I have a minor obsession with ghost towns.... like having a volume of ghost town books and the desire to stop at every one along the way. It all started here-- Bannack, Montana. This is the first ghost town I'd ever been to. And back in the early '80s on a frigid autumn day, the aura of the town was nothing like it was compared to this renovated town we recently visited on a perfect summer morning. "Cold and creepy" would be describe my perception of Bannack when I was young. It was definitely intriguing and it definitely opened my eyes to a time in history unlike anything I've ever experienced. I've wanted to revisit Bannack ever since that first visit, time and distance always being the obstacles preventing that from happening. On our most recent road trip back home (as you all know, MT will always be my home regardless of where my actual house may be located), we made the time to tour Bannack. I couldn't believe the changes. It was so much the town that I had remembered yet so completely different at the same time. It was no longer so much creepy (ok, there are certain stories that send chills down your spine) as a step in time waiting to unfold. With a lot of time and money, these buildings have been renovated, the doors swing open to welcome you inside and a thick brochure tells the history of this town during its prime in the mining era. As you stand in Skinner's Saloon, you can almost imagine the gunshots ringing out as cross words are spoken and patience is tested. As you enter the Bessette House, you can imagine the cries of the quarantined individuals that met their untimely deaths from diseases such as scarlet fever, diphtheria and whooping cough. As you stand beneath the gallows, you can sense the intense final moments of Sheriff Henry Plummer who walked both sides of the law and hung as a result of his criminal ways. In places like these, I get lost in the stories and history of the people that used to walk these streets, mine the ores and do their best to make a life for themselves during challenging times. It's incredible to me. I've never been much of a history buff, but there is just something about ghost towns that I can't resist. Thank you, Bannack, for letting me relive your stories!
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| "Bannack Schoolhouse" |
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| "Inside Bannack" |
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| "Hotel Meade Lobby" |
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| "Seat with a View" |
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| "Main Street Bannack" |
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| The view of the prison from the building next door. |
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| The red brick building was originally the courthouse and eventually remodeled into a hotel. |
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| "Bannack's Hotel Meade" |
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| Can you hear the sound of the children's voices?..... |
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| "Lace Curtains and Picket Fence" |
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| The Bannack Gallows |
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| The cemetery on the hill. |
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| The view of the town from the cemetery. |
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