OCTOBER 2023 Ghost Towns and History of Montana Newsletter From The Jefferson County Sentinel, Oct. 29, 1891 MINES NEAR CABLE From The Anaconda Standard Newspaper, Oct. 4, 1896 J.C. Savery Has a Good Word to Say About the Properties. He’s Making Improvements The Gentleman Also Talks Politics and says That Back ln His State People are Tired of Protection Rot. J.C. Savery came down from Cable yesterday and visited friends in Anaconda. Mr. Savery is the owner of the famous Cable mine and has long made it a custom to spend the summer months in the mountains of Montana, partly on business, but more particularly for his health. “There is more work being done on Cable mountain this year than in any year for 15 years,” said he last evening to a Standard reporter. “Extensive operations are in progress on some claims, on others only prospecting and representation. I believe some very fine properties will be found there. The entire hill is full of mineral, on the east side free milling ores, on the west side the base ore which requires smelting to treat it. It is not right to call it low grade ore, because it is not; it will assay high, but the usual method will not save the gold.” “The Southern Cross is a good mine. It contains immense bodies of ore, and there are others in the district of the same class which it has been demonstrated cannot be handled as the free milling ores are. I think a smelter will handle this ore successfully, and that someday one will be built in that section.” Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Accessed via: montananewspapers.org
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 o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz “No work to speak of has been done this year on the Cable, but I have had a force of men working on the Warm Springs creek ditch and have worked over some of the old placer ground. We have applied modern methods to the work and have done pretty well, even in working ground that was worked years ago. One of the improvements is simple but works wonderfully well, in the bottom of the sluice boxes we lay railroad iron rails on four-Inch cross pieces. The big, heavy rock is carried away quickly and with less water and less force by having a smooth surface over which the waste glides away while the gold settles down and is caught.” “Most of the work done this year, however, was dead work, repairing the ditch, which has been neglected, and next year we will open up some new ground.” “Politics I don't know much about except what I read in the Standard, and I should say this is a year that will keep the best of them guessing. I hear from my home In Iowa, that usually is so surely republican, that it is hard to find a democrat willing to run for office. I hear that the republican leaders are not boasting. One of them, in writing to me recently, said: 'We shall need every vote we can get.’ The farmers of Iowa are tired of this protective tariff rot, which has been talked to them for years, and now look to the financial question to assist them out of the hard times which press about them, even to the wall. It is the only issue today and the farmers are awakening to that fact, Iowa, that has been 40,000 republicans, is in the doubtful column this year.”- Accessed via: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ ROCKY POINT / WILDER /TURNER HOMESTEAD A shale reef at Rocky Point Crossing on the Missouri River provided a solid bottom and a lowwater ford. The flat on the south side of the river had been the site of one of the many woodhawk camps during the steamboat era. There was a ferry at this location which served as the crossing point for north/south travel in this part of the country. In 1880, C. A. Broadwater, a Helena merchant, financier and entrepreneur moved upriver from Carroll to Rocky Point, where he erected a 40-foot by 90-foot two-story trading post. He named the settlement “Wilder” after Amherst Wilder, his business associate from St. Paul, Minnesota. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz
