SEPTEMBER 2025 Ghost Towns and History of Montana Newsletter From The Great Falls Tribune, June 30, 1920 Accessed via: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ F i r e fi g h t e r L o o k o u t C e l e b r a t e s 7 0 Ye a r s In 1923, the U.S. Forest Service constructed the original Firefighter Lookout in the South Fork of the Flathead River, a standard D-6 design used between 1916 and 1929, containing a 12 x 12 cabin and a cupola. The lookout sat on the ground on top of the southeast ridge of Firefighter Mountain. The lookout became one of over 650 fire lookouts in Montana built to help the fledgling U.S. Forest Service detect fires after the Great Fire of 1910 burned 3 million acres largely in northern Idaho and western Montana. Historical information does not appear to exist about the use of the lookout and the role it may have played throughout the years. Firefighter stood watch while the Hungry Horse Dam changed the South Fork landscape. But a brush fire got out of control during the clearing operation and destroyed the lookout sometime between 1948 and 1952, before the opening of the dam in July 1953. Relic artifacts such as broken glass, charred wood, and the remains of a cookstove and stovepipe remain, as well as red argillite rocks from parts of the foundation. The Bureau of Reclamation built the present 41-foot Firefighter Lookout tower and the access road to replace Riverside Lookout, about two miles south of the first Firefighter Lookout. Riverside was lost to the reservoir. Firefighter Mountain contains two distinct knolls, and the northern knoll was the chosen site to construct the new lookout. The map (next page) shows both sites as well as two trails that head south. It is possible that the easternmost trail connected with Riverside Lookout, which would have been U.S. Forest Service Photo Firefighter Lookout Construction, 1923
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 Stove and stovepipe parts. almost directly below it. Firefighter lookout is a favorite among lookout aficionados, according to Leif Haugen, who heads the lookout program for the Flathead National Forest and Glacier National Park. People appreciate its accessibility and expansive views. The 1953 (current) lookout is unique in design, Leif says. Firefighter is the only lookout with an R-6 flattop base and an L-4 tower on top of it. Originally it contained a hip roof, which was later replaced by a flat roof. The current lookout was staffed with paid Forest Service personnel until sometime around 1997 or 1998, when Leif said it went out of service. It remained that way until the Flathead National Forest fire organization began to see merit in putting some lookouts back on the rolls after 2010. Baptiste Lookout, south of Firefighter, had some major renovations done to it before it could be considered usable. At the same time, Firefighter gained support for rehab work, taking far less effort than Baptiste. The decking and railings were tuned up and the roof made safe and sound. The completion of the projects on Baptiste and Firefighter allowed them to be the first of three lookouts (including Cyclone Lookout) to enter into the Flathead’s volunteer lookout program in 2012. Forest Service budgets could not afford to pay a staffed employee, but there was no shortage of people interested in volunteering for the job. The first couple of years during the program, work continued to improve Firefighter and Baptiste. Subsequent years have seen projects being completed by the volunteer lookouts or through projects funded through cooperative efforts between Foundation rocks. Tree grew in middle of foundation. This 1951 topographic map shows Firefighter in its current location, 1-1/2 miles northwest of the first lookout, although it was only contracted in 1951. Construction began in 1952 and was completed in 1953. This map also shows the original lookout as a triangulation point only. the U.S. Forest Service and the Northwest Montana Lookout Association. As an example, in 2018, NWLA teamed up with the Daybreak Rotary Club of Kalispell for a major painting project for Firefighter. Today both Baptiste and Firefighter have received important upgrades to carry them forward into the future.
