׉?4ׁB!בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://huttxVT3xTaDmTodogDM9NRMa4_mZGNTfX_Tp1KqCYYr`׉ 7cassandra://Ajv79ZEtbdJoMrZ28xXzFycERzUES7z8ircR5HLq7V4́`s׉ 7cassandra://S7FDoPMNtqxrud8MtYQx8Fn07Jw0cyvoQxeeucLSrgw)X`f,ט(u׈}\נf,Y9׉H#https://raregoldnuggets.com/?p=3789Gׁ ׁ rנf,̏ 9ׁH#https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ׁ ׁ Ј׈Ef,׉EqOCTOBER 2024 Ghost Towns and History of Montana Newsletter From The Helena Independent, Oct. 9, 1890 Basin, Montana– Early Days in this Rich Gold Camp Accessed via: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ Gold was first discovered at nearby Helena at a place called Last Chance Gulch. This proved to be one of Montana’s richest gold discoveries, and it didn’t take long for thousands of hopeful miners to flood Western Montana in search of yellow metal. The gold placers near Helena were rich, and expanded to the mountains around the town. Eventually, rich placers were also found in Basin Creek and the Boulder River. The first gold was reportedly found on Cataract Creek just south of present day Basin. More miners flooded into the area, and the town of Basin, Montana was established. It started as a simple camp, but eventually grew to a booming gold town. Basin, The Boomtown Placers were rich all throughout the area, but as with all mining areas, the gold in the creeks eventually plays out and becomes unprofitable to work. By the 1870s, lode deposits were found in the area of Basin Creek and so Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz ׉ 7cassandra://S7FDoPMNtqxrud8MtYQx8Fn07Jw0cyvoQxeeucLSrgw)X`f,f,(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://kzzyYsOzm4GPLgewOiRG747TDZLzMZ5Ru1pzaDvDrSA`׉ 7cassandra://As3QRpbNSBU0IQtVDD7VHlpblMem6ZFyw9NDnvD9q1Y}`s׉ 7cassandra://uKPYCYj6cF3QO-KFL0dlxisdZiefWf8N5SY6bTcnv9c%`f,ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://WMr0RwejSUaOzqhkBlaBwFB68BtyiqTOR9iROw0ansEE`׉ 7cassandra://tr1XVvarkofmr3nhhDvBLPpf0NirkPRx9H6rwnHrVA8͆`s׉ 7cassandra://ilJCjrJE9sNUuvOV1wbJ-lCNPQxAleUltuE7Fr4xafQ%`f,נf,i>9׉H#https://raregoldnuggets.com/?p=2956Gׁ ׁ rנf,D̈~9׉H#https://raregoldnuggets.com/?p=2956Gׁ ׁ rנf,Ys9׉Hhttp://RareGoldNuggets.ComGׁ ׁ rנf,D̎9׉Hhttp://RareGoldNuggets.ComGׁ ׁ rנf,D̊ 9ׁHhttp://RareGoldNuggets.Comׁ ׁ Јנf,Yy̸9ׁHhttp://RareGoldNuggets.Comׁ ׁ Ј׉EJP 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 two mines, Katy Mine and the Hope Mine were founded. More and more mines came into production. At its peak there were dozens of mines operating here. Gold was plentiful and miners were happy. Gradually, the small mining camp was reconstructed into the town of Basin. In 1894, the Mining Companies decided to expand the production and so the town got itself some stores, saloons, and brothels to meet the requirements of the growing population. Flood, Fires, and Mine Closures Then, a setback slowed the town growth. Due to a variety of factors that are all-too common with early mining camps, mainly flooding and the fires that destroyed much of the equipment, the mines closed for a time. Efforts were made to work other mining districts close by for a time, and things were relatively idle during the turn of the century. Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz The Decline Basin did not collapse like most of the Gold Rush towns but it did become less popular with the depletion of minerals. In 1909, the richest gold ores started to run out, or, to be more precise, the gold that could be obtained by the technologies available then. For a while, only zinc was mined here and the town became quite small, its post office and drugstore went. Then, it got a second boom for a while. In 1919, the Jib Consolidated Mining Company bought the claims for the mines and made the town the largest gold producer in the whole state. It was, unfortunately, not for long. In 1925, the company split and its property was divided among the creditors so there was no one to oversee the production. Thus, the second boom ended leaving only small-scale mining in the region. In 1905, the works in the Basin Creek Mines resumed. By then, the town had grown into a largesized town with a 1,500 population and a large variety of hotels, stores, saloons, and even its own bank and a post-office. Between 1905 and 1910, a whole 2 railroads were built to ship the minerals and support the many mines in the area between Helena and Butte. ׉ 7cassandra://uKPYCYj6cF3QO-KFL0dlxisdZiefWf8N5SY6bTcnv9c%`f,׉E 