׉?4ׁB!בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://S1GKzeMNpcEaH6y3086udxzOX8b4vghugLLMRTO9Twg`׉ 7cassandra://mmd34zkT4yi9arYkPKpF134mkAN74uK7y-rY10D122Y͈ `s׉ 7cassandra://twGgkOxa0QQvP7iG5_4QRl1n6B_O242uflO3mhxeH8E*-`g@L*ט(u׈ˁDנg?L*M9׉H8https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tartanDetails?ref=2693Gׁ ׁ rנg@L*̏ 9ׁH#https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ׁ ׁ Ј׈Eg?L)׉EAPRIL 2025 Ghost Towns and History of Montana Newsletter From The Glasgow Courier, Mar. 26, 1915 , BELONGING: A TRUE FAMILY GHOST STORY Accessed via: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ Luckily the ghost that lived in my childhood home was a relative. Otherwise, I might have grown up afraid of things that go shuffle and stroke in the night. I remember as a little girl, any time there was a bump upstairs or a creak in the other room, someone in the family would reassure me that it was just Aunt Jesse. I knew her as the explanation for any time my door opened of its own volition or every time I was awakened by a late night loving touch with nothing present to account for it except for the seat mark on my bed next to me. I knew her as the pen and ink portrait that watched over us from the drawing room wall of our old family house, the brick house. And I knew her as my great great aunt, a strong, willful woman, who loved the Donovan Ranch more than anyone else in the world, at least that is what she used to tell my grandfather when he was a little boy. Grandfather used that anecdote to explain how he could be certain that our ghost was in fact Jesse. According to him, she had chosen to stay behind until someone came to the ranch and loved it as much as she did. Only then would she finally rest. We aren’t completely certain how Jesse McNiven and her older sister Margaret made their way from Scotland, where they were born, all the way to a cattle ranch in Horse Prairie in Southwestern Montana. We know they emigrated from Scotland to Canada. We know they became Canadian citizens, but we don’t know how they came to Butte, Montana where they met and ׉ 7cassandra://twGgkOxa0QQvP7iG5_4QRl1n6B_O242uflO3mhxeH8E*-`g?L)߁g?L)ށ(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://XqAQPrsgae9s5zoWQ1uTopQinDPhlV9YhvMvfw_mdQU`׉ 7cassandra://N7RpFbrgMHzdlDJNhg_KSAAtcQmtrPLG8GWD3j0A7xU͟<`s׉ 7cassandra://kl9UvoiLEFmUUqJ2Bj2CErc6ubIzqTlCn21la-1pVUI*`g@L* ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://TbV1nreIO8S9DeEaT69Hc_uK7BkC7YmZpt3Rm4Rh_l0v|`׉ 7cassandra://sXR3AXVTVN61a9a_PdbffyFJwipLV9p_7WPGJlXRz8I͞t`s׉ 7cassandra://Txb0n5HSM7_C645jKo0KsBwipN8odDn3yBztli9kPY8)}`g@L* נg@L*)go9׉H.https://co.silverbow.mt.us/481/History-CultureGׁ ׁ rנg@L*̌9׉H'http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/1781Gׁ ׁ rנg@L*:`9׉HHhttps://centerofthewest.org/explore/western-art/research/edgar-s-paxson/Gׁ ׁ rנg@L*F̬9׉H"https://www.nps.gov/libi/index.htmGׁ ׁ r׉E 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 married best friends John Donovan (Jesse’s husband) and Ashley Morse (Margaret’s husband). I like to imagine these two sisters flipping a coin to determine which train they would hop as they embarked on their journey into the then still pretty wild west, just to see what was out there. And since oral testimony is unavailable, I figure they chose the bustling mining city of Butte to meet men worthy of their willfulness and independence. In terms of a timeline, we know that Grandmother Morse cued my dad that she was born around the same time as President Lincoln’s assassination and that the two couples purchased the ranch at a public auction in 1910. To say they were wholly conventional couples would be an understatement. John and Ashley were both professionals in the thriving mining town of Butte, but they were probably better known naturalists, who published a variety of guidebooks for surviving in nature and living off the land. They traveled together with local American Indian guides, who led them on months long expeditions into the far northern territories of North America where they primarily hunted big game. I like to imagine these American Indian guides as brothers; really as invaluable teachers of all