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
3 Publizr Home