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 Many miners remained in the area however. In fact, the copper mines of Butte came to be known as perhaps the richest in the world. It came to be known as the “Richest Hill on Earth” and employed thousands of men. Even today, there is lots of mining activity in Butte and Anaconda. Mining in Basin Now Nowadays, Basin is mostly just a stop on the road between Helena and Butte. While it was a booming town during the peak of mining, there isn’t much today aside from a few hundred residents, most of whom are artists rather than miners. There are a few small mine operations here now, but the heyday of gold mining is definitely over. In fact, the area was designated as a Superfund Site in 1999 due to the large amount of contaminants and pollutants from the early mines. Although the heyday of mining in Basin is long over, it is worth noting that prospectors can still find some good gold around the town. In fact, Basin and many other old mining camps in Western Montana will still produces some decent gold using traditional placer mining techniques. –Courtesy of our friend Matt Grover at RareGoldNuggets.Com A beautiful piece of high-grade ore from the Jib Mine in the Basin Mining District. This piece is on display at the Mineral Museum in Butte. Photo courtesy of James St. John 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! MINES AND MINING IN PARK COUNTY-continued From The Livingston Enterprise, January 1, 1900: THE KEETS is an extension of the Sowash on its dip and situated higher up. It contains both the veins exposed in the Sowash. The stoping operations from the Sowash will be continued through the Keets. The No. 1 vein is encountered close to the portal of the tunnel, and the No. 2 a couple hundred feet further, along the crosscut. The mining operations have only just commenced on this property, there being less than 100 feet of drifting along the No. 2 vein—the first slope being just commenced. In width, as far as known, these veins are similar to those of the Sowash, carrying the same degree of richness of ore. Next in order is the LEGAL TENDER which is supposed to be a continuation of the No. 1 vein above described; but on this property it is ex posed some 1,000 to 1,500 feet northerly from the former. On this property all previous mining operations on quartz was confined, it producing some $58,000 prior to the present company's operations. The vein at this point is from ten to twenty feet wide. Beyond this property comes the ׉ 7cassandra://ilJCjrJE9sNUuvOV1wbJ-lCNPQxAleUltuE7Fr4xafQ%`f,f,(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://UUgh_Re0Br0Toqu1Kpk6WoRwVfAw3MZQ5-7D6MSnOVM`׉ 7cassandra://Uynr0oVk50pNzy-_UNAyDJuroNYa8esTQzvobqzeEVk͔B`s׉ 7cassandra://mtpzVZA8NRJBgabdmo1h3rCQcLl9jt8PhpuBuVpR6D4(0`f,ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://QWAzKhktOe5NWBzFoQfBUGeXRnTHISmbA-PuRm1tmkw`׉ 7cassandra://v5BFuIi3ifzEnnMdctEVMpGu4hgEZlcv3oURNgDWafU͌,`s׉ 7cassandra://OtBVEeLSAmWpx-YtSxTe7kQHesBpctFozN4uNPRzvNQ%`f,׉E 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 REVENUE which undoubtedly has the Legal Tender vein exposed in its area, with two additional veins. Up to the present time the development on this mine has not been great, excepting for the large amount of cross-cut tunnel work that has been driven in the form of two tunnels, the lower one being over 400 feet long. Neither of these veins are yet sufficiently into the mountain to have struck the Legal Tender vein, however, two excellent veins were struck, besides many smaller ones, along which drifting has been prosecuted and ore is being shipped daily to the mill for treatment. Many other veins are in process of development, proving the same success as the previous ones according to the degree of development. THE ORE is largely an altered schist, viz: it is largely the country rock, altered by mineralizing solutions which precipitated their ingredients of silica, iron and arsenic, as well as the gold contents. Little other metallic mineral is present other than the arsenopyrites and the gold. Two thirds of the ore, as it comes to the mill, is altered schist, the remainder being largely made up of hard, glassy quartz. About four-fifths of its value is in free gold, while the other fifth is a concentrate which is about forty percent arsenic, with the balance iron. These concentrates assay from $45 to $50 per ton, gold value, while some of the veins produce a similar