Yellowstone - Montana Ghost Towns and Geology

We leave Grasshopper Campground and Elkhorn Hot Springs refreshed and looking forward to what the new day has in store for us. Sally tells us Bannack State Park is open again after a devastating flash flood a month ago and is a "must see" for this part of Montana. Since Bannack was already on our list of possible places to visit, we set our navigation for it.

Rolled hay and what we believe to be a hay loader (?)

Entrance to Bannack State Park

Bannack is the site of Montana's first gold discovery in on July 28, 1862, which set off a massive gold rush into the area. By 1863, Bannack's population had grown to over 3000. However, with declining fortunes the town slowly dwindled until the last families moved out in the 1950's.

If you do visit Bannack, spend the extra $2 for a detailed guide to the different buildings. It's well worth the price.

Visitors' Center

Typical family home

Several of the family homes are open to the public for exploring. One was furnished in much like the period when people lived here.

The Parlor

Kitchen stove

Bedroom with dresses of the era

Bannack's one room school occupies the first floor of the Masonic Lodge building (Masons used the second floor). The chalk boards are filled with rules for both teachers and students:

Rules for Teachers  You will not marry during the term of your contract You are not to keep company with men You must be home between 8pm and 6am unless attending a school function You may not loiter downtown in ice cream stores You may not travel beyond the city limits without permission of the Chairman of the Board You may not smoke cigarettes You may not ride in a carriage or automobile with any man unless he is your father or brother You may not wear bright clothes You may under no circumstances dye your hair You must wear at least 2 petticoats Your dresses must not be any shorter than 2 inches above the ankle You must sweep the floor daily, scrub the floor weekly, clean the blackboards daily and start a fire at 7am so the room is warm by 8am

Rules for Students Respect your schoolmaster Do not call your classmates names or fight with them Never make noises or disturb your neighbors as they work Be silent during classes. Do not talk unless absolutely necessary Do not leave your seat without permission No more than 1 student at a time may go to the washroom At the end of class, wash your hands and face. Wash your feet if they are dirty Bring firewood into the classroom when the teacher asks Go quietly in and out of the classroom If the master calls your name after class, straighten the benches and tables, sweep the room, dust, and leave everything tidy

Hummmm - more rules for Teachers than Students. No wonder many pioneer teachers were humorless spinsters.

Masonic Lodge is two story building

School desks

Chalk boards with rules

The main business of the town was naturally mining. However, other businesses like a blacksmith shop were also important.

Mining equipment used at Bannack

Blacksmith's wall of brands

Double Bar S brand

The town's bachelors have their own section of single cabins and a saloon nearby, where they could get a haircut along with whiskey or beer.

Bachelor Cabins

Peter demos the saloon

Shave and a haircut - 2 bits

Of course Bannack has a jail for drunks, robbers, and never-do-wells. The jail sports a sod roof and sturdy bars. For horse thieves and gold robbers, the gallows at the edge of town stands ready for customers on their way to Boot Hill. Oddly the sheriff, Henry Plummer (who built the jail and the gallows) and his band of robbers known as the "road agents" met their fates on these very gallows for stealing gold shipments. Henry must have been the classical "Bad Cop."

Like all early mining towns, lawlessness ran rampant, until the formation of the Montana Vigilantes for the local citizens to take matters into their own hands. Over the next month, 24 men were hanged, including Plummer. Needless to say, the local towns calmed down a bit after these hangings.

Sod roofed jail house

Peter checks the bars

The gallows and Boot Hill are just beyond these buildings

For upstanding citizens and others seeking redemption, the Bannack church was the place to go.

The Hotel Meade, for Bannack's more prosperous residents and visitors, has recently undergone a $100K restoration. Although not a complete restoration, it's to easy to see the Meade was quite a place in its time.

Hotel Meade's grand staircase

Hotel Meade

Now that's a stove for cooking beans

Beaver swimming from Mon@rch's Blog

After spending a pleasant morning exploring Bannack, we're back on the road moving towards Yellowstone's West Entrance. We pass Beaverhead Rock, which really does look like the top of a beaver's head swimming through water. This landmark was identified by Sacagawea, while guiding the Lewis and Clarke Expedition, as being not far from her tribe's summer retreat.

Shortly afterwards, we drive through the charming town of Twin Bridges located on the Beaverhead River. It's a famous mecca for fly fishing.

Beaverhead Rock

Twin Bridges water tower

The Blue Anchor Bar and Restaurant in Twin Bridges

The next ghost town is Nevada City which was settled in 1863 after a rich gold strike. It's also known as a film location for western movies.

Spire House

Train Depot

Downtown Nevada City

Just beyond Nevada City is its sister Virgina City (odd - seems like every gold or silver mining area has a "Virgina City") settled about the same time. Virgina City does have about 150 full time residents year round, so it isn't technically a "ghost town," but it is one of the best preserved placer mining towns.

Adler Gulch - area of Montana's richest gold strike

Wells Fargo Office

Virgina City Opera House

From Virgina City we follow the western front of the Gallatin Range to Ennis MT. In Bannack, we met a man who had recently retired from Connecticut to settle in Ennis. He owns the local bar. We asked him why he had chosen Ennis and he replied that he liked the weather and the people. Surprised, we asked him about the snow in winters. He laughed and said southwestern Montana has fairly dry winters and doesn't get much snow. In fact, the town of Ennis doesn't even own a snowplow! We did have to admit the weather's been great since we've been in the area.

Gallatin Range

Lone Elk Mall with the Otter Banks Conservation center

Ennis MT

From Ennis, the road continues south along the Madison River, named by Meriwether Lewis and famous with fly fishermen worldwide. We then pass an enormous landslide caused by a 7.5 earthquake on August 17, 1959. This massive landslide moved 80 million tons of earth creating a natural dam on the Madison river. In less than a month the new 190 ft deep and 6 mile long Quake Lake was formed.

The Madison River runs alongside the road

Landslide that formed Quake Lake

Ghost trees drowned by Quake Lake

That evening we camp at Beaver Creek Campground overlooking Quake Lake. Since we're only 8 miles away from Yellowstone's West entrance, we hope to get into Yellowstone early and find a campsite for the next few days. Since we're next to the camp host, we ask her about the weather for tomorrow. She replies there's a 30% of showers. We shrug as there's a good chance of getting good weather. She just shakes her head and says no, it's more likely to rain at 30% as this summer has had an unusual amount of Gulf moisture moving up from the south. Normally Montana is too far north for Gulf moisture, but not this summer (climate change?). We cross our fingers and hope for the best.

Beaver Creek campsite

Sunset over the Gallatins

Moon rise through pink clouds