the tricks of the survivalist trade, but historical knowledge demands I acknowledge a much different possibility. My now trained eye is quite skeptical of the old photographs I’ve seen of these men on my family tree posing together with the American Indian guides to commemorate and to mark their various successful expeditions. I will never know for certain if the guides were also counted among the bounty. The fantasy goes down much sweeter. I do know for certain that our house, built in 1898, served for a time as a stage coach stop servicing weary travelers coming into the state from Idaho. The Red Rock Stage Coach, and others of its kind, followed and slowly built upon generations old American Indian migration and hunting trails as it transported prospectors, traders and other visitors to Dillon over fifty miles away from the Donovan Ranch stage stop. The ranch was where Margaret and Jesse (and eventually also my Grandfather) lived and thrived while their men were away. If only the walls of the old brick house could speak! What stories they could share of conversations, dreams and life from those days! Fig. 1 Red Rock Stage Coach Traveling Over Lemhi Pass As it was, the walls of our house did have a few stories to tell. When I was a kid, I remember that the walls were full of paintings by E.S. Paxson, a good friend to Aunt Jesse and Grandmother Morse. Since he worked for a stage coach company (as a guard) prior to moving to Butte and then to Deer Lodge to pursue his work as a visual chronicler, I’d like to believe they first met at the ranch. “Maybe he had even stayed there in room 6,” added my dad. Paxson, a self-trained artist, tasked himself with studying historical sites ׉ 7cassandra://kl9UvoiLEFmUUqJ2Bj2CErc6ubIzqTlCn21la-1pVUI*`g?L)׉E JP 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 around the state and interviewing witnesses so that he could paint what might someday be regarded as historical documents. Through his art, he archived great battles, like the Battle of Little Big Horn, when Arapaho, Cheyenne and Sioux warriors decimated General Custer and his men. Later in his career, he painted the final days of life in what we now remember as the wild west; scenes of trappers, cowboys and mostly white settlers as well as of the American Indians of the region living in the mountains and valleys of Montana as they had for centuries before we took it away from them in the name of progress and the “Great Westward March.” Most of those paintings now hang on museum walls since Grandfather sold them so that he and grandmother could go on their own adventures. Their first “world tour” also happened around the time that they moved out of the brick house and we moved in; quite an undertaking. Everything was taken out, renovated, freshened up, and our things were moved in. We happily lived there through my high school and college years. But, as bad luck sometimes makes its presence known, we were eventually forced to sell the ranch and leave the family house for good. Mom was the last of our family to stay in the brick house. She wanted to be alone and to say goodbye. As she reminds me, there were no people left on the ranch, the cattle had been sold, and the house was empty with the exception of a mattress and a couple boxes of trash. Mom recalls that the house was really noisy that last night. She confessed that she thought “Jesse was mad at” her, at us; which is a funny thing for her to confess since she didn’t really believe in ghosts. The next morning, mom made her final cup of coffee from the narrow, little kitchen at the front of the house, wiped away her tears and went to load the trash into the truck when she noticed something quite unexpected. On top of the trash lay open a dusty, old leather book originally intended as a ledger for tracking financial transactions. It was open to a page with a poem that read that in tough times when people may slander you or you may feel like you hadn’t done all that you could, remember that family will stand behind you. There is an important part of Jesse’s talks with grandfather that I didn’t mention before. I didn’t want to spoil the fun. The book mom found carefully placed