material of as high a value as $400 per ton. The crude ore, as it comes from the mine to the mill, assays at from $8 to $25 per ton, while the cost of mining and milling is exceedingly low on account of the soft nature of the ore as we find it. A 950-pound stamp is capable of crushing five tons per day. JARDINE, the metropolis of Bear Gulch, on the 28th of July, 1898, consisted of four log shacks, inhabited by Mr. and Mrs. George Welcome, and two others. As soon as Mr. Bush took possession of the place plans were at once made for the building of an up-to-date mining city. The first new building was that of an immense hotel for the accommodation of the laborers required to carry on the work. Thus, building was rapidly pushed ahead, and in one year one hundred and thirty comfortable buildings have been added to the original. Among these are two hotels, with a third under construction, three mercantile establishments—one in particular, the Bear Gulch Mercantile company, is owned by Bush and Welcome. The building has four departments, 24x80 feet, and carries one of the most complete general stocks in the country. All modern conveniences for a city have just been completed, such as telephone, electric light, waterworks and sewerage. A handsome new school house graces the town, and will accommodate two hundred pupils. As Mr. Bush has owned and promoted mineral properties in all of the great mineral countries of the world, there is no doubt but that he will make this district his crowning success. What he has already done here George Welcome ׉ 7cassandra://mtpzVZA8NRJBgabdmo1h3rCQcLl9jt8PhpuBuVpR6D4(0`f,׉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 can be seen in real life, and there is no enterprise that would better the accommodations but that he is now considering. As to his staff of officials it can be said that he has the very best talent that the country affords. BIOGRAPHICAL AND BUSINESS INTERESTS OF GEORGE WELCOME Among the pioneer business men of the upper Yellowstone region none have looked to the better development of the country than George Welcome. His career began by his marriage in 1880 to Miss Mattie McKibbon at Morris, Minnesota. Living in that state about one year, he located at Forsythe, Mont., where he was contractor for the Northern Pacific railroad for some years. Following the road west until he came to LivingResidence of George Welcome ston, and seeing the advantages of a commercial life, he left the railroad service to embark in business. He remained at this place but a short time when, thinking that there were brighter prospects up the Yellowstone river, located at Gardiner. After residing in this town for about seven years he went to Horr, which showed evidence of becoming the center of the great coal industry. He at once established a hotel and boarding house, and, with success crowning his efforts, set up a similar business at Aldridge, a neighboring town. Mr. Welcome's knowledge of the surrounding country, and its resources has led him to the establishment of a complete general merchandise store in Bear Gulch, also the building of a first-class hotel at the same place. Although not the first man needing a telephone, yet he was the first man who had the nerve and foresight to ask for a franchise from Bear Gulch to Livingston, today having the line completed from Bear Gulch to Horr, with connections at Cinnabar, and construction under way to Livingston, which will be completed soon. In writing the career of the subject of this sketch, it is of no less importance to state that Mrs. George Welcome was the pioneer woman who came into Livingston and Park county on the passenger train. WALTER M. HOPPE The subject of this sketch is proprietor of the Bear Gulch hotel, the largest hotel in this wide awake mining town of Bear Gulch. Its table and general equipment throughout are worthy of special mention. Mr. Hoppe is well able to understand the needs of the traveling public, and what it takes to please tourists and residents in a great mining region. He is honored as being the first male white child born in Montana. Besides his hotel interests he owns and operates one of the largest freighting outfits in the state, which is in daily service for the Revenue and Bear Gulch Mining companies. EMIGRANT GULCH ׉ 7cassandra://OtBVEeLSAmWpx-YtSxTe7kQHesBpctFozN4uNPRzvNQ%`f,f,(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://qpwKUxutya_rtSye2cFrlLnr7ry2vYLUdUnm_v28qNcR`׉ 