Ghost Towns and History May 28, 2018 Ghost Towns and History of Montana Newsletter R o c h e s t e r , M o n t a n a Among the dry sagebrush scattering the hills near Twin Bridges, the town of Rochester came to life in the 1860s. Because of the dry conditions, it failed as a placer camp but was able to forge on with lode mining. The first gold was found on Watseca Hill bringing in a rush of about Ad from The Dillon Tribune– June 2, 1893 Carry your gifts of flowers, In memory of the brave, Strew them thickly, like summer showers, Over each soldier’s grave. 800 men. A number of claims would make up the Watseca Mining District but it was the underground mining of the Watseca lode that kept the area bustling. Ore was crushed at a ten-stamp mill and then sent on to Butte or Anaconda to finish processing. Through the next few decades, Rochester endured its ups and downs. Many mines popped up and proved to be steady producers. As some mines were exPhotos by Jolene Ewert-Hintz hausted, others took over and the booms and busts would continue into the 1930s when most mines had closed and the town’s population dwindled.
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