on the trash and opened to just the poem she needed on that most difficult morning was Jesse’s. It had first belonged to Jesse and Margaret’s mother, who began filling it with poetry and cut outs of favorite recipes and other little tidbits. It was later passed on to Jesse, who continued to chronicle her inner life and love of the ranch. Mom took the book that she had never seen before and presented it to dad, who also had never laid eyes on it before that day. He called grandfather, who traveled post-haste to the house, because he didn’t believe mom’s story could possibly be true. Fig. 2 Biography of the Life and Work of E.S. Paxon By His Grandson ׉ 7cassandra://Txb0n5HSM7_C645jKo0KsBwipN8odDn3yBztli9kPY8)}`g?L)g?L)(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://qYBr0GkPK0WCJEC7FqxDXBmye8_Q15OoCVD6emJKDk0`׉ 7cassandra://z5Xmth5rHJpqZ7JW3SzSWlLwj9ra2SRT4CZHRfeHw8w͏`s׉ 7cassandra://xXDjCug0QF0Ynrq57Nqyn7hrmiZzR7N_l71iztzSJhk(S`gAL*ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://Rn4fP0kMvh27Bke84rck4_NnWMB4Te8LKJ5X4fgPwrk`׉ 7cassandra://Tu8KCPhls39tXAKeX9X_J0UG0ccYaqShklv96j0lA-ś&`s׉ 7cassandra://hHrgFenPngltXVjm-XBrev6GV1e5kyrNFdm6n45bMnA&`gAL*נg@L* yK9׉H#https://morsestories.wordpress.com/Gׁ ׁ rנg@L* A>9׉H7https://morsestories.wordpress.com/portfolio/vignettes/Gׁ ׁ rנg@L*Pρ9׉H7https://morsestories.wordpress.com/portfolio/vignettes/Gׁ ׁ rנg@L*T9׉H1https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1033732?ref=minersGׁ ׁ rנg@L*wp=9׉H1https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1033732?ref=minersGׁ ׁ rנgAL*%9ׁH$mailto:ghosttownsofmontana@gmail.comׁ ׁ ЈנgAL*Pԁ9ׁH6http://morsestories.wordpress.com/portfolio/vignettes/ׁ ׁ ЈנgAL*yQ9ׁH!http://morsestories.wordpress.comׁ ׁ Ј׉E AP 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 You see, he had loved his aunt dearly, and he had regularly asked Jesse if he could have her book after she died. Because she always responded that she would leave it to the person, who loved the ranch as much as she, he assumed it would eventually fall into his hands, but it never did. Following her death, he looked for it, but he was never able to find it. He confessed that he had looked for it for years before finally giving up and accepting that it must have been lost. After relaying the story of Jesse’s book and of her promise, he looked up from the pages he had been quietly reviewing, and he said with tears in his eyes, “Barbara, Jesse picked you. You loved the ranch as much as she did.” It makes sense after all. Mom and Jesse were both immigrants to this country, both independent, strong women, who found their home and themselves in Montana. Mom, whose story is linked below (to be linked below), traveled from Germany to America with dad a year or so after they were married. As they have told me many times over the years, she had no idea what a ranch was or what to expect from life there, but as soon as she and dad drove over Bannack pass on what used to be part of the old Red Rock Stage Coach road and she took her first look at the ranch, she knew she belonged. She belonged to the land and knew at once that she belonged in a life of agriculture. Mom now thinks of Jesse every time she wears her diamond dinner ring, because Jesse used to wear it every day, even when she went fishing. And as for Jesse’s ghost, that was also her last night in the brick house. Her ghost has moved on, but her pen and ink portrait will always be with us, with family. –Susan Margret Morse Note: I’ll be posting more historical family vignettes at a new site (in case you are interested): morsestories.wordpress.com Thank you so much to Dr. Morse for sharing this wonderful story with us! If you’d like to check out some great videos of Susan’s grandfather as a teenager on the ranch she also included a link for those. They are a rare treat showcasing cool artifacts of working with draft horses in the early 20th century: https:// morsestories.wordpress.com/portfolio/vignettes/ Fig. 3 Mom’s first view of the Donovan Ranch Would you like to receive our digital quarterly magazine for free? Just send an email with MAGAZINE in the subject to ghosttownsofmontana@gmail.com “Genius is the gold in the mine, talent is the miner who works and brings it out.”