P a g e 3 G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r Gold discoveries in Maiden and the Little Rockies increased interest in Rocky Point as a landing point for the mill machinery coming upriver by boat. During low-water periods, many larger boats bound for Fort Benton were forced to unload here. Their cargoes were then freighted overland, picked up by smaller boats or stored until the next highwater season. Rocky Point also received cargo en route to Fort Maginnis and Fort Assiniboine, the last two forts built in Montana. A detachment of 19 men was sent to Rocky Point to guard government shipments en route to Fort Maginnis. In 1882, a military telegraph line was completed from Fort Buford, North Dakota, to Fort Maginnis, via Rocky Point where an office was established. In 1885, Rocky Point/Wilder had grown to include one store, one hotel, one feed stable, two saloons, a blacksmith shop and the ferry crossing. M. F. Marsh ran the hotel and one of the bars that reportedly was a haven for horse thieves and cattle rusWilder Ferry at Rocky Point/Wilder, Montana, (first location) transporting Malta Stage en route to Fort Maginnis -- before 1890 tlers. Newspaper reports indicate that Kid Curry worked for Marsh at this saloon for a time and later built a log cabin near Rocky Point where he and brother Loney dispensed alcohol. In 1886, Wilder became a post office and served as a polling place for area residents. That same year, 53 votes were cast in the general election from Wilder. In 1888, Marsh’s saloon burned down and he moved his business to a nearby rental building. In 1889, Montana became a state and all of the Chouteau County land south of the Missouri River was traded to Fergus County for $2,500 and Wilder became part of Fergus County. As the century ended, Rocky Point remained an active river crossing with an operating post office, store, saloon and ferry. The ferry served the Goslin Stage Line which ran three stage coaches on the north/south route via Wilder, carrying passengers between Malta and Fort Maginnis, Flatwillow or to the railroad at Junction City (now known as Custer). In 1907, Elmer Turner took over the store and post office at Wilder. He also bought the ferry and maintained it until 1929, when he used the wood to build a log shop. Elmer lived there until 1935, Wilder Saloon at Rocky Point/Wilder, Montana; Milton F. Marsh, Proprietor -- 1885 Broadwater Trading Post at Rocky Point/Wilder (first location) -- 1966
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 o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r when the government purchased the valley for the Fort Peck Dam Project. In 1918, the post office was moved to Luella Belyea’s homestead on top of the river hill. - From MISSOURI BREAKS HISTORICAL HOMESTEADS AUTO TOUR issued by the BLM. Better Service Station 109 N. Wyoming; 64 E. Granite Built: 1928 By Richard I. Gibson This is the only surviving 1920s gas station in Butte, and one of only a few in Montana. It was originally owned by J.B. Halford and R.P. Morris, who had it built in 1928 at a cost of $3,000, and ran it under the name Better Service Station. This corner held a small pre-1884 house that in 1891 was a carpenter’s shop and upholstery business. By 1916, the corner was a vacant lot, likely vacant until the gas station was built in 1928. James and Mae Halford lived on the Flats at 1940 Oregon, and in addition to the service station he held a job as a lineman for the Mountain States Telephone Company in 1928. Roy and Sarah Morris lived at 1310 West Gold Street when the gas station opened in 1928. The station was still operating in 1979, as a Conoco franchise. 2007 Sources: Architectural inventories, Sanborn maps, city directories. Top photo from HAER survey, 1979, by Jet Lowe, from Library of Congress. 2007 photo by Richard I. Gibson. Richard Gibson is a geologist. His career has ranged from analyzing kidney stones to 35 years in oil exploration. Butte's history, architecture, and people captured his interest like he thought nothing could, and have expanded his life significantly. He’s still passionate about geology, but now he’s passionate about Butte, too. His book "What Things Are Made Of" came out in March 2011; his writing blog focuses on it. The Butte History blog contains interesting stories discovered in Butte, Montana, which are documented in "Lost Butte, Montana," from The History Press. Check out more great stories from Richard by visiting his sites: http://buttehistory.blogspot.com/ http://butte-anacondanhld.blogspot.com/ https://www.verdigrisproject.org/butte-americas-story Rocky Point/Wilder, Montana (first location) and Elmer Turner Homestead.