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 In 1967, Charlie Shaw wrote in The Flathead Story, “At the present time, the Flathead maintains only 21 lookouts. Their primary function is to record lightning storm paths and serve as lookouts at night or at other times when patrol planes are not in the air.” Today ten lookouts still stand in the Flathead. Firefighter Lookout Firefighter Lookout turned 70 this year. Visitors continue to find the mountaintop a destination for an experience many have never had before. Near 360-degree views look into the South Fork of the Flathead, along the Hungry Horse Reservoir, and into the North Fork and Glacier National Park. A road off the South Fork Road winds its way to the top, although because of recent vandalism, people must park at a locked gate and walk a short distance to the lookout. Between November 1 and June 30, the lower gate on the lookout road is locked and a visit to the site is a four-mile slog up the road. Not far along the road past the upper gate, Firefighter Lookout suddenly appears in the distance, tall and stately and sturdy enough to look like it might still stand in another 70 years. Happy 70th birthday, Firefighter! (Special thanks to Leif Haugen and Doug Berglund for information for this newsletter article. Also, special thanks to Kjell Petersen for edits and the photograph of Firefighter Lookout in its glory.) This Article Appeared in the Fall 2023 Northwest Montana Lookout Association Newsletter-Courtesy of The Northwest Montana Lookout Association, For more info, visit their website at: https:// www.nwmt-ffla.org/ Meet Bonnie Worley I recently had the pleasure of talking with Bonnie Worley, and just had to share with you, her story, of living up at Garnet as a young girl. Bonnie lived in Garnet in 1955, she was 8 years old and soon to turn 9 while living there for about two years. Her dad, James Peter Smith, was a mining Engineer and when he was a young man he went to Sierra-Nevada and worked for Yuba and there he helped to build the dredge that was later used down in Bearmouth. Bearmouth had a dredge from 1939 to 1942 Where ever her dad worked, the whole family went along. James was from Missoula, and his dad Norman, was deputy Sheriff. The family spent the summers and fall in Garnet, and they kept horses. His dad, Norman, bought the land with Mt Jumbo so the horses had a place to graze. James rented the McDonald cabin, which was pretty small for a large family but they made do as it was a sturdy cabin. There is a living room, kitchen and one bedroom. Bonnie said that she had two older sisters, two younger sisters and two younger brothers, with all of them sleeping in bunk beds in that bedroom.
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 Can you imagine the fun that those kids had living in Garnet during that time? Not too far from their cabin was an old Model T Ford, and of course, those three young girls created a wonderful place to play. Sharon was the driver, Terry was the tour guide and Bonnie sat in back and enjoyed the trip. They all read a lot of books and wherever those books took them, well, that’s where they went in that Model T Ford. They traveled all over the world. Garnet was a friendly place, the kids could run in and out of the houses of families living up there, one of the best places was Ole and Marion Dahl’s house, as she cooked really good and would share with them. Bet it was cookies! Feeding a large family wasn’t easy during those days, but her dad built hutches, under a lean-to in the back of the house, for rabbits to grow big and fat, to eat for supper. The kids all had jobs, like hauling wood; they got water to fill up the metal box on the side of the stove to keep warm water for washing; plus hauled drinking water from the creek, which you can see running in town today; picked huckleberries, and their dad taught them to shoot a gun in case a bear came along. Not to shoot the bear, but to shoot up in the air to scare the bear away. The kids even picked huckleberries to sell to the miners, they got some coins and the miners smacked their lips. There was a ranch down the mountain and in the summer months the rancher brought up the cattle to graze. There was a big mean old bull, and one day the bull found the rabbits food, pellets and ate them. Well, Bonnie chased that old bull and the rest of the herd, down the road and got rid of them. She talked a little about what their dad taught them about the dredge down in Bearmouth. That the gold sat on the bedrock, big nuggets, and when they brought up the nuggets they put them according to size, in quart canning jars. The bedrock sloped and the overburden was deep, the sides caved in often as the water was very deep. Today we can see all the rocks from the dredge along the side of the road in Bearmouth. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz The kids all read a lot, one of the magazines that they read came from the prison in Deer Lodge, called “Knocker”. When it rained, they couldn’t wait to go up on the hill behind the Visitors Center, there was a little slanted pit up there and the clear crystals, purple crystals and garnets would sparkle, laying in the dirt, exposed in the sunshine. The kids would gather them up and keep them to play with them and use their imagination to what they could build. Bonnie Worley and Florence Smith (her mother), wrote a book about Marie Johnson escaping from Siberia to a life of Triumph in America. Published by Stoneydale (Stevensville) called, “A Cup of Tears” and it is a true story about Marie. A big Thank You to Bonnie for sharing her many stories about Garnet, her family, and what Garnet was
