Ghost Towns and History OCT. 10, 2020 Ghost Towns and History of Montana Newsletter T O W E R , M O N T A N A Tower was previously known as Troutville, likely named after the Speckled Trout Lode. In 1875, residents changed the name to Tower after Charlemagne Tower who was one of the financial backers from Michigan. Tower, Pardee, Nettleton, Ewing and others joined forces to create the North-West Company. The company purchased four mines in the area and erected a 10-stamp silver mill. Twenty cabins or so, a boarding house and a storehouse surrounded the mill. Tower was occasionally also known as Stumptown. Other mines opened and operated until 1893 when the repeal of the Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Sherman Silver Act forced so many mines to close. Another boom hit during the World War One years when manganese was in high demand. After the war, manganese dioxide was used in From The Madisonian Oct. 30, 1902 Accessed at www.montananewspapers.org Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz
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 dry-cell batteries. Mining continued until 1968. The population of Tower, possibly reaching hundreds at times, gradually declined. To Get There: From Philipsburg, Go east on Broadway Street, right on south Montgomery Street. Continue on the main traveled road south and follow as it curves east up Camp Creek Gulch. Take a left at the fork in the road to town. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Then & Now The Hardisty Hotel built in Rochester, Montana hosted many dinners, dancing parties and poker games for the locals. These days, not much is left... Old photo courtesy of the Twin Bridges Historical Association and Museum, https://www.facebook.com/ Twin-Bridges-Historical-Association-and-Museum-426693050848024/ , Current photo by Jolene EwertHintz Granite, Montana’s Last ResidentThe last resident of Granite, Mae Werning, continued to live in the old town long after all other Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz residents had left. She spent many years as the town’s caretaker and as a water commissioner for Deer Lodge area ranchers. She died in 1969 at the age of 75. These are some photos of Mae’s home, still holding on, although barely... Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz
G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y P a g e 3 Reynolds City, Montana- As the miners worked farther up Elk creek it finally became necessary for them to have another camp and this new camp became known as Reynolds City. Reynolds City was an exact duplicate of Beartown, with the same happy-go -lucky type of citizens and rustic buildings. As in Beartown, high prices and high wages went hand in hand and the only language spoken was mining talk. Although its pay streaks on an average did not rate as high as those on Elk creek, several of the more prosperous bars were decidedly over average. One claim was reported to have produced $12,000 per running foot. While the gold from both creeks was so similar in color that it was impossible to distinguish gold from one creek from the gold from the other when it became mixed, yet much of the Bear Creek gold was in the form of nuggets, while the majority of the Elk creek gold was represented by small flakes. One of the first nuggets taken from Bear creek territory weighed 32 ounces. Currency was made up almost entirely of gold dust in each camp. Fortunes were quickly made and quickly spent. A few who were satisfied to hang on to their savings were rewarded by being able to retire, but the majority believed in the old adage that "tomorrow takes care of itself" and when the two camps ceased Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz to exist, they found themselves ill-prepared to meet the future financially, with pokes and pockets as empty as when they had first arrived. –Courtesy of The Sanders County Independent Ledger, Nov. 22, 1939, Courtesy of montananewspapers.org All that remains of Reynolds City today is the cemetery. Sauerbier Blacksmith Shop- Virginia City, MT Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz A notorious dance hall was the original occupant of this 1863 building which encompasses a small cabin of V-notched logs, one of the first built in June of that year. Tall French doors and a few dentils clinging to the facade recall its former dance hall elegance. Converted to a blacksmith shop in the 1870s, Charles Sauerbier and his son Karl operated the business until the 1940s. In the early years, Sauerbier repaired stage coaches and shod the ox teams that pulled huge freight wagons of goods. Original tools and machinery are still in place, and various additions chronicle the building's history in boards, nails and labor. 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 Hallowe’en Cakes- Often a few novel recipes have to creep into the department, so now for these very unusual and seasonable rules. First for “Jack o’lantern” cakes: From a plain loaf cake baked in a sheet cut pumpkin-shaped cakes about two and a half inches wide and two inches thick and Ice with frosting colored yellow, with the yolk of eggs or with saffron. While the icing Is still moist, Insert two small red candies for the eyes and nose and a row of them for the teeth. For the “clock faced” cakes, buy a few vanilla wafers, coat with vanilla frothing and let them dry. With melted chocolate and a new small paint brush you make the numerals of the clock, the hands in the center pointing to midnight, “the witching hour’’ Children adore these confections, which require only a little time and patience. I am sure every mother is more than willing to do this. MADAME MERRI. From The Ismay Journal Newspaper, Nov. 10, 1911 Accessed via www.montananewspapers.org Would you like to receive our digital monthly magazine for free? Just send an email with MAGAZINE in the subject to ghosttownsofmontana@gmail.com Please be sure to share this newsletter with a friend! The Argenta School School terms were held more regularly than in most mining towns. A term never lasted more than three months. It was difficult to maintain enrollment or to keep teachers due to the unorganized society. Teachers were paid either by local subscription or by benefit dances held in a home or in a saloon. The usual salary was $20 per month plus room and board that was provided by families in the town. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz The Argenta school district was established around 1890. This wood frame building was built around 1910. It first sat in the middle of town, but was later moved to the outskirts of Argenta. School was held in this building for about 60 years. School district 4 had the same boundaries from the time it was organized until it was abandoned on August 4, 1971 due to the people voting to consolidate with Dillon District 10. The earliest record available is the Teacher’s register dated 1897, when M. Koepp worked for a term of 6 months with a salary of $55 per month. The last teacher in Argenta was Mrs. Marian Zink, who taught 16 children from August, 1968, to May, 1969. Her pay was $4,500 per term. – Courtesy of the Beaverhead County Museum, where the school is currently on display, https:// beaverheadcounty.org/.../beaverhead-county-museum/ Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz
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