-Marguerite Gardiner Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz ׉ 7cassandra://xXDjCug0QF0Ynrq57Nqyn7hrmiZzR7N_l71iztzSJhk(S`g?L)׉E zP 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 HISTORY OF PARK COUNTY-continued From The Livingston Enterprise, January 1, 1900: Of the many societies that enter into the development of a city, none are more deserving of prominent mention than is that of the Fire Department. These men, who voluntarily risk their lives for the security of the city, and receive only a paltry sum as a recompense, should live forever in the annals of its people as their greatest benefactors. The Volunteer Fire company of Livingston was organized October 13, 1897, consisting of eighteen members, who were only active in the event of fire. The first officers elected were: President, Lee Eisenberg ; Vice President, Harry McCue ; Secretary, T. M. Swindlehurst ; Treasurer, C. S. Hefferlin; Trustees, C. S. Hefferlin, Frank Bender and D. N Ely. Dr. W. H. Campbell was the company’s physician. Shortly after the organization of the company a set of constitutions and by-laws were framed by a committee composed of five members, i. e., D. N. Ely, Frank Bender, G. W. Chamberlin, Harry McCue and J. H. Wolcott. The first annual fire ball was held at the opera house January 25, 1898, terminating as one of the grandest social and financial successes of any society ever held in Livingston. By the resignation of President Eisenberg, Harry McCue, vice president, was unanimously elected to fill the vacancy December, 1898, while M. J. Walsh was duly elected to fill the chair so honorably vacated by H. McCue. Today the Livingston Fire company consists of twenty-eight active members, one hose company of twentytwo men and one hook and ladder company of six men. The amount of fire apparatus on hand is as follows: One team, one hose wagon, one set double harness, two hose carts, one complete hook and ladder truck and 2,200 feet of two and one-half inch cotton hose. From May 3, 1897, until September 1, 1899, the volunteer company was in active service at thirty-six fires, twenty-one of which occurred during the last year. Ever since the existence of the fire department of Livingston Pete Nelson has been the acting chief. He has been the life and energy in the complete furnishing of the rooms throughout, while, besides, it was through his efforts that the foundation for a carefully selected library has been laid. It is plainly evident to all that Looking Down Main Street, Livingston, Montana ׉ 7cassandra://hHrgFenPngltXVjm-XBrev6GV1e5kyrNFdm6n45bMnA&`g?L)g?L)(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://xPZMfGRIWQ8UzuQLa0M74ap9vmoI3MVsHmsmrdHi4hI`׉ 7cassandra://-T6XrVUnMxae5mq4CuifCPTBIeQFETgB8pOD26w5efM͇`s׉ 7cassandra://B_olyjwqC07xarHxsCEXw6092-VYYv9mkRN7zZrja3I&`gBL*ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://bEai8_37BYJWJAhjwYHO_rh1OVVBeXIIjNPNGvatwps:`׉ 7cassandra://K0pj2FIXxsZhMLvgX9KryDknEU6KNvOR2sH1dX5h8Rc͐C`s׉ 7cassandra://DRclNdYFHBaLqIbN5sscUixBpv6ewts-iwPDE__KxcQ'>`gBL*נgAL*Ӂ9׉H#https://raregoldnuggets.com/?p=3422Gׁ ׁ rנgAL* 9׉H#https://raregoldnuggets.com/?p=2782Gׁ ׁ r׉E 7P 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 the future of the department can be only judged by the past, and under Chief Nelson it will very soon be second to none in the state. Driver McGinnis has sole charge of the firemen’s quarters. He has been criticized as possessing remarkable activity in answering fire calls, and he is numbered with the best known horsemen in the district. His warm hand of welcome is always ready to greet the many visitors at the fire hall. City Hall In entering the fire department by the flight of stairs leading from the vestibule, turning to the left, the visitor finds himself in the firemen’s dancing hall. The highly polished floor and ample room at once bespeak of the pleasure afforded to the public by an evening here. Oak chairs and an ebony Grand-square piano are the necessary furniture that complete the equipment throughout. Leading from the entrance hall at the end is the robe room, -which has all the modern conveniences