A publication by Ghost Towns & History of Montana July 20th–July 26th 2025 Montana Stories, Photos & Fun! Please share this with a friend Mule Ranch THE SUNDOWN LIMITED The Georgetown extension of the B.A.&P. railway was constructed in 1912 as a means of bringing the ore from the An old stagecoach road now known as Highway 569 takes us through the Mount Haggin Wildlife Management Area and past a patch of cabins fondly referred to as the Mule Ranch. Popular stories tell us that the Anaconda Company owned the ranch that served as a former pastureland for mules who worked in the Butte mines and needed a rest. Researcher Alan Newell discovered that the Mule Ranch actually got its name and start due to the works of A.W. McCune. A logging contractor, McCune supplied cordwood to the Anaconda Company using mules in his operation. The ranch would gain notoriety in later years for the sheep-raising efforts of Dr. Henry Gardiner. The Anaconda Company would acquire much of the surrounding agricultural land including the ranch. This may have been in part, to attempt to show that the smelter fumes were not harming farming and livestock in the area. Montana’s State Motto, “Oro y Plata” is Spanish for gold and silver Q. What river in Montana was once recognized by Guiness Book of World Records as the shortest in the World? Apron Horse Campfire Candles Wagon Butter Boots Trail Cabin Lantern Oxen Hardship Crops Livestock Prairie Quilting Schoolhouse Trappers Guns Rivers Puzzle made at puzzle-maker.com Southern Cross mines and the timber cut by the Mines Timber company to Anaconda and Butte. The right of way was built under exceptionally hard handicaps, the contour of the country traversed being such that an ordinary grade was impossible. In many places the road follows a grade of two and one-half degrees and there are any number of 16-degree curves. Charles A. Lemmon was the chief engineer in charge of construction and what he accomplished was regarded at the time as an engineering feat. While the average fisherman or hunter who traveled over the road regarded the "Sundown Limited" as a means of taking him to his favorite fishing or hunting district, there are any number of strangers who regarded the course of the west valley train as a sight-seeing route. Any number are familiar with that part of the road which parallels the Anaconda-Philipsburg highway, but they know nothing about the grandeur of that portion that curves its way about the wooded pot-hole in the vicinity of old Georgetown station and the Pyrenees mine. - The Butte Miner, July 29, 1925 Today a few tidbits remain in the area to remind us of the once popular train. Accessed via: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ NPS Photo GRANT-KOHRS RANCH - HAYING WITH HORSES WEDNESDAY, 7/23/2025 266 Warren Ln, Deer Lodge, MT Phone: (406) 846-2070 Take a step back in time and watch as several teams of draft horses, driven by teamsters, are used to put up hay. Watch as a load of hay is gathered up with a buck rake and loaded on the beaverslide. Experience the explosive power of the draft team on the stack as on cue, they pull up the load, pulling straight toward the audience. See workers on the stack use pitchforks to shape the loose hay into a solid stack to be stored for the winter. Demonstration will begin at 1:00 pm with a brief ranger talk. Please plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before to allow time to get from the parking area to the demonstration. ©2025 Ghost Towns and History of Montana, LLC. All rights reserved. OUT AND ABOUT Whitehall Frontier Days7/25/2025 and 7/26/2025 This annual event includes vendors in Legion Street Park, a Ranch Horse Rodeo, Rod Run, Parade, and Historical Tours. Phone: 406-287-2260 Unseen MissoulaHistoric Downtown Guided Walking Tours! Unseen Missoula, a program of Heritage Missoula from the Downtown Missoula Partnership, offers educationbased, guided walking tours to showcase Missoula’s unique history. The program aims to connect Missoulians and guests to our community, foster cultural identity, and promote heritage experiences for all. The season begins in April and continues through October. Experience Missoula’s heritage through these unique and exciting guided walking tours! tours@missouladowntown.co m or call 406-543-4238 Tidbits A. The Roe River in Great Falls which measures an average 201 feet in length.
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