EMAIL THIS PAGE
WRITE THE EDITOR Scaring up ghosts in southwestern Montana July 31, 1996 A t the crest of the hill, visitors can still see the posts and cross-piece that were part of the gallows. In the mid-1860s, gold brought all types to the town of Bannack in southwestern Montana, some of whom found their way to the top of hill with a hangman's noose around their necks. It was a lawless time with more than 100 murders recorded. Such disrespect for the law led to the construction of the Montana Territory's first jail in Bannack. Crooks looking for easy pickin's were everywhere. Even the sheriff, Henry Plummer, was up to no good. He was the among first to meet his end on the very gallows he had ordered built. Bannack, once home to a few thousand rowdy residents, is now a ghost town. Along with the old mining towns of Nevada City, Virginia City, Garnet and Coolidge, it is a reminder of Montana's wild past. All these towns were once bustling with gold and silver seekers, who filled the saloons, hotels and shops when not digging in the ground. Some also brought their families. Their homes stand alongside other time-worn buildings. Now these ghost towns are tourist attractions, even in winter when the icy cold gives them an added eeriness. S tand at the center of any of these forgotten cities and listen closely to the howling wind. You may hear the sounds of honky-tonk pianos, or catch a fleeting glimpse of a miner clutching a cache of gold. | |
|