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 like in 1955. In 1999 Bonnie and her sister Sharon took their mother back up to Garnet for one last visit. They donated some old 1918 Knocker magazines, receipts that were found up in Garnet, and items that they felt that should stay in Garnet, (for future history), of the place where gold mining was ,up in Garnet, in the day. Your Editor, Rita –This article appeared in the December 2024, Garnet Preservation Association Newsletter,.—Courtesy of our friends at the Garnet Preservation Association, Find out more about them and their work or about visiting and supporting Garnet Ghost Town at: http://www.garnetghosttown.org/ HISTORY OF PARK COUNTY-continued From The Livingston Enterprise, January 1, 1900: They have a full line of heavy and light harness, whips, cowboy and jockey saddles—in fact everything which goes to make a complete stock of hardware. The Nolan Brothers also make a specialty of furnishing complete outfits for tourists who visit the Yellowstone National Park. The first venture of this firm in the mining interests of this region was in Cooke City, shipping several carloads of ore from the U. S. Treasury mine, but owing to the expensive operations of same disposed of their interests there, and soon after set several mining enterprises on foot at Lewiston, Wyoming. They are deeply interested in valuable property at Aldridge, while their latest move has been in the development of one of the best propositions in Emigrant gulch. After their experience in the different mining sections of this region, the Nolan Brothers decided that the full value of the minerals and metals could not be obtained without the use of better mining machinery, consequently J. F. Nolan, in the fall of 1898, went on an extensive investigating tour to Denver, Colorado, and other gold-milling centers, returning with the following modern appliances for treating ore, and of which they are the sole retailers in this locality : The Elspass Improved Roller Quartz Mill, which is acknowledged by all mine and mill men who have seen it in operation, to be the best and most economical crushing roller-mill for fine pulverizing yet introduced, having a special merit for screening, both as to excellence of product and capacity; the Cammett concentrator, which is the most recently developed and scientifically designed concentrator on the market, having a capacity of from fifteen to thirty tons per day ; the Jackson Hand-power Rock drill, possessing elements of economy, simplicity, durability and efficiency, features long sought after by manufacturers and users of hand-power drills; and last but not least is the Eureka settler, a process for treating pulp. The excellence of this process has caused it to be adopted wherever it has been properly treated. It is now used in the Homestake mills at Lead City, South Dakota, in Colorado, Utah and California and is being adopted in the richest known mining sections of Park county. In the different ores P.J. Nolan
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 above mentioned it catches from thirty to one hundred percent more gold than is caught by the ordinary plates—each having the same number of stamps and fed with the same ore. Wherever stamp mills have been operated owners have tried in vain to prevent the loss in values caused by the very fine gold floating on top of the slimes and from being carried over the amalgam plates and concentrating tables to the stream. It is to prevent this loss that the Eureka process is intended, and this is accomplished by injecting gas—the formula for manufacturing which is covered by letters, patent—into the pulp in the battery. The effect of the gas on the pulp is to dislodge minute globules of air that may adhere to the finer particles of gold, while the effect on the slime is to cut it as lye does grease. The result is that every particle of metal, no matter how small it may be, if it have metallic weight, is precipitated so that it is brought in contact with the amalgam plates and is there caught by the quicksilver, or passes on to and is served by the concentrator. What is true of its action on gold is true of its action on silver, copper, lead, iron and all other metals. Interior View of Nolan’s Hardware Store Nolan Bros. Hardware Store The process is easily applied, the plant consisting of a blower which forces air through a chemical mixture, contained in a galvanized iron tank where it becomes charged with chemical properties and thence passes into the batteries. The cost of treating a ton of ore is about one cent. With the Nolan Brothers as promoters of the above described machinery, and possessing all the zeal and prudence by their long lives in mining and its interests, the results of their efforts here indicate that Park county will at no distant day fall in line with the older districts. They gladly answer all correspondence of persons desiring to visit Park county, and who are seeking information regarding prices of anything in their line. The National Park Bank, Successors to the Bank of Livingston. Early in the spring of 1882, it became apparent to the shrewd business judgment of H. H. Mund of the firm of Stebbins, Mund & Co., prominent throughout commercial circles in Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado, that Livingston, though then but a small town, needed and would support a bank. He therefore, established a branch here under the efficient management of A. L. Love. It being the pioneer bank of the