7cassandra://pPfAqb_0Ju1z4F_o4d1DKS45bMVN-AdZFYhv6y0ZS80͗`s׉ 7cassandra://-b7HKQgRf5aNvWVgPcPC_Mw6b9F4G90SQD51SNNx94g'`f,ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://VxCZuFOVqbNTGE5IcwwVILAtADkug8bX6crmdKk-uWc`׉ 7cassandra://vymG95QLEX-FJBgwF-oxrbtvKsStLE1yIHlme4VsC_Q͇`s׉ 7cassandra://KIvsqgpCVlbQAaVlB9c7USI8w0mhiCrjvORLivoXV-E%f`f,נf,9ׁH#https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ׁ ׁ 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 About three miles from Fridley, and on the opposite side of the Yellowstone, is located the oldest mining district in Park county. The first discovery of placer gold was made by Messrs. Currier and Francisco during the summer of 1863, and, although other prospectors joined them, the twain were the sole residents during the winter. In 1864 many claims were taken and a town soon sprung up at the mouth of the canyon. This was called Yellowstone City, and so rapidly were claims staked out that during the winter this new mining town numbered some four hundred souls, fifteen of whom were women. The ground was very deep and hard to work, and many of those who had claims did not get them properly opened this year, the result being hard times. What little flour there was in the country was bought in Virginia City at $100 per sack, costing the miners ten cents per pound extra for freight. In the spring of 1865 many of the inhabitants of Yellowstone City left for other mining camps, and those who stayed moved further up the canyon and built for better protection from the Indians. The name given the new town was Chico. Some very good pay was found this season, and the output of gold for 1865 was estimated at $80,000. In June, 1868, the inhabitants suffered the horrors of an Indian raid. Houses were pillaged and many of their horses and cattle stolen. No placer work was done at the lower end of the gulch until 1870 and '71, when Messrs. Cone and Trout struck pay on bed rock. Since then the placer grounds have been located to the south of Emigrant creek, including in all a strip nine miles in length and about 400 feet wide. While it is true that there has never been a time since the discovery of gold here that the diggings have not been worked in some degree, yet, despite this fact, Prof. W. B. Potter, of the government's employ, has recently estimated that there are 150,000,000 cubic yards of undeveloped dirt from the falls of Emigrant creek to its mouth, containing $50,000,000 in gold. Of the 280 cubic yards of pay dirt that Glidden and Shafer have worked on their grounds they have realized an average of $3.60 per cubic yard. Old miners, who have been continually active in development work here, claim that one-half a million dollars have been taken out of the diggings, which is only a small percent of what can be realized in the future when capital can be secured for its development. In addition to the placers here, later years have resulted in the discovery of several quartz leads. The Great Eastern is a very large vein, crossing the gulch diagonally from east to west, exposing ore on both sides and bottom for a distance of 70 or 80 feet. It is the largest in body yet discovered here, but has not yet showed its expected true value. The St. Julien is located some distance above the Great Eastern, being first discovered in 1887 by D. C. Lilly. Rock has been taken out that assayed $368 in gold and about $40 in Hotel of Walter M. Hoppe, Bear Gulch ׉ 7cassandra://-b7HKQgRf5aNvWVgPcPC_Mw6b9F4G90SQD51SNNx94g'`f,׉E P a g e 7 silver, but progress has been very slow, as the owners have had no capital to work with except that produced by their labor. The group of quartz mines as now located are Lee & Co.'s in Moses gulch, about one mile from Chico, which is a galena proposition that experts say will pay to ship, and several feet of tunneling. The second group or Red Mountain district, consists of Caldwell's North Star and McAdow's claim, both goldbearing quartz. The third group contains the claims of Messrs. Kenute and Peter Pyer, Dick Hudson, Peter Clawson's Sunnyside No. 1, Orschel and McClure's. These in time, will become producers. The fourth group has eleven claims located in the St. Julien district. Further up and on the opposite side of the gulch is the St. Julien mine and Batchelder's Merrimac, with 700 feet of tunneling. The Sheep Mountain district has four claims located, and some 500 feet of tunneling. It assays from $5 to $100 per ton. Across the gulch from Sheep mountain are the mines of Romer & Co., having an arastra and about one hundred feet of tunneling. 