P a g e 5 G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r Train Wreck at Boulder At four o’clock on the afternoon of October 15, 1890, a train laden with ore on the Northern Pacific’s Helena, Boulder Valley & Butte Railroad chugged south along its rugged route from Helena to Boulder. Samuel T. Hauser filed articles of incorporation, with himself as president, and financed the line, built in 1887. Although intended to enter Butte, the line never extended to Butte and ended at Calvin. On that October day in 1890, the locomotive, four freight cars full of ore, and a caboose made its way up the nine miles to the summit of Boulder Hill at the Zenith station. This rugged route consisted of three short tunnels, several wooden trestles on a 3 percent grade, and several sixteen-degree curves. The train was moving at no more than ten miles per hour as regulations required. As the train passed over the first bridge south of the Zenith station, the trestle collapsed beneath it and the train fell into the ravine below. Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, PAc 200626.23 The caboose and one of the ore cars landed upright. Miraculously the only injury was a broken arm, but for engineer H. H. Mayhew and his seven-man crew, the accident was a horrific event. Mayhew was so traumatized he could not work and sued the railroad. He used his five thousand dollar settlement to open a cigar store in Anaconda. Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, PAc 2006-26.24 Northern Pacific investigators determined that the bridge design was not faulty. Rather, after the trestle was constructed, workers forgot to tighten the bolts. Northern Pacific maintenance crews spent the next several weeks tightening bolts on all the other trestles on the Helena, Boulder Valley & Butte line. –Ellen Baumler Ellen Baumler is an award-winning author and Montana historian. A master at linking history with modern-day supernatural events, Ellen's true stories have delighted audiences across the state. She lives in Helena in a century-old house with her husband, Mark, and its resident spirits. To view and purchase Ellen’s books, visit: http://ellenbaumler.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, PAc 2006-26.22 Please share this newsletter with a friend! If you aren’t already on our mailing list, you can join by sending an email with MAILING LIST in the subject line to ghosttownsofmontana@gmail.com You’ll receive this monthly digital newsletter and our quarterly digital magazine for FREE!
P a g e 6 G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r Wiped From The Face of The Earth The January 6, 1899 Philipsburg Mail headlined the following story: “With the closing hours of the old year disappeared one of the oldest and most prominent landmarks of Granite county. About 8 o’clock last Saturday evening the Algonquin mill and holding works at Hasmark were discovered to be on fire and within a short space of time the entire plant was reduced to ashes and nothing remained but the stone walls and a heap of ruined machinery. The blaze was seen a long distance and the mountains for several miles were lit up as bright as day. The night was comparatively dark, but fences and buildings across the valley were almost as plainly discernable as in bright daylight. The heat around the burning buildings was intense as the woodwork was very dry and burned like tinder. Live trees some distance up the mountain side caught fire from the heat, but they ceased to burn after the fiery element had ended its furious spectacle of destruction at the works. The property was owned by the Hope Mining Company and is a total loss, with no insurance. The Algonquin Mill and hoisting works were built during the fall and winter of 1879-1880, and the mill was first started up in February 1880. Mr. John Ainsley being master mechanic and chief engineer. It originally consisted of 20 stamps, dry crushing; six amalgamating pans, three settlers, and one revolving cylinder roaster, and had an engine of 150 horse power. The machinery was constructed in Ohio by Griffith & Wedge, and when started the Algonquin was the model mill in Montana. The cost of the mill was about $82,000 and the hoisting works about $15,000, as everything had to be freighted in and wages were high at that time. About 85 men were employed by the Company, which was originally organized in 1875. The officers of the company at the time the works were built were: H.A. stiles, President: J.H. Williams, Vice President: J.K. Pardee, Superintendent and General Manager: H. S. Showers, Assistant Superintendent. Mr. Hopkins was foreman of the mill and H.K. Fairgrieve the bookkeeper. About 32,000 tons of ore were crushed during the year 1880 and the mill was kept running at intervals until December, 1883, when it closed down. During the year 1892, Mr. John McKechney, then operating the Puritan mine, procured possession of the property and set about putting it in thorough repair. The shaft house was partitioned off for living rooms and office and equipped with steam heat and electric lights. Some new machinery was added, including a small engine and dynamo. When the panic over-took the country in 1893 the Algonquin mill together with the Puritan were among the Granite county enterprises that suspended operations and since that time the property has remained closed down. About two years ago it was sold under execution and the ownership passed to the Hope Mining Company. Just how the fire started is not known, but it was first discovered in the hoist, which was about ten feet distant from the mill and there being no water about the premises the entire Pencil Drawing by Unknown artist of the Algonquin Mill
