׉?4ׁB!בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://xuoc-9wq78MPhsnPPd4wdqTFH0x3Xc4F-i8zxqwxbIEw`׉ 7cassandra://bv7NSeqYej6L8l8k-aVxOtIksRJ3pmNHfW926GKMgWM͊`s׉ 7cassandra://HM9IywQZ1GbB1FW7wF_1MUq-cqeKOfjgHQ8kwMpyJjs+`׉ 7cassandra://GJnoFw51YCtgX-FMytfifpo-O_WquaSXScp8943ZQ5I*8͠]^'7R޶ט(u׈5Rנ^'7R޶̙9׉H http://www.montananewspapers.orgGׁ ׁ rנ^'7R޶̒ 9ׁH http://www.montananewspapers.orgׁ ׁ Ј׈E^'7R޶ ׉EGhost Towns and History May 31 2020 Ghost Towns and History of Montana Newsletter C O L O M A , M O N T A N A From The Townsend Tranchant March 3, 1886 Accessed at www.montananewspapers.org There has often been a shroud of mystery surrounding the mining camp of Coloma. Facts about the town were difficult to come by and even those who knew the story, weren’t telling it. Over the years, historians, explorers, archaeologists and geologists have put together bits and pieces. Located a couple of miles above Garnet, the structures of Coloma are dated by old newspapers and magazines from the 1920s and 1930s, which were commonly used as insulation in the cabin walls. Placer gold discoveries in the Coloma Mining District date back to the 1860s. The rush that would ensue brought thousands of miners to the area and camps started dotting the area, Coloma being one of those. The Coloma area housed 10 and 20 stamp mills and after crushing, most of Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz ׉ 7cassandra://HM9IywQZ1GbB1FW7wF_1MUq-cqeKOfjgHQ8kwMpyJjs+`^'7R޶ ^'7R޶ (בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://6lndLnsDfiO9WsPy-r9UPmTb6XzGRvnkaIsgskIi3VI[`׉ 7cassandra://rp3oZW2K-w1qJIHfl5yxEBlk_o8tg-HE_xrMhmY5pt0͋5`s׉ 7cassandra://qjeJWoQCwaD-_3cVi5O7-Nw_XMZZHYeCwj0BMgng3R4(=`׉ 7cassandra://Bb1tpskwlQpupWFdS6r5Sv2vmDbyAKdh6J1KcGaEoVḱ,͠]^'7R޶ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://hXQis2UOif0uf71_xJc1e03lAyK-7NV1FbQEyG5iBKI)`׉ 7cassandra://yAVEjqb5Ly0tBZrdFwA_BNX7zH5IDtwX2n6qX1uiR7Us`s׉ 7cassandra://kDHmJlLNeFtnlofuTecxC1IeYsuib1US-GlGYA6_ryE!}`׉ 7cassandra://bInACzsJTHduVHTxpPjkqTq_w5mke5RFf7znSoU_SYw e͠]^'7R޶׉EP 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 ore was trucked to local smelters to be treated. In 1897, lode deposits were discovered at Coloma. The two largest mines included the Mammoth, opened in 1896 and the Comet in 1905. But even those proved to be unprofitable for their investors with much of the gold being lost in the tailings. The district produced about $250,000 in gold, silver, lead and zinc. Mining did continue off and on over the next few decades but the high altitude mining camp began to fade away. To Get There: From MT Hwy 200, turn onto Garnet Range Road and follow about 7 miles to the Coloma turn-off. LaHood Park In August 1840, Pierre Jean De Smet, a Catholic missionary of Belgian birth, camped near the mouth of the Boulder River with the Salish Indians and celebrated the holy sacrifice of the Mass. Father De Smet left the Indians soon after to go to St. Louis. He returned the following year and established the original St. Mary's Mission in the Bitterroot Valley, hereditary home of the Salish. Fearless and zealous, his many experiences during the pioneer days have been chronicled and form a most interesting chapter in the frontier annals of Montana. Nearly ninety years later, in 1928, Shadan "Dan" LaHood built a hotel, gas station and auto camp here to take advantage of tourist traffic on the newly opened highway through the Jefferson River Canyon. Five years after building the hotel, he added several motel units and a roadside café to his operation. A tireless Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz supporter of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal relief programs, LaHood donated the land adjacent to the hotel for a Civilian Conservation Corps camp in the 1930s. The boys based at the CCC camp improved access to and within Lewis and Clark Caverns, making it one of Montana's premier attractions. LaHood's hotel burned to the ground in 2001. