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 the mine. The operation closed in 1895 but made a comeback in 1928. A new ore body prompted the West Lone Pine operations which would become a steady silver producer up until 1950. Other prominent mines included the Aurora, Burgierosa, Monte Cristo and the Quartz Hill. Total combined recorded production for the Quartz Hill/ Vipond Park Districts from 1902-1965 was 57,261 tons of ore divided up in gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc. To Get There: From Dewey, take MT-43 west to Quartz Hill Road and take a left. Follow the road up into the Quartz Hill District ending with Vipond at the top. Unionville, Montana Helena owes its existence to gold-bearing quartz lodes in the hills south of town. The gold washed Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz out of the hills into Last Chance Gulch where the "Four Georgians" discovered it in 1864. The fabulously rich strike drew hundreds of men and women to this area, including James Whitlatch, the discoverer of Helena's "mother lode". His Whitlatch-Union Mine spawned Unionville. The camp included stores, saloons, a Chinese laundry, boarding houses, and a school, as well as an extensive complex of stamp mills and warehouses. The largest producer of gold bullion in the United States by the early 1870s, the Unionville District was well on its way to prominence when several events reversed its fortunes. In 1897, the goldbearing lode in the Whitlatch-Union Mine disappeared under a fault. Efforts to relocate it failed and the company abandoned the mine. Other mines in the district survived for a time before they also closed down. By the early 20th century, fewer than 100 peoPhoto by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz ple remained in the area. Unionville's proximity to Helena has saved it from obscurity. Today, it thrives as a bedroom community with its mining heritage still everywhere evident. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz
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