for the uses intended. At the right of the hall and in the front part of the building is the library and card room. Fine writing and card tables and leather upholstered chairs are comfortably arranged about the room, while the latest papers and magazines are found in sufficient numbers for the entertainment of its occupants. The floor is covered with a heavy tapestry brussels carpet and the walls are adorned with oil paintings, among the best in the state. Artists visiting the city should not fail to leave without criticizing them. Leading to the rear from the library is the billiard room. It is large and furnished for the exclusive use of billiard players. On the floor is a soft brussels carpet, and from the walls hang oil paintings of great value. Thus the city of Livingston has just cause in entertaining pride by the completeness of her fire department in answering its present requirements, while its fireman’s club is ever ready in answering their call to the entertainment of visitors. Read More in Next Month’s Issue! The Wild History of Virginia City, Montana Virginia City, Montana, is said to be a “living ghost town,” frozen in time showing the glory that was the Old West Gold Rush era. Virginia City remains to be the pride of Montana, and it is easy to see why. Virginia City lies along Alder Gulch, the location of the richest placer gold strike in the Rocky Mountains. It is said that the total value of the gold struck from the Gulch valued into over $100 million throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. An estimated $30 million worth of gold was removed in the ׉ 7cassandra://B_olyjwqC07xarHxsCEXw6092-VYYv9mkRN7zZrja3I&`g?L)׉E 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 early 1860s alone. Discovery of Gold at Alder Gulch Virginia City was discovered in May 1863 by a group of gold prospectors in search of the Yellowstone River. While on their journey, they came across members of the Crow tribe and were forced to return to Bannack, Montana. Photo Courtesy of Matt Grover Virginia City, Montana in 2015. On May 26, 1863, members of the group, Bill Fairweather and Henry Edgar discovered gold near Alder Creek. Fairweather and Edgar wanted to keep this discovery a secret but quickly failed as news of this mining discovery spread. Mining sites quickly popped up as news of this gold discovery reached others across the country. A mining district was set up in order to create rules about individual gold claims. On June 16, 1863, the site was named “Verina,” and a township was formed. The name Verina was given to the town to honor Varina Howell Davis, the first and only First Lady of the Confederate States of America. While interestingly enough, the town was in Union territory, the area was actually founded by Confederate-loyal men. They attempt to register the name as Verina but were rejected by Connecticut judge, G.G. Bissell. The town’s name was then changed to Virginia City. Hopeful Miners head to Western Montana Miners came from the California gold rush by way of the Columbia River and overland on Mullan Road. Other settlers traveled the Bozeman Trail, parts of which are named to the National Register of Historic Places. Photo Courtesy of Matt Grover The original Virginia City Opera House in 2015. gold flocked to the area. The problem with most mining towns in that day was the lack of law and order in the area. This remote area of the Idaho Territory had absolutely no law enforcement justice system, with the exception of miners’ courts. This was a problem due to the wealth of so many in the area. Murders and robberies occurred along the trails and roads along the region, and these “road agents,” as they were termed, were responsible for up to 100 deaths in the region between 1863 and 1864. The crooked sheriff of the town was Henry Plummer who would later become known Within only weeks, the town boomed in growth. Thousands of prospectors seeking fortune in ׉ 7cassandra://DRclNdYFHBaLqIbN5sscUixBpv6ewts-iwPDE__KxcQ'>`g?L)g?L)(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://C0dw5gjieRiMwQEn-jd_QaYiPyQE4b_md6C0Zc0jpIc`׉ 7cassandra://zoe_5UaJwruPoDljke2RqunG1pkfdm4noz-4GoMZBso͙``s׉ 