׉?4ׁB!בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://wfqD_mpIKC1PCU9MTkU4L6kud-OoJTblILaMa5-q2UMv`׉ 7cassandra://hFnPZIdU0SWyFdFRVOyHIdg09JUb39k5Zd1r4qn7vPË́B`s׉ 7cassandra://V4awk_uNLbyTnb_MblgiLZoOQVWZQO7vwNU6PqwoXt4'`ek/h@Yט(u׈Uנek/h@^f 9ׁHhttp://montananewspapers.orgׁ ׁ Ј׈Eek.h@F׉EEDECEMBER 2023 Ghost Towns and History of Montana Newsletter From The Dillon Tribune, Dec. 9, 1904 ITEMS FROM WICKES, MT Accessed via: montananewspapers.org From The Helena Weekly Herald, Dec. 28, 1882 The Herald is indebted to a gentleman recently arriving from Wickes for the following items of interest relative to affairs in that flourishing camp: "Wickes now has four saloons running in full blast, all of which seem to be well patronized, although it is said very few of the employees of the Alta Montana contribute to their support. The Presbyterian society of Wickes have just completed a very neat and comfortable church edifice, 27x45 feet, at a cost of $2,750. Messrs. Newberry and Graham, of Helena, were the contractors. The seating of the church, which will cost $250, will be paid by the Sabbath School, more than half of that sum having already been raised. An entertainment given for the benefit of the church on Tuesday evening last netted the society the sum of $78. The final payment will be made as soon as a deed is received from the Alta Montana Co. for the land upon which the building stands, when the society will start free from debt. Much of the success of this church is due to the efforts of Rev. T. A. Wickes and his estimable wife. Rev. T. M. Todd is the pastor in charge and is held in high esteem by the citizens of Wickes. The smelter and amalgamator connected with the Alta Montana works are still running full crews and on ore supplied by the Comet, Nellie Grant and other mines in the vicinity. The mill is shut down while new machinery is Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz ׉ 7cassandra://V4awk_uNLbyTnb_MblgiLZoOQVWZQO7vwNU6PqwoXt4'`ek.h@Gek.h@F(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://2UsE1OoYiGLnzAzjdQkJ_51cAf03osro16_kQWwqoqE`׉ 7cassandra://SmlsdauHMromepP9v9qkkaZpADEQiiHRIGCwDM6CnlEͅ`s׉ 7cassandra://seBIlMAp2Pcq_YEh5pRlFDDHdbwK12xiEndUuUrPxEQ%`ek/h@_ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://rAJX2u0Q4YTu7kUfdkdxVsO-p1MDzm-Dt-TbMr6CrgoY`׉ 7cassandra://ipHEZ8m8WaS0sn565sFCK3OaQEF89yVZj21H5hua30A͘f`s׉ 7cassandra://IcpMMUPA-noQfvFgQ_rrxD5cPQZNrXgGaTV09Fa6B8M,=`ek/h@`נek/h@\)9׉Hhttps://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fchroniclingamerica.loc.gov%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2zGNprtMsJxRKvhA4D6tysDk8V_3QpRnUzwTJbspHc_q_Bw2CC4zL0Wxw&h=AT0qYO9d4zybB1F4TpRLgudRZt2CsdgPTHL7FDCbgXIaaYEqnyWBxhLhjohtLzbq9MDn10-mNUdL8hhJ2eSVJbJ-Ae-ahKHcWNNKy6H7u8YptGׁ ׁ rנek/h@]h9׉H#https://raregoldnuggets.com/?p=5660Gׁ ׁ rנek/h@f9ׁH#https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ׁ ׁ Ј׉E yP 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 being put in and for repairs. During the past ten days three car loads or over sixty thousand pounds of bullion has been turned out at these works. A scarcity of charcoal is liable to interfere somewhat with the constant running of the works, but it is proposed to make coal pits on the bar near Wickes and burn the coal required there. It is understood that a contract has been let for 1,800,000 bushels. What is known is the Haskell Hotel has again been closed, and the visitor to Wickes finds it a difficult matter to secure lodging accommodations. A good hotel is very much needed, and with careful management ought certainly to pay well. J. S. Concannon and family left on Thursday morning for Boulder, where they were to take the overland coach on the way east to spend the winter amongst their old friends. Messrs. Dean and Stout run the post office. Mr. Bobson, formerly of Helena, is in charge of the notion store and hotel, and is evidently doing a good business. T. A. Wickes is kept busy from morning till night and turns out an immense quantity of goods during each week. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz The businessmen of Helena would be surprised at the amount of trade in this section of Jefferson county, and which is supplied by Mr. Wickes of Wickes, and Emil C. Eyl and Messrs. Ellis & Buender of Jefferson City. Since there is no immediate prospect of securing the county seat for Jefferson City, quite a feeling has sprang up in favor of attaching this portion of Jefferson county to Lewis and Clarke, and it is probable that a petition will be circulated and presented to the Legislature asking for legislation with that end in view. Very few people from this section ever have business in Radersburg other than on court or county matters, while nearly all have individual business in Helena, and it certainly would be a great convenience to a great majority of our citizens if while attending to county business they could also attend to their private affairs in Helena. Our little town is continually improving. In addition to the building being done by the company, and the erection of saloons, many of the employees of the Alta Montana Company are putting up residences, with a view to permanent location.”-Accessed via: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz ׉ 7cassandra://seBIlMAp2Pcq_YEh5pRlFDDHdbwK12xiEndUuUrPxEQ%`ek.h@J׉EP 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 Marysville is located northwest of Helena, Montana’s capital. After gold was discovered in the silver creek valley, Marysville; a gold rush town was established at the slope of Mount Belmont. Marysville enjoyed being the principal mining center of Montana in the late 1800s. In its heyday, the city had about 4,000 inhabitants, and more than 14 gold mines were operational 24 hours a day. Like many Montana towns, Marysville has also become a semi-ghost town after the end of gold mining. We are going to look at Marysville, Montana’s gold mining history from its origin to the end of gold mining. Discovery of Gold in Marysville An Irish immigrant named Thomas Cruse is the founder of Marysville. Folklores remember him as a broke miner who stuck his luck and became the richest man in the town. The first discovery was in 1876 when he was searching for gold in Silver Creek Valley, north of the present town of Marysville. He followed the gold upstream and found a rich gold mine. Cruse gave it the name ‘Drumlummon Mine’ after his birth town in Ireland. Thousands of miners poured into the region after Tommy’s discovery, and a bustling town quickly formed. While the name’s origin is uncertain, it’s generally accepted that Tommy named it after Mary, the wife of a miner, and the first woman to arrive in town. By 1880, Tommy Cruse had amassed more than $140,000 from the gold venture. He made a substantial investment in the mine and developed various facilities to improve the mining experience. The first stamp mill was also constructed by him. In 1884, Cruse sold his claim to a British company for $150 million. ׉ 7cassandra://IcpMMUPA-noQfvFgQ_rrxD5cPQZNrXgGaTV09Fa6B8M,=`ek.h@Kek.h@J(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://f31UfgAN6UKis6RHOG5SpFAU357Dbyg4YjYvLWk7tvA`׉ 7cassandra://Gu7URMr-5HThRyuqEwXmy2VUwm3E_T25csU5kVols2c͎_`s׉ 7cassandra://gVnLlQrEzuYLdFfahxllDsoWiz6RtCla86sv1CUr1lg)j`ek0h@gט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://DDN4rETFuFyd-FamaOnO8UJxaFSmXP4q4rVaoIT_L1As`׉ 7cassandra://ZkDo4v4W15M5mMnSyyrUtWMLlLA_hKn_Z9HsQA1KD8Éw`s׉ 7cassandra://1xEWhbcsacjXLmHYNsTDkVfldSqn2Y-eUZD6if2jRoY'G`ek0h@hנek/h@c9׉H#https://raregoldnuggets.com/?p=6771Gׁ ׁ rנek/h@d>ځ9׉Hhttp://RareGoldNuggets.ComGׁ ׁ rנek/h@eH̎9׉Hhttp://RareGoldNuggets.ComGׁ ׁ rנek0h@mg9ׁH$mailto:ghosttownsofmontana@gmail.comׁ ׁ Јנek0h@lH̊ 9ׁHhttp://RareGoldNuggets.Comׁ ׁ Јנek0h@k>݁9ׁHhttp://RareGoldNuggets.Comׁ ׁ Ј׉ERP 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 Tommy Cruse returned to Marysville a few years later and purchased a new gold mine, Bald Mountain. It also turned out to be a lucrative investment. Later, he also acquired a smaller ‘West Belmont mine’ near Marysville. In the following eight years, twelve new mines were established in the region. Maryville produced so much gold that more than 110 stamp mills were operating around the clock to process the ore. Marysville Town Boom & Bust At its peak, Marysville was a thriving town with a population of 4,000 in the early 1900s. Its first post office was established in 