Ghost Towns and History Feb. 20, 2021 Ghost Towns and History of Montana Newsletter Q U A R T Z H I L L / V I P O N D , M O N T A N A The Quartz Hill Mining District is located on the northeastern portion of the Pioneer Mountains. Its history is intertwined with that of the Vipond District. John Vipond made the first mining claim in this location in 1868. John’s brother, William would stake another claim the next year. To solve the hindering problem of transportation of ores, a third Vipond brother, Joseph, and local miners built a road from the mines to the newly developed town of Dewey in 1872. Colonel Washington Black made the first claim in the Quartz Hill District. The most important mine in the district would be the Lone Pine located in the late 1870s and claimed in 1880. A 25-stamp mill was erected at the mine and produced $33,000 in silver each month. The town of Ponsonby soon existed to house the workers from Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz From The Choteau Acantha April 2, 1925 Accessed at www.montananewspapers.org Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz
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