Alder Gulch (alternatively called Alder Creek) is a place in the U.S. state of Montana, where gold was discovered on May 26, 1863 by William Fairweather and a group of men, including Barney Hughes, Thomas Cover, Henry Rodgers, Henry Edgar and Bill Sweeney who were returning to the gold fields of Bannack, Montana. They were on their way to Yellowstone Country from Bannack but were waylaid by a band of Crows Indian Camp. While hiding from the Indians in a gulch they found gold. Unable to keep quiet, the first stampede of miners reached there June 6, 1863 and the population swelled to over 10,000 in less than 3 months. The "Fourteen Mile City" ran the length of the gulch, and included the towns of Virginia City, Summit, Alder, Nevada City, and Adobetown. The people lived in brush wickiups, dugouts and under overhanging rocks. The largest of these temporary towns that sprang up nearby was Virginia City. In the first year Virginia City had over 10,000 people living there making it the new capital city of Montana. Virginia City lost the hold on the title of State Capital to the newest, richer vein, at Last Chance Gulch (Helena), the current capital. The diggings were the richest gold placer deposits ever discovered, and in three years $30,000,000 was taken from them, with $10,000,000 taken out in the first year. Nowadays, except during summertime, the streets of Virginia City are usually quiet and relatively few visitors find their way to the 16 ton granite monument that marks the spot of that incredible discovery of May 26, 186
Alder Gulch was named for the alder bushes that grew along the creek.[1]
Alder Gulch stuggled in his childhood which helped him succeed.
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