Virginia City: Historical, and restored basically as a "touristy" place. Not very authentic, but nonetheless, interesting to see. Most of this part of the country was settled because of the gold rush.
The gold rush in Alder Gulch produced the largest amount of placer gold in the Northwest an estimated $120 million. Placer gold mining, or free gold prospecting, should not be confused with hard rock gold mining. Placer mining involves dust, flakes, and nuggets, while hard rock mining involves veins of ore.
Alder Gulch yielded an estimated $30 million in gold just in the three short years between 1863 and 1866, but not everyone got rich here. The typical miner at Alder Gulch struggled, got blisters and a sore back, and barely made living wages. They would often work a few days at one job and soon quit to try another.
Today, as we drove along the highway, you could see the remnants of a raped land. The gold miners took a dredge and followed the Ruby River with it, digging up the rocks, crushing them and rinsing out the gold. There are piles and piles of what looks like rock piles. The river bed is destroyed and is now small little ponds with many small streams meandering back and forth.
Population then & now...
With a population of over 10,000 in 1864, Virginia City was the largest town in the inland Northwest. The communities strung out along Alder Gulch were known as the "Fourteen-mile City."
The 2nd most commonly asked question here in Virginia City is: How many people live here now? According to the latest population survey... 132 very hardy souls.
Bannack: First territorial capitol in the State of Montana. I've talked about this place before, authentically restored. Hotel Meade still just really has an impact on me every time I see it. When asked if I believe in ghosts or not I can honestly say, "sometimes". This is one of those times. The Sheriff of Bannack was also a leader of the gang that robbed the wagons carrying the gold out of the mines of Bannack as well as in Virginia City. Sheriff Plummer. I saw he grave today. He, along with 5 others were hung in January of 1864.
I wonder if she was a slain prostitute. I can feel her spirit in this place.
Next, we traveled to Anaconda. This postmaster originally wanted this place to be named Copperopolis, but there was already a town in Montana named that at that time, so he named it Anaconda....known for its copper mine and largest brick smoke stack in the US.
n the late 19th century, Montana was the largest producer of copper in the world. However, the mining history of what is now Montana did not begin with copper, but with the discovery of gold.
In the mid-1900's, prospectors in the area found gold and silver in placer deposits composed of sand and heavy minerals that eroded from underground rock. Found on or near the surface of the earth, the metals were separated from the rock by washing. After these were mined, it was necessary to dig further underground so shafts were dug for hard rock mining. Along the way, copper was found in many of the veins.
Riches of yesterday and today derive from the spectacular mountains of this region. From the 10,000-foot peaks of the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness to the 58-story smoke stack. You'll find historic and mineral historical remnants.
The town sprang up when the giant Anaconda Copper Mining Company of Butte needed a smelter for its vast amounts of copper ore. ìCopper Kingî Marcus Daly chose the site in 1882 because of the ample supply of water and limestone nearby.
In 1980, the Anaconda Company shut down its smelter operation in Anaconda, putting an end to the town's historic economic base. The idle smokestack, which can be seen from the interstate, stands more than 585 feet high and measures 86 feet in diameter at the base. It is the tallest freestanding masonry structure in the world. I read where it took over 6 millions bricks. It was built in 140 days. The stack was declared a state monument by the 1985 Montana Legislature.
When you drive alone the highway, you notice that all the juniper trees are stunted and deformed. This environmental damage was caused from years and years of toxic waste spewing from the large stack. Butte, 18 miles away, has a "pit" that is filled with the most toxic water. The environmentalists and those in charge of restoration don't even know where to begin talking for cleanup. It just sits there. I know many of you live in the city or can't even fathom the world I live in much less the impact of historical mining.
The countryside, today is so beautiful. However, there is so much nostalgia and scars from the miners raping the land. It scares me to think of what it would be like if some people didn't start paying attention and caring about the world we live in. I'm not sure where I am going with all of this. I guess it just really opened my eyes, today. I hope these small glimpses opened yours as well.
