Bannack, Montana
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Photo: Marc Averette
Bannack, Montana, founded in 1862, is now a ghost town. Named after the local Bannock Indians, it was the site of Montana's first major gold discovery in 1862, and served as the capital of Montana Territory briefly in 1864, until the capital was moved to Virginia City. Bannack continued as a mining town, though with a dwindling population. The last residents left in the 1970s.
At its peak, Bannack had a population of about three thousand. It was a classic wild-west town, with miners, crooks, thieves, lawyers, Indians, merchants, prostitutes and even a clergyman or two. 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 believed by some to have robbed the stage coach. He was said to be the head of a gang that was responsible for nearly a hundred deaths; twenty-two men were eventually hanged by a mob (the Vigilance Committee) for their presumed crimes. The last man hanged may have done nothing more than express an opinion that several of those previously hanged had been innocent.
Sixty historic log and frame structures remain standing in Bannack, many quite well-preserved; most can be explored. The site is listed as a National Historic Landmark. The town is presently the site of Bannack State Park.
