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 Kendall Mining Company was making an average of $800 a day and over the first five years of operation, $2,500,000 of bullion was produced. Two stagecoaches a day connected Kendall to Lewistown. Photo by Jolene Ewert-HIntz The population grew to 1,500 and plans were even made for a “locomobile” to speed service and increase freight traffic but, that never came to be. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz In 1920 one of the four main mines closed and that was the start of the end. Not long after, the other mines closed and Kendall became a ghost town. Some placer mining continued into the 1930s but the town’s roar had long been stifled. Blackfoot City got its start in 1865 and became the central town for the Ophir mining district. The peak population reached over 1,000 and was home to saloons, mercantiles, and a post office that operated until 1912. The town was victim to fire on more than one occasion and after the last rebuild in 1882, the name was changed to Ophir. An estimated $3.5 million in placer gold was taken from the district before they moved on to lode mining and dredging. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz The Dillon Tribune, August 29, 1890 Subscribe to our Magazine for just $12 a year! Do you enjoy ghost town stories and photos? Grab yourself a print subscription to our magazine, Ghost Towns of Montana and Beyond! We publish quarterly and feature not just Montana but several other states as well! Also makes a great gift! Visit the following link to order via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_sxclick&hosted_button_id=GHCYS7MES5K9S Or, send check or money order in the amount of $12 to Ghost Towns and History of Montana, LLC, P.O. Box 126, Warm Springs, MT 59756 Be sure to write MAGAZINE on your check. Thank you!
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