7cassandra://pvLQKfTI95TeD864cI9D5p_3IEbexRwqlkRw_k4TzQ0*`gCL*$ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://jjL8lyKGbOIZMOwS2-fuDC8-OAsvKXKOg5cSv2SAiNg#`׉ 7cassandra://0H6lDO0JcDsV0mPFkBL7E4YV9wfrrf_oyy86HbLt0Co͉\`s׉ 7cassandra://hUFaiVkYgf5N9-U6Se6S1_On60pi8_XKPPkSHLhqVDo(`gCL*%נgBL*o9׉H#https://raregoldnuggets.com/?p=5230Gׁ ׁ rנgBL*̷69׉H#https://raregoldnuggets.com/?p=2956Gׁ ׁ rנgBL*̇w̌9׉H#https://raregoldnuggets.com/?p=2645Gׁ ׁ rנgBL* P9׉H#https://raregoldnuggets.com/?p=2645Gׁ ׁ rנgBL*!:G\9׉Hhttp://RareGoldNuggets.ComGׁ ׁ rנgBL*"Lb̅9׉Hhttp://RareGoldNuggets.ComGׁ ׁ rנgBL*#L̎9׉Hhttp://RareGoldNuggets.ComGׁ ׁ rנgCL*-L̊ 9ׁHhttp://RareGoldNuggets.Comׁ ׁ ЈנgCL*,Lez9ׁHhttp://Nuggets.Comׁ ׁ Ј׉E nP 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 as the leader of the infamous Plummer Gang that was responsible for the bloodshed that occurred around Virginia City and Bannack during the early days. This high crime led to the formation of the Vigilance committee of the Alder Gulch and Montana Vigilantes who sought out and hung over 15 of these road agents between December 1863 and January 1864, including Plummer himself. Also Read: Copper Mines of Butte, Montana: The Richest Hill on Earth Virginia City: The Pride of Western Montana The Montana Territory was organized out of the existing part of the Idaho Territory in 1864, through an Act of Congress and was later signed into law on May 26, 1864, by President Abraham Lincoln. Virginia City was the capital of the territory from February 7, 1865 to April 19, 1875, when the capital was moved to Helena, Montana. Virginia City quickly became a social center as it filled up with permanent structures and transportation hubs. It became the location of Montana’s first public school, newspaper, and telegraph. Thomas Dimsdale was Montana’s first newspaper’s editor, the Montana Post, which was published on August 27, 1864. The first public school opened in March 1866. Shortly after the big boom, Virginia City started to experience a gradual decline. Gold was discovered in the Last Chance Gulch, which is now present day Helena, and more fickle miners moved to find fortune in this new location. A population of over 10,000 eventually trickled down to only a few hundred. It was at that time that the capital of Montana changed to Helena from Virginia City and the town began to devolve into the ghost town it is today. The Boom Ends, but some Mining Continues on… Lode mining did continue in the area for years but nowhere as successfully as prior mining. Between 1898 and 1922, floating dredges destroyed several of the mining camps along Alder Gulch, leaving mounds of tailings and dredge ponds behind. Nearby town, Nevada City, was actually totally destroyed by dredging, and Virginia City somehow managed to survive because it had not been established upon gold-bearing Photo Courtesy of Matt Grover Nevada City was located just a few miles downstream of Virginia City. The townsite was destroyed by large dredging operations in the early 1900s, but many of the structures were moved to Virginia City. ׉ 7cassandra://pvLQKfTI95TeD864cI9D5p_3IEbexRwqlkRw_k4TzQ0*`g?L)׉EP a g e 9 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 gravel. During this period of dredge mining, however, the area did produce $7 million in gold. However, like so many mining towns, operations began to decline shortly at the turn of the century. As the price of gold rose significantly in the 1930s, dredge mining revived briefly. However, once World War II hit, mining ceased all together. Charles and Sue Bovey began buying the town in the 1940s and putting in the maintenance needed to repair to the city’s failing structures. It was through their efforts that the ghost town of Virginia City became restored for tourism in the 1950s and now stands as a tourist town, bringing back by the Old West to visitors from all over. –Courtesy of our friend Matt Grover at RareGoldNuggets.Com Matt Grover shares his vast knowledge of ghost towns, metal detecting, gold prospecting, rockhounding, maps, treasures and much more at RareGoldNuggets.Com Be sure to check out his website! The New Chicago School This school was built in 1874 by John