P a g e 7 G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r plant was soon a roaring furnace. It is about the cleanest wreck ever seen--every particle of wood was consumed by the fire and nothing but ashes and iron remain. The shaft has caved in and for several days after the conflagration smoke was seem issuing from the pit. The town of Hasmark seems deserted since the disappearance of the works, but the old residents who never have lost confidence in the future of their camp feel that while the fire has played serious havoc some time in the near future a custom smelter will adorn the site formerly occupied by the Algonquin and the new ores from the many promising mines around Hasmark will be successfully treated at home.” -Courtesy of the Granite County History Blog Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz The purpose of the Granite County History Blog (https://granitecountyhistory.blogspot.com/) is to share and seek information on the history of Granite County, Montana. In a few cases our topics will lap over into adjacent counties as mining districts especially do not respect the later boundaries imposed by politicians! It is a project of members of the Granite County Historical Society, an organization founded in 1978 by the late Barry Engrav of Philipsburg and now comprised of 8 members dedicated to preserving and interpreting historical documents, artifacts, and sites in the greater Philipsburg area. Our goal is to interest current residents, folks with family roots, and those with an academic interest in the area to add their knowledge to this blog as an ongoing project to deepen and in some cases correct the narrative of the people and events that shaped history in this part of Montana. The recent explosion of scanned historical documents onto the internet is making it possible to greatly speed up historical research, refine historical chronology, and deepen historical interpretation. Perhaps we are entering into a "golden age" of research into our past! Anyone with an interest in the Philipsburg area or Montana history is invited to discuss the topics of our posts, as well as their own data and sources, which we hope will create an ongoing dialogue about the area now known as Granite County. Henneberry House- near Dillon, MT This log house is part of a historic homestead settled in 1883 by William Henneberry at the age of 24, originally from Dubuque, Iowa. His original home is the mostly fallen down cabin near the newly restored one. He lived in the original home for about 22 years. He married in 1898 and had 3 sons, and built the new home around 1905. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz ship in 1999 using Land & Water Conservation Funds and a grant from Ducks Unlimited. The house, which was badly deteriorated at that time, was renovated to preserve the historic integrity. At the same time, accommodations were added to make it suitable for public recreational use. The cabin is now available as a BLM recreational rental through www.recreation.gov The homestead was transferred to public ownerPhoto by Jolene Ewert-Hintz
P a g e 8 G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r It’s fitting that the name of the town “Pardee” can be taken from the French, pardieu meaning, “By god!” That’s likely what people were thinking when Pardee’s Iron Mountain Mine became one of the most profitable silver mines in Montana, reportedly yielding a half million dollars in profit in just a few years. James K. Pardee of Philipsburg discovered and organized the first operations at Iron Mountain. Ten miles north of Superior, the Montana mining camp was soon home to a saloon, boarding house, dance houses, a post office and various mining structures and cabins. The town was abandoned around 1930. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz The old Montana Highway Department launched an ambitious program in 1936 to promote the state’s scenic, recreational and historic treasures for residents and tourists. The brainchild of department engineer Bob Fletcher, the program included roadside historical markers, landscaped picnic areas, roadside museums, highway maps, and a network of port-of-entry stations strategically located at each of the main highways at Montana’s border. The stations consisted of rustic-looking log cabins, like this one, manned during the summer months by well-mannered and courteous college students duded up in blue jeans, western-style shirts, cowboy boots and bandannas. The attendants distributed information and answered questions from visitors to Montana about its natural and historic resources, providing each out-of-state vehicle with a road map and tabloid history of the state. The highway department built this station in 1936 and it originally sat along old US Highway 91 at Monida. It was moved to Lima in the late 1940s. For two decades, thousands of visitors to Montana stopped at the cabin to learn about the state and receive a friendly welcome to Big Sky Country. The stations were an important part of Montana’s tourist industry until the highway department closed them in 1958 when the Interstate highways made them obsolete. SUBSCRIBE TO THE GHOST TOWNS AND HISTORY OF MONTANA NEWSLETTER! Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz My/Donor Information: Renewal? Y/N Send a Gift to: NAME____________________________________ NAME___________________________________ ADDRESS__________________________________ ADDRESS_________________________________ CITY______________________________________ CITY_____________________________________ STATE__________________ZIP________________STATE_________________ ZIP________________ Yearly subscriptions are $19.95 (published monthly). Please make checks payable to Ghost Towns & History of MT, LLC and send with this clipping to P.O. Box 932 Anaconda, MT 59711
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