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 town was called the Bank of Livingston, while its business grew with the town and developing country that surrounded it. During the year of 1886 they erected one of the finest bank buildings in the territory of Montana, occupying the corner of Park and Main streets, with a ground area of 25x80 feet. By their removal to this, their present location, the Bank of Livingston ceased to exist, its business having merged into that of the newly organized institution on January 1, 1887, as the National Park Bank of Livingston. The new bank began business with a paid-up capital of $50,000, while the authorized stock was $250,000. Its first directors were W. R. Stebbins, W. M. Wright, H. H. Mund, George T. Chambers, C. S. Hefferlin, A. L. Love and E. Goughnour, with W. R. Stebbins, president; W. M. Wright, vice-president, and A. L. Love, cashier. As this bank from the first was established upon a firm basis, it is needless to state that its increased patronage by the public has served to convince the most skeptical that it is run upon a thorough business plan; besides the fact that they belong to the American Bankers’ association, and sell exchange available in all the principal cities of the United States and Europe, issuing their own letters of credit. Its present directors are: James S. Thompson, John T. Smith, F. A. Krieger, E. Goughnour, D. A. McCaw and E. H. Talcott. Its officers are: E. H. Talcott, president ; F. A. Krieger, vicepresident ; J. C. Vilas, cashier, and D. A. McCaw, assistant cashier. Customers always find the officers at their post, affable, courteous and accommodating, and most pleasant gentlemen with whom to do business. -Read More in Next Month’s Issue! Accessed via: https:// chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ National Park Bank Interior View National Park Bank Would you like to receive our digital quarterly magazine for free? Just send an email with MAGAZINE in the subject to ghosttownsofmontana@gmail.com Please Pass This Newsletter on to a Friend! Goughnour’s Lumber Office and Yard
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 The Camp at Last Chance After the four discoverers staked their claims at Last Chance, Helena’s early story continues. The Georgians christened the new diggings “Rattlesnake District” for the snakes that were everywhere. A monster rattler with ten buttons on his tail, nailed to a post, warned of the danger. A monstrous grizzly bear that made nightly visits at the gulch’s south end, gorging on the chokecherries along Last Chance Creek, inspired the name Grizzly Gulch. The howling and barking of wolves and coyotes, discoverer Reginald Stanley recalled, “made the nights hideous.” Other miners joined the Georgians to pitch tents and mine claims during the summer of 1864. Some stayed but more moved on, discouraged by the scant supply of water. In midSeptember, the first group of emigrants arrived with the Thomas A. Holmes wagon train from Shakopee, Minnesota. The train included several hundred men and fourteen women. Only half of their names were recorded. Many hailed from Minnesota, but emigrants also came from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin, and some were European-born immigrants. The incomplete roster includes a number of pioneers who stayed and became citizens of Helena. Among them were longtime Helena attorneys John H. Shober, his partner Thomas J. Lowry, and pioneer rancher Nicholas Hilger. John Somerville, who would soon play a key role in naming Helena, was also part of the group. Most of the emigrants had no experience as miners, and the Montana Post poked fun at them, noting that they used blunt picks and worked “like chickens on a grain pile.” But some had good luck. John Marvin Blake of Wisconsin found one of the largest gold nuggets in the area, worth $2,300. With his fortune Blake studied dentistry in Philadelphia and returned to practice in Helena for fifty years. Others opened businesses and made places for themselves in the new community. –Ellen Baumler The hill in the center of this early Helena panorama, circa 1866, is where the fire tower stands today. Sketch by A. E. Mathews. Montana Historical Society Research Center. Ellen Baumler was 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. The legacy she left behind will be felt for generations to come and we are in debt to her for sharing her extensive knowledge of Montana history in such an entertaining manner. To view and purchase Ellen’s books, visit: http:// ellenbaumler.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html My/Donor Information: SUBSCRIBE TO THE GHOST TOWNS AND HISTORY OF MONTANA NEWSLETTER! 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 701 Cedar ST, Anaconda, MT 59711 ©2025 Ghost Towns and History of Montana, LLC. All rights reserved.
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