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 Revenue Stamp Mill of H. Bush Interior of Revenue Mine, Bear Gulch SIX MILE DISTRICT During the 60's and early 70's prospectors were continually rambling along the upper Yellowstone and its tributaries searching for the slightest indication of gold. Tradition says that during this time the natural indications of rich mineral wealth pointed to the SixMile region, but despite this well-grounded belief nothing but float ore was found until 1878, when Frank M. Maguire, while on a hunting trip, accidentally discovered a rich quartz lead. He had halted, intending to build a campfire, and while gathering fuel came upon a piece of float which, on a more thorough search, revealed to him the lead. Since then he and his brother, Millard F., have made this region their home, undergoing the hardships incidental to a miner's life, excepting some temporary vacations that they have taken out in the world, hoping, if possible, to secure funds by the labor of their own hands, and thereby improve this valuable property. Of the different claims located by the Maguire brothers the Spring lode is the best developed of any, having between two and three hundred feet of tunneling. The ore taken out has netted an average of $50 per ton in gold and silver. –Read more in next month’s issue! Accessed via: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ ׉ 7cassandra://KIvsqgpCVlbQAaVlB9c7USI8w0mhiCrjvORLivoXV-E%f`f,f,(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://SGoZt-kcVp1vbXEOwQVOSxJlV6iykwXJJpQGMkCze_Y{`׉ 7cassandra://EzH-fGvWwtWmsm7XBr2x0-KgFBcsPJr86oNJcex7cZQ͌`s׉ 7cassandra://o3Si7qapN2h0eJVfk3ZriFt1XS6_t8b9pnpcr0CwQNI'Q`f,נf,l̠9׉H>https://ellenbaumler.blogspot.com/2013/02/marysville-road.htmlGׁ ׁ rנf,K*9׉H0http://ellenbaumler.blogspot.com/p/my-books.htmlGׁ ׁ rנf,L 9׉H0http://ellenbaumler.blogspot.com/p/my-books.htmlGׁ ׁ rנf,Y%9ׁH$mailto:ghosttownsofmontana@gmail.comׁ ׁ Јנf,L! 9ׁH%http://ellenbaumler.blogspot.com/p/myׁ ׁ Ј׉E ZP 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 Elinor Knott Elinor Knott was one of the many madams at the Dumas Hotel in Butte. On a winter night in 1955, Knott packed her suitcase, put on her hat, and sat down to wait. Her lover had promised to leave his wife and come for her. They would leave Butte to start a new life together. But the next morning a friend discovered Knott’s body in her room at the Dumas. The coroner pronounced her dead of natural causes. Dark whispers among acquaintances suggested that something was amiss. Although officials declared her destitute, friends knew Knott owned jewelry, a red Cadillac, and a Harley Davidson motorcycle. These never surfaced and there was no inquest into her death. The coroner pronounced it suicide by a lethal combination of alcohol and drugs. A few years ago, a woman who had worked at the Dumas in the 1970s returned to Butte on a visit. She told of a curious experience. She said she was staying alone at the Dumas one night. She was in the bathroom upstairs at the end of the hall, with the door open. She had a clear view of the hall and the corner stairway. She saw a woman wearing a hat and carrying a suitcase walk past the bathroom door and descend the stairs. She was so shocked she didn’t move until the top of the woman’s head disappeared. She hurried down the stairs after her, but there was no sign of the woman. The front and back doors were locked and barred shut. Some time later, an artist commissioned to paint a mural for the city of Butte rented Knott’s former apartment to use a studio. Something compelled her to paint portrait after portrait of a woman she had never seen. She couldn’t seem to paint anything else. One of the canvasses, rescued from the trash, shows a middle-aged woman with a coy smile and a quaint little hat. –Ellen Baumler Courtesy F.O.G (Friends of Ghosts) 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 Would you like to receive our digital quarterly magazine for free? Just send an email with MAGAZINE in the subject to ghosttownsofmontana@gmail.com 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 P.O. Box 126, Warm Springs, MT 59756 ׉ 7cassandra://o3Si7qapN2h0eJVfk3ZriFt1XS6_t8b9pnpcr0CwQNI'Q`f,׈Ef,f,(,&Ghost Towns & History of MT- Oct. 2024RJoin us for stories and photos on the ghost towns and history of Big Sky Country! f}\0|r