864. Gold production began to decline in the early 1870s and most of the miners moved away. Eventually, the capital was moved away to Virginia City. The town continued as a mining center until the 1900s when the remaining residents left. Today it is a protected ghost town with many structures still intact. Basin Gold was discovered in the Cataract Creek in what became the Basin Mining District in 1862 but no serious mining took place until the late 1870s when several commercial mines such as the morning star mine, the Katy Mine, the Hope Mine, and the Bullion Mine were set up. Basin City was set up by Allport and Lawson in 1880 to serve as a trading center for the surrounding mines. It quickly grew to become an important mineral processing center when a smelter was constructed nearby. Mining continued until 1925 when the last mine was shut down for the last time. Today the town is a small community of artists although it is still a favorite for mineral prospectors. 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 Butte Butte was established in the 1870s as a gold and silver mining camp. It grew rapidly follow the rich silver and gold ore that surrounded it and at some point, it was the largest town between San Francisco and Chicago. Within a few years, copper became the largest mineral supporting the growth of the town thanks to the increased demand for copper at the turn of the century for making electric appliances. Mining declined in the 1970s and most of the underground mines were shut down. Today, the only remaining mine is the Montana Resources Copper Mine. Cable Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Cable is located along the Pintler Scenic Route in Montana. The town grew around the Atlantic Cable Lode Mine. The mine was owned by three miners who accidentally discovered gold in the area. The mine was on and off in the 1800s. The town flourished from 1890 to 1940 following the discovery of the Gold Coin Lode and the subsequent construction of the Gold Coin Mill. The mine and the mill were closed down in 1940 turning the town into a ghost town. Today most of the town site is on a private property although the remaining structures can still be seen from afar. Castle Town Castle town is an old mining camp situated to the south of the White Sulphur Springs. The town was started in 1882 following the discovery of silver in the area by Hanson Barnes. The first commercial mine to be established in the area was the North Caroline Mine built in 1884. The most productive mine was the Cumberland Mine. The area had about 1000 other small-scale mines and claims that employed thousands of miners making the town boom. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz
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 The silver panic of 1893 and the subsequent drop in silver prices forced most of the mines to be closed and the miners left town. Today the town is a ghost town with a number of original structures still standing. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Comet The town grew around the Comet Mine developed by the Helena and Livingstone Smelting and Reduction Company. The mines were operational until 1897 when it closed and was later sold to the Montana Consolidation Copper Company before being handed over to the Basin Montana Tunnel Company in 1927. The Mine was one of the most productive mines in the state. It closed down for the last time in 1941. Slowly the town became a ghost town and today just a couple of the structures still remain. Elkhorn Elkhorn is an old mining camp located within the Elkhorn Mountains. Silver was first discovered at the site of the town in 1870 by Peter Wys a Swiss immigrant. He died shortly thereafter and Antony M Holter took over his claim and developed the Holter Lode Mine. This brought in a lot of miners who laid several other mines such as the Hard Cash Mine, the Union Mine, the C&D Mine and the Golden Curry Mine among others and also established Elkhorn. In 1880 the Elkhorn Mining Company took over the Holter Lode Mine and transformed it building a 10 stamp mill and a smelter for the mine. Mining continued in the town until the early 1900s when most of the mining stopped. The Elkhorn Mine was on and off from then until 1937 when it closed down for the last time. Garnet Garnet is located in the Granite County along the Garnet Range Road in Western Montana. Gold was first discovered along the nearby First Chance Gulch in the 1860s. Later the Garnet Lode, one of the richest Photo 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 gold mines in the area was developed bringing more miners and leading to the growth of a town. The town was initially known as Mitchell but changed the name to Garnet after its most productive mine. Mining here continued until the early 1900s when the rich ore was exhausted and the miners left. Today it is a popular tourist attraction in Montana with a number of original structures still in place. Granite Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Montana State Park. Hassel Hassel is located in the Broadwater County near Indian Creek. The town was established in 1875 as Saint Louis mining camp following the discovery of gold in the area. The camp changed its name to Hassel in 1895 in honor of Joseph E. Hassel one of its pioneer miners. It thrived until 1910 when the rich gold bearing ore dried up. Thereafter mining was on and off until 1946 when the last mining operations were stopped. Today the site is under the Apollo Mining Company which has been working on mining the area. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Eli Holland discovered silver in the Granite Mountain in 1875. But, it was not until the Granite Mountain Mining Company discovered the Bonanza Chute and established the Granite Mine in 1880 that the town of Granite began to grow. The town flourished until the silver panic of 1893 forced the mines to close and many residents left. Today the town is a ghost town preserved by the Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz
P a g e 6 Helena Helena was established in 1864 following the discovery of gold on the Last Chance Gulch by four miners. The news of the rich ore sparked a gold rush that brought in thousands of miners setting up a mining camp that grew into the modern day, Helena. Although gold ore eventually dried up, Helena had become the Territorial capital in 1875 and had great transport networks and links to all major mining towns in the area and therefore did not decline. Independence 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 Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Independence is located in Park County high within the Absaroka Range. The town was set up around the Independence mine in 1889 and was an important supplier to several other mines in the area such as the King Solomon Mine, the Daisy Mine, the Poorman Mine and the Hidden Treasure mine among others. Mining in the town came to an end in the early 1900s and although efforts to revive the mining were underway for a number of years they were not profitable. Today only a few run down structures remain at the site of the town. Philipsburg The town of Philipsburg in Montana was established in 1867. The town developed around the Hope Mill and was named after Philipp Deidesheimer who was responsible for the construction of the mill. Mining in the area attracted thousands of miners who lived in the town but the majority was employees of the St. Louis and Montana Mining Company which had a number of mines and claims nearby. Mining in the area came to an end in the early 1900s. Today only a few remnants of the early mines remain but the town is far from becoming a ghost town. 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 Pony Pony is located on the eastern side of the Tobacco Root Mountains in Madison County. The town was established in the 1860s as a gold mining camp and was named after the nickname of its pioneer miner Tecumseh Smith. Mining was the main economic activity in the town until the early 1920s when the last mine closed down. Today the town is a historic site with most of the early structures having been restored. Virginia City Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Gold was discovered along the Alder Gulch in 1863 giving rise to a number of prosperous mining camps among them Virginia City. Virginia City grew rapidly becoming the territorial headquarters for Montana in 1865. With the rise of Helena and the decline in the gold ore around the Virginia City, many residents moved to Helena and eventually the capital was also moved in 1875. Mining around Virginia City continued until the 1930s. Today Virginia City is a historic site with some of its original structures preserved. –Courtesy of our friend Matt Grover at RareGoldNuggets.Com Matt Grover shares his vast knowledge of ghost towns, metal detecting, gold prospecting, rockhounding, maps, treasures and much more at RareGoldNuggets.Com Be sure to check out his website! Bring Montana’s History Back to Life with Ghost Town License Plates! Every Ghost Town license plate on the road helps breathe new life into Montana’s historic treasures! Thanks to your support, Friends of 1356 will continue to restore the Northern Pacific Engine #1356, proudly displayed near the X’s at the north end of Higgins Avenue in downtown Missoula. In recent years, Ghost Town Plate grants have also helped the Bonner Historical Museum install new interpretive signage sharing the story of the area’s railroad heritage, funded the repainting of the historic Stark School, and supported window replacements at the Alberton Community Center. These projects are made possible through the Garnet Preservation Association, which manages the grant program and typically awards up to $5,000 per project when funding allows. The Ghost Town Plate is Granite County’s only specialty plate, and proceeds go directly to preserving Montana’s unique past. To qualify for funding, restoration projects must be located in Montana, open to the public, and ideally carried out in partnership with nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations. You can help protect and restore Montana’s historic buildings and landmarks simply by choosing a Ghost Town License Plate for your vehicle. Visit your local licensing office today and drive with pride for Montana’s past — and its future!
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 Ben Greenough The life of Red Lodge pioneer Ben Greenough was one adventure after another. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and arrived in Billings penniless and hungry in the winter of 1886. He courageously walked into the Headquarters Hotel, asked for a job, and was hired as the hotel’s yard man and porter. In this capacity, he met Martha Jane Canary, otherwise known as Calamity Jane. One of Greenough’s jobs was to build fires in the hotel rooms before the guests arose in the morning. He bought the cordwood from Calamity Jane who cut the wood and sold it for eight dollars a cord. Greenough would pay her, and Calamity would then give half of it back to Greenough for safekeeping. She would hit the saloon and drink up the four dollars, and when it was gone, Greenough would give her back the other half. Greenough later went to work for cattleman Nelson Story and then worked at a sawmill on Willow Creek. Here Greenough learned one of his trademarks—how to swear. This came about when he had to drive two stubborn bulls into the timber for several months. Greenough drove the mail stage from Billings to Red Lodge, worked on the railroad, ran cattle on the Crow reservation and learned to speak the Crow language fluently. He was good friends with Plenty Coups and knew Sitting Bull. In 1900, Greenough married and settled down, more or less, on a ranch on Rock Creek near Red Lodge. His seven children learned to ride by breaking horses. There were so many rocks in the corral, the kids didn’t dare fall off and all became exceptional riders. His son Turk and daughters Margaret and Alice were rodeo champions. –Ellen Baumler Library of Congress, LC-USF34-058658-E Ellen Baumler was 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. The legacy she left behind will be felt for generations to come and we are in debt to her for sharing her extensive knowledge of Montana history in such an entertaining manner. To view and purchase Ellen’s books, visit: http:// ellenbaumler.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html 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 701 Cedar ST, Anaconda, MT 59711 ©2025 Ghost Towns and History of Montana, LLC. All rights reserved.
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