Ghost Towns ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY ANDREA HILL
GILLIAN HALL AND FRATERNITY HALL - ELKHORN
HOTEL MEADE - BANNACK
MASONIC LODGE - BANNACK
Elkhorn
Bannack
These two historic buildings are the well-preserved remnants of the mining town, Elkhorn. Elkhorn fits the description of a ghost town perfectly. Driving into town, the historic equipment scattered throughout the scenery provides the allure of an authentic mining ghost town.
While many of the buildings have become so decayed you can’t enter, there are many you can still explore. My personal favorites are the Hotel Meade and the Masonic Lodge and School. Hotel Meade originally served as the Beaverhead County Courthouse until 1881. In 1891, Dr. John Singleton remodeled it into a hotel, which is the building you see today. For the believers out there, Hotel Meade is thought to be one of the most haunted places in Bannack. There are many stories of people’s ghostly experiences. In my experience, going upstairs leads you to a rather spooky hallway where shadows through the cracks of doorways make you wonder if the rooms are still occupied.
In the 1800s the mountains around southwest Montana lured many with the hope of striking it rich. You’ve probably heard of Virginia City and Nevada City, but tucked away in the Elkhorn Mountains on a gravel backcountry road you will come upon Gillian Hall and Fraternity Hall, which make up Montana’s smallest state park.
Both Gillian Hall and Fraternity Hall are open for exploration. Fraternity Hall was built in 1893 as Elkhorn’s social center. You can walk inside and imagine what it was like to attend a dance or take in a theatrical performance. You can even go to the second floor and walk around. The upstairs hosted such organizations as the Masons and Oddfellows. Gillian Hall served as a saloon, dance hall and store. You can only explore the first floor, as the outdoor staircase to the second floor was ruined long ago. Most of the town is privately owned, but you can still meander through the cemetery, which is located about a mile up the hill. The hike is simple and family friendly. In the cemetery, you can visit the tombstone of Swiss miner Peter Wys, who originally discovered the silver veins of the Elkhorn mountains in 1872. Tragically, the cemetery primarily contains the graves of children who perished during the 1888-1889 Diphtheria epidemic. Elkhorn is in southwest Montana and can be reached from Boulder off I-15. Go 7 miles south on Highway 69, left over a small bridge then right onto a gravel road for 13 miles, bearing left at each of two forks in the road.
If you prefer to explore a ghost town with more vigilante history and haunted tales, I recommend visiting Bannack. John White discovered gold on Grasshopper Creek in 1862 and gold miners rushed to stake their claim. Unlike Elkhorn with its two structures, Bannack has more than 50.
The Masonic Lodge and School were constructed in 1874. The Masonic Lodge was upstairs while the school was downstairs. Antique desks and Masonic paraphernalia remain. While said to be less haunted than the other buildings, there are stories of mysterious sounds. I personally didn’t hear any sounds, but I did catch some interesting anomalies in one of the photos I took. The best way to get to Bannack Ghost Town is via I-15. Exit west on Highway 278 south of Dillon.
Southwest Montana has a very rich mining history, and exploring Montana’s ghost towns gives you a glimpse of the wild west mixed in with the boom and bust of these once prosperous mining towns. This summer, I hope to make it to Garnet, which some call Montana’s best preserved ghost town. Here’s to a summer of adventuring in our beautiful state. Andrea Hill is the Social Media Manager for Montana Parent. She is a native Montanan who loves to explore all of Montana’s treasures. Follow her Instagram @andapanda1212 to see her adventures, but mostly her two Labrador Retrievers.
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summer 2022