Fetherman, costing $700. The furniture cost $100. Teachers were hired by the school board as much for their marriageability as their teaching ability, however they did hire married women. The teachers all stayed with the local families in the valley. The school year didn't start until Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz the crops were in during the fall, and when the weather got too cold they closed the school until spring. At one time New Chicago had a population of 1300, but when the railroad came through buildings started moving to Drummond. In 1989 this school belonged to the Parke family. They gave it to the Historical Society. With lots of volunteer help, it was moved, restored, and opened in May of 1995. In 1886, a petition started circulating and was signed by many residents of Bannack and surrounding towns asking for an increase of mail service. The once tri-weekly service was upgraded to six times a week. The post office for Bannack was once located in the Turner House pictured. Bannack's post office closed its doors for good in 1938. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz ׉ 7cassandra://hUFaiVkYgf5N9-U6Se6S1_On60pi8_XKPPkSHLhqVDo(`g?L)g?L)(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://H_NdfKnKwdNEN7i3NmPcy9uC_eLcLiXRfEpgalWCQr8`׉ 7cassandra://BZXGDQ-0vpoM8dFzCctG7IfCouWYlsTxZeRuNCgbQdg͒`s׉ 7cassandra://4Coks1-crNmKFTVe2j804wS7WyeSuel_Yv8jyxoD07o(Q`gCL*.נgCL*'Ll9׉H?https://ellenbaumler.blogspot.com/2014/07/boxcar-adventure.htmlGׁ ׁ rנgCL*(KL*9׉H0http://ellenbaumler.blogspot.com/p/my-books.htmlGׁ ׁ rנgCL*)L^9׉H0http://ellenbaumler.blogspot.com/p/my-books.htmlGׁ ׁ rנgCL**S9׉H>http://ellenbaumler.blogspot.com/search/label/F%20Jay%20HaynesGׁ ׁ rנgCL*+Ձ̺9׉Hhttp://mhs.mt.gov/Gׁ ׁ rנgCL*0L_ 9ׁH%http://ellenbaumler.blogspot.com/p/myׁ ׁ Ј׉E P a g e 10 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 Boxcar Adventure Emma Gardner was a homesteading wife who came with her husband and children to the brand -new town of Ryegate in what would later become Golden Valley County. Like many families during the homestead boom, the Gardners came by boxcar. It was a seven day trip from their home in Minnesota, and the boxcar was loaded with all their earthly possessions including chickens and cows, furniture, children, and the family dog. Traveling in a boxcar in warm weather, especially with livestock, could be very uncomfortable. The boxcars were unbearably hot and stuffy, and so most families kept their big doors at least partially open so the fresh air could circulate. At one point, the train slowed down to travel up a steep grade. The dog decided to seize the moment and jump out of the car. Not only did he jump out, he took off running like mad across a field. The children were screaming, thinking that they would never see their pet again. Mr. Gardner did the noble thing and jumped out after him. Emma and the children lost sight of them both. The children began to think they would not only lose the dog, but maybe their dad, too. However, the dog was finally captured, and Mr. Gardner ran with him in his arms back to the train. But the train was starting down the other side of the grade, and it began to pick up speed. Mr. Gardner made it back to the train, but his own boxcar was way up ahead. As the train rumbled past, he had no choice but to toss the dog into someone else’s open boxcar. He hopped on the speeding train and, according to the family, hopped from car to car until he got back to his very anxious family and told them the dog was just down the way. The next time the train stopped, the Gardners collected their pet and all ended well.—Ellen Baumler A locomotive pulls boxcars across green horn trestle on Mullen Pass west of Helena. Photo by F. J. Haynes. Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, H-3202 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 99 Lampert Ranch DR, Anaconda, MT 59711 ©2025 Ghost Towns and History of Montana, LLC. All rights reserved. ׉ 7cassandra://4Coks1-crNmKFTVe2j804wS7WyeSuel_Yv8jyxoD07o(Q`g?L)׈Eg?L*g?L)(,'Ghost Towns & History of MT- April 2025[Join us for stories and photos on the history and ghost towns of big sky country, Montana! g:ˁDؕ