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
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