Bannack Ghost town in Montana

Hello All

Here is a overgrown village in Montana.

Founded in 1862 and named after the local Bannock Indians, it was the site of a major gold discovery, and served as the capital of Montana Territory briefly in 1864.

At its peak, Bannack had a population of about ten thousand. There were three hotels, three bakeries, three blacksmith shops, two stables, two meat markets, a grocery store, a restaurant, a brewery, a billiard hall, and four saloons. Though all of the businesses were built of logs, some had decorative false fronts.

Bannack's sheriff, Henry Plummer, was accused by some of secretly leading a ruthless band of road agents, with early accounts claiming that this gang was responsible for over a hundred murders in the Virginia City and Bannack gold fields and trails to Salt Lake City.

However, because only eight white deaths are historically documented, some modern historians have called into question the exact nature of Plummer's gang, while others deny the existence of the gang altogether. In any case, Plummer and two compatriots were hanged, without trial, at Bannack on January 10, 1863. Over the next few weeks, 22 other individuals were accused, informally tried, and hanged by the vigilantes of Bannack.

Perhaps some of this alleged stolen gold still lies buried around the town and hills of Bannack?

An interesting ghost town and potential place for treasure caches?

Hardluck 



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http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,11785.msg75915.html#msg75915

Well Hardluck if it's near enough to you then you should definitely go and do some hunting in that place I guess that there must be quite a bit of rattle snakes there to so do be on the look out.

Regards, Xavier


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http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,11785.msg76021.html#msg76021

Xavier

They seemed to have calmed down a bit these days I don't recall a lynchin for quite some time.  
Lotta those old ghost towns in the northwest, when the gold went dry everyone packed up and moved to nicer locations. That one looks better than most of the ones closer to me. Many are now protected as heritage sites but still fun to visit.

There were so many robberies and shootings in the old territories that had no documentation, and a lot of the sheriffs seemed to have played both sides at times. Fast fortunes fast times. Fun stuff, but researching can be frustrating and records scarce.

And yes Xavier there are a lot of snakes out in that desert, some crawl and some have legs   Mostly the rattlers leave you alone if you dont step on em, but the other kind are meaner.

Good stuff Hardluck


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http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,11785.msg76038.html#msg76038

Hello all

There might be reports in old newspapers of the lynching that might bear fruit. Perhaps we can find out more details of the robberies?

hmmmm... I smell a possible treasure story?

Hardluck 

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http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,11785.msg76096.html#msg76096

Hello All

Thank you Idaho Jones for the interesting articles.

Here is 1880 photograph on the town

Hardluck 

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http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,11785.msg76410.html#msg76410