Another Ghostly Mining Town

On Independence Day we took a day trip about a hundred miles north to the historic ghost town of Bannack, Montana. This abandoned mining town is now a Montana State Park. Bannack was founded in 1862 when gold was discovered on Grasshopper Creek.  In 1864, Bannack was named as the first Territorial Capital of Montana and remained so until 1881 when it was moved to the town of Dillon, less than 20 miles east. More than 170,000 ounces of gold was recovered from this area, at today's prices of over $1,300 an ounce, that is a lot of money!

Masonic Lodge Upstairs
Grade School Downstairs

The sign says "Antique Merry-Go-Round".
Seems like we had one on our school yard. 
I guess that really dates us.

The Methodist Church built in 1877

County Court House, built in 1875
later became the Hotel Meade.

Over 60 buildings remain at Bannack today.

With the decline of mining, people were forced to go elsewhere to find jobs. In the late 1940's the majority of the population had moved on. Bannack was abandoned and became a ghost town. This was a very well preserved and very interesting historic site.

We stopped at Camp Fortunate which is along I-15 south of Dillon. This is where the Lewis and Clark expedition met the Lemhi Shoshoni Tribe, and cached their canoes and a stash of supplies for the return trip. Sacagawea was reunited with her people here. With the flooding of the Clark Reservoir and the interstate running by, I am sure Lewis and Clark wouldn't recognize this place.