1881, followed by railroads, banks, and churches. Business boomed in the area and the town had all necessities, such as saloons, bakeries, clinics, and groceries. It was even home to its own newspaper and a school was also opened for the children of miners. Meat Market in downtown Marysville, c. 1889 Records from 1934 described that Marysville was a bustling mining center, with 14 gold mines operating at the time and there was still more gold to discover in the ground. Maryville was also well-known for its spirited community. Music groups, get-togethers, and even drilling competitions drew miners from all over the area to Maryville. The decline of Marysville began in 1909 when a fire destroyed a number of structures and facilities. By 1920, the gold deposits were essentially depleted, and numerous mines had to be closed owing to losses. The ban on all non-essential mining during World War II also played a part in the decline of mining in Marysville. Many mining companies went into losses and miners started to move out of the town to find other opportunities. Marysville’s first and most important gold mine, the Drumlummon Mine, continued operating for many years after the war. An American mining firm St. Louis mining company took it over in 1911 and continued to extract gold for the next 30 years. The last few jobs were not enough to sustain the town and most of the inhabitants were gone The Maskelyne Tunnel at the Drumlummon Mine. c. 1885 ׉ 7cassandra://gVnLlQrEzuYLdFfahxllDsoWiz6RtCla86sv1CUr1lg)j`ek.h@O׉E 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 by 1950. How Much Gold Was Found in Marysville, Montana? The exact amount of gold extracted from Marysville is not known, but according to one source, 130,000 ounces of gold were produced from 1876 to 1940. It was worth around $50 million at the time. Is There Still Gold in Marysville? The Drumlummon Mine still holds gold. With new technologies, it is possible to mine gold from deeper parts of the mine. An attempt was made in 2013, which had to be dropped due to high costs. But there are high possibilities of mining operations in the future, especially if there is a rise in the price of gold. Marysville Today According to the 2010 census, the population of Marysville is 80 inhabitants. With empty houses and crumbling buildings, much of it is now a ghost town. Adventure enthusiasts visit the town in the summers to explore abandoned mines and buildings. Some of its buildings are also registered in the ‘National Historic Register’. There are several old miners cabins on hillsides, a Methodist church from the 1880s, various lodges and houses in and around the ghost town, which invite you with a rich history and a lot of mysteries. –Courtesy of our friend Matt Grover at RareGoldNuggets.Com Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz 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! 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! ׉ 7cassandra://1xEWhbcsacjXLmHYNsTDkVfldSqn2Y-eUZD6if2jRoY'G`ek.h@Pek.h@O(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://Q8lVQSuAJ2HMN450fzM6r0QUeKMZnLCK8xRmOwCjQJM\{`׉ 7cassandra://TfSRpyvyxJjXGOMnSxv4MoZ8q4b9PBm4OQu2rDe2OK0͒,`s׉ 7cassandra://RJxoZMeCwHoG9PUTQJj7BBF9YjoOf8MH3ilA2OSy2Zw(`ek0h@nט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://hMa4GjvGSLtpWmMydCrBnM0cSx2F58wsrZO6VQC3lxc8`׉ 7cassandra://5ML4yB4df8W1xG02Lr8BxvIaET89Mpw2IOwGgrpbXfI͇`s׉ 7cassandra://KHhOveCa9d8sxMEyiWz4J-mOBBdeCHXV1c-PCRsP3_o(q`ek0h@oנek0h@j9׉Hhttps://abyssart.smugmug.com/?Gׁ ׁ rנek0h@u 9ׁHhttps://abyssart.smugmug.com/?ׁ ׁ Ј׉E `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 Ingomar, Montana – Population 32 I’ve been in Ingomar, MT 3 times for sure and maybe even a 4th time. The last time was May 2017 and the three of us had made arrangements to rent beds overnight in the old schoolhouse. We had our choice of 8 beds that had been made-up in one of the larger rooms. The bathroom was just outside that bedroom off a hallway that led to the living room. In the living room were many couches, chairs, tables and a microwave. We had planned on staying 2 nights in Ingomar, but after 1 night and portions of 2 days we decided that there was nothing more to do in the town and we