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz ׉ 7cassandra://qjeJWoQCwaD-_3cVi5O7-Nw_XMZZHYeCwj0BMgng3R4(=`^'7R޶׉EyG h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y P a g e 3 MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH- Elkhorn, MT. Death came to the people of Elkhorn by disease and accident. A diphtheria epidemic from about 1884-1889 reduced the town’s population. “In one week we buried seven people from one family- first six children and then their mother”, reported an old time resident. The 1889 Boulder newspaper recounts a tragic mishap: “Elkhorn, September 30.- a very sad accident occurred here last Friday evening…in which Harry Walton, a son of John Walton…(was) instantly killed by the explosion of giant powder…” Still, life went on. The Boulder paper reported this account of death and life on April 10, 1889: “Little Miss Rose, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dan Kennevon, died last night of diphtheria. School has been temporarily closed on account of the prevalence of Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz diphtheria among children…The Elkhorn company’s mine is still in full operation and the mill is turning out plenty of rich bullion…Mr. Dennis has taken charge of the Commercial Hotel …Quaintance and Leighton, of Boulder have put in a new meat market here…” SCHOOL DAYS Some of the earliest school days in Montana consisted of kids gathering in a cabin for lessons taught from any books available. By 1897, certain books were given out by the state textbook commission. These books had to be used throughout the state of Montana. Here's a list of some of the book prices at that time and the trade in price: Stickney's first reader: 24 cents and 14 cents Spelling book: 20 cents and 10 cents Walshs' Primary Arithmetic: 30 cents and 20 cents Geography: 50 cents and 15 cents English: 38 cents and 22 cents Bookkeeping: 70 cents and 45 cents McGilvra School at The World Museum of Mining named in honor of E.E. "Boo" MacGilvra, a founding member of the museum. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz ׉ 7cassandra://kDHmJlLNeFtnlofuTecxC1IeYsuib1US-GlGYA6_ryE!}`^'7R޶^'7R޶(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://r1yhEo-KUzKUQnqnQfucdRWi_SfcdGVQK956ggcDAMk `׉ 7cassandra://3GSx5CyBF9ULfxQ4ILP4XZ86pmkIRlhwZKbOQfS1OjA͏Y`s׉ 7cassandra://QiBVeCDu8i1RgsBRYP7Bo3ytVPRC_dB_KwfNJbNtPow*!`׉ 7cassandra://uPSegbzdSgpeZgAnn6ljdJS7mixv7FD__uU1FWeznK4jP͠]^'7R޶נ^'7R޶̆ρ̳9ׁHmailto:montana@gmail.comׁ ׁ Јנ^'7R޶̧1̽ 9ׁH http://www.montananewspapers.orgׁ ׁ Ј׉EP a g e 4 G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y SAFE DEPOSITThe Kendall "Bank Building", a two story stone structure with 15 office rooms on the second floor, was built in 1902 by John R. Cook, at a cost of $10,000. A sandstone quarry south of Kendall provided the building material. Initially the post office occupied the first floor until 1905 when the First State Bank of Kendall moved in, forcing the post office to relocate to new quarters next to the Power Mercantile. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Trident, Montana From The River Press Newspaper, June 6, 1900 Accessed via www.montananewspapers.org 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 be sure to share this newsletter with a friend! Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz In 1908 construction began on Montana’s first cement manufacturing facility. In May, 1910, the first cement was shipped to a hardware store in Missoula. The company-owned village of Trident was built before the plant was completed and at its peak housed about 200 employees and their families. The village included a store, boarding house, hotel, school (1911-1965), post office, movie theater and pool hall. Only U.S. citizens were allowed to live in the village. Non-citizens lived in dirt-floor shanties down river from the plant in what was known as WOP town (workers without papers). Cement is made from local limestone. Shale and sandstone, iron ore and gypsum, are shipped in to supplement these raw materials. The raw materials (except gypsum) are heated at very high temperatures (2500 °F+) to form clinker which is then ground with gypsum to make the gray powder cement. – Courtesy of The Trident cement plant and The Gallatin County Historical Society. ׉ 7cassandra://QiBVeCDu8i1RgsBRYP7Bo3ytVPRC_dB_KwfNJbNtPow*!`^'7R޶׈E^'7R޶^'7R޶(, Ghost Towns & History of MT- #19@A Newsletter for all lovers of Montana ghost towns and history! ^'5RXQ