headed out for a new adventure in Montana. In Hunting Season the schoolhouse is filled with beds. A sign at the top of the buildings reads, “BUNK n BUSCUIT – ONLY PLACE TO SLEEP IN 100 MILES”. Not quite a true statement but the price is right, the beds are clean and there will be plenty of ‘Hunting Stories’ to be heard while staying here with scores of other hunters. Photo by Shawn Shawhan Ingomar appears to be a mostly dying town. Half of the houses are beyond repair and there are dead vehicles throughout the town. However, it you happen to be interested, the town’s café & bar, The Jersey Lilly, is currently For Sale. The asking price is $225,000 – WHAT A DEAL!!! But be aware that the population count for Ingomar is currently 32 and that the median age is 65.4 years old. Here is a bit of history about the town and then some of my photographs of the town from my visits in 2014 and 2017. Ingomar is an unincorporated community in northwestern Rosebud County, Montana, United States, along the route of Photo by Shawn Shawhan U.S. Route 12. The town was established in 1908, as a station stop on the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, then under construction in Montana. Although the land around Ingomar attracted numerous homesteaders during the decade following the railroad's completion, the region proved to be far too arid and inhospitable for intensive agricultural use, and by the 1920s the town was in decline. The railroad through the area was abandoned in 1980, and only a handful of people remain in Ingomar today. The Ingomar Public School, also known as Ingomar High School, on Second Avenue in Ingomar, Montana, was built in 1913. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. It is an L-shaped hipped roof building, with a square, symmetrical plan, and was expanded in 1915. The Jersey Lilly in Ingomar is the only restaurant and bar on a long stretch of highway through the scenic ׉ 7cassandra://RJxoZMeCwHoG9PUTQJj7BBF9YjoOf8MH3ilA2OSy2Zw(`ek.h@R׉EP 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 eastern Montana prairie. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and was inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2017. In 1914, the building was originally the Wiley, Clark and Greening Bank. The bank closed in 1921 due to misappropriation of funds. In 1948, it began operating as the Jersey Lilly Bar & Cafe when it was purchase by Bob Seward, who was originally from Texas. It retained the original bank building character and charm, with the original tin ceiling, bank vaults and wooden flooring with the outline of teller cages still visible. Many of the original fixtures, including the back bar remain. The back bar was brought up on river boat from St. Louis to Forsyth in the early 1900s. It sat in Forsyth during prohibition before it was brought to Ingomar in 1933 in the back of a Model T Ford. As the story goes, this is why there are scratches in the mirror.– Courtesy of Shawn Shawhan, Check out more of his beautiful Photo by Shawn Shawhan Photo by Shawn Shawhan photos at: https://abyssart.smugmug.com/? Meaderville may be long gone, but we get to see some of their Christmas cheer re-created at the Race Track Volunteer Fire Department. The old Butte neighborhood of Meaderville and the Meaderville Volunteer Fire Department put up a giant Christmas Card display every year from 1945 up until 1960. People would come from all around to see the displays. Meaderville would be consumed by the Berkeley Pit but their festive spirit lives on... Meaderville Volunteer Fire Department Christmas Display, Meaderville, Montana (1950), Image taken from page 37 of Meaderville Volunteer Fire Department; Our Golden Anniversary Year; Fifty Years of Community Service; MVFD; 1910 - 1960 by Angelo Petroni, Fire Chief (1960). View entire book at the Montana Memory Project. 2022 Display. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz ׉ 7cassandra://KHhOveCa9d8sxMEyiWz4J-mOBBdeCHXV1c-PCRsP3_o(q`ek.h@Sek.h@R(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://gvD3HJlIgQpX2eKUJmFjNQsR0j45GSBXzYg1rxQ7IaUW`׉ 7cassandra://henVSrVhEqtldn9bgHy34CHbKdemK7NeVla_2WP6_PU͐`s׉ 7cassandra://d2Twf3Hd45X9XtRuRPSXa1MQcqOpEcHOr-YL2zD86bw&`ek0h